Abstract: A method and a system for rating entities of a group is provided. Rating values for one or more other entities are received. The received rating values include a time stamp. A matrix of combined rating values is built, and entropy values for each entity are determined. The entropy value is indicative of a rate an entity rates other entities with a same rating value. Goodness values are determined for each entity. Each of the goodness values is dependent from a respective fairness value for each entity and the respective entropy value of each entity. The goodness value are indicative of a quality metric. The fairness values for each entity is determined. The fairness value is dependent on the related goodness value, the fairness value being indicative of a difference of an entity rating in comparison to other ratings. The determination of the goodness and fairness values are repeated until convergence.

Abstract: A state change in a network comprising a master server among a plurality of servers is determined, at the master server, a first lookup table is calculated, said first lookup table indicating respective partitions of a second lookup table distributed among active servers of said plurality of servers, the calculated first lookup table is distributed to each active server, and based on the first lookup table, at the master server, a modified partition of the second lookup table is generated.

Abstract: A query message is received at a first server of a plurality of servers of a first server type, at least part of data contained in the query message is transformed to a transforming result, based on the transforming result and a first lookup table at said first server, a storage location of a respective second lookup table at one of said plurality of servers of said first type is determined, the respective second lookup table is accessed at the determined storage location of the respective second lookup table at one of said plurality of servers of said first type, and an indicator indicating a storage location of data requested by the query message is retrieved from the respective second lookup table.

Abstract: Method for allowing peer-to-peer data transmission The invention relates to a method for allowing peer-to-peer data transmission between peer communication terminals. In this context, a file (D), for which multiple requests regarding retrieval have already been sent to an index server (IS) by peer communication terminals in the past, is automatically retrieved from a peer communication terminal (P3) providing this file by a storage peer communication terminal (SP). This file (D) is stored in the storage peer communication terminal (SP). The storage peer communication terminal (SP) registers as a provider of this file with the index server (IS). Upon receiving a further request relating to this file (D), the index server provides the requesting peer communication terminal with an address for the storage peer communication terminal in order to allow the requesting peer communication terminal to retrieve the file (D) from the storage peer communication terminal (SP).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for ascertaining an address for a peer communication terminal which holds a file. If peer communication terminals (P1, P2) repeatedly send request messages (N1, N2) to a first index server (IS1), with the request messages relating to a file (D) and with the first index server (IS1) not storing an address for a peer communication terminal which holds this file (D), then an interrogation device (AE) automatically ascertains an address (IP3) for a peer communication terminal (P3) which holds this file (D). This address (IP3) is transmitted to the first index server (IS1) by the interrogation device (AE). The first index server (IS1) then stores this address (IP3), so that when a further request message relating to this file appears the first index server (IS1) is able to provide this address (IP3) in response to the further request message.

Abstract: A method for making contact between a peer communication terminal and an index server for providing peer-to-peer data transmission is provided. The method involves a peer communication terminal associated with a first telecommunication network sending a make-contact message addressed to a first index server. This make-contact message is transmitted to a proxy node in the first telecommunication network. The proxy node terminates the transmission of the make-contact message, and the proxy node then prompts contact to be made between the peer communication terminal and a second index server, which is arranged in the first telecommunication network.