Access to content addressable data over a network

Abstract

Access to content addressable data on a network is facilitated using digital information storing devices or data repositories ('silos') that monitor broadcast data requests over the network. A number of silos automatically monitor both data requests and data itself that are broadcast over a network. The silos selectively store data. Each silo responds to data requests broadcast over the network with data the silo has previously intercepted. A content addressable file scheme is used to enable the data repositories to reliably identify data being requested. When a data request is received, each silo evaluates whether it has all or a portion of the data being requested and responds to requests when it has the data. Requests for data are implemented by broadcasting a cryptographic hash data identifier of the data file needed. The data identifier is used by a silo to determine which data to receive and store. A silo includes a network interface, a digital asset collector, an asset request list, asset storage, an asset identifier processor and an asset supplier. The asset identifier processor computes a cryptographic hash asset identifier for a received asset and compares it to an asset identifier on its asset request list to verify it has the correct asset. A hash of a list of assets is also computed and broadcast over the network. When the hash of the list of assets is received by a silo, it places all the assets in its asset request list.