Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that distributes content across a network using a specialized protocol based on an operating environment. During operation, the system receives a request at a local node for content from a remote node via a generic protocol. The system also receives a specifier for a set of capabilities of the local node as well as a specifier for a set of capabilities of the remote node. Additionally, the system determines the specialized protocol over which to distribute the content to the remote node based on the operating environment. This operating environment can include, the set of capabilities of the local node, the set of capabilities of the remote node, and the capability of the network. Finally, the system distributes the content to the remote node via the specialized protocol. The specialized protocol can take into account the capabilities of the network, the local node, and the remote node, thereby allowing for more optimal distribution of the content.