How Distributed Servers Find Data Using Location Pointers
A system that uses a network of specialized servers to track where specific data is located, allowing computers to find information by asking a server for its address rather than searching every machine.
Original patent title: “Method and apparatus for managing location information in a network separate from the data to which the location information pertains”
A system that uses a network of specialized servers to track where specific data is located, allowing computers to find information by asking a server for its address rather than searching every machine. Granted to Econnectix LLC in 2007 with 36 claims and 119 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to organize data across multiple servers so that finding a specific piece of information is fast and efficient. Instead of storing the actual data on every server, the system uses 'location servers' that hold an identifier for an entity and a 'location string'—essentially a pointer or address—that tells the user where the actual data resides. When a query comes in, the server checks its own records; if it doesn't have the answer, it can send a 'redirect message' to point the user toward a different server that likely has the information. This creates a scalable, hierarchical network where servers can share the load of finding data across a massive, distributed system.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the actual data content itself, only the mechanism for storing and retrieving the location of that data.
- Does not cover centralized databases where all information is stored on a single machine.
- Does not cover physical GPS tracking or real-time geographic mapping of mobile devices.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The system uses a 'redirect message' logic that treats location servers like a distributed phone book; if one server doesn't have your number, it doesn't just fail—it tells you exactly which other directory to check.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Distributed hash tables in peer-to-peer file sharing networks
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) that route users to the nearest server
Large-scale enterprise data indexing systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology addresses the 'needle in a haystack' problem for large-scale networks. By decoupling the location of data from the data itself, it enables systems to grow (scale) without needing a single, massive master server that would eventually become a bottleneck. It is a foundational concept for how modern distributed computing and content delivery networks manage traffic.
Filed
June 1, 2001
Granted
June 19, 2007
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The principles of distributed indexing and redirection are central to the infrastructure of major cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. These companies utilize similar hierarchical lookup mechanisms to manage petabytes of data across global data centers.
Market impact
This patent helped formalize the architecture for distributed lookup services during the early 2000s, a period when the internet was transitioning from static pages to dynamic, distributed content. It provided a blueprint for managing data metadata separately from the data itself, which is now a standard practice in cloud architecture and large-scale web service design.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to organize data across multiple servers so that finding a specific piece of information is fast and efficient. Instead of storing the actual data on every server, the system uses 'location servers' that hold an identifier for an entity and a 'location string'—essentially a pointer or address—that tells the user where the actual data resides. When a query comes in, the server checks its own records; if it doesn't have the answer, it can send a 'redirect message' to point the user toward a different server that likely has the information. This creates a scalable, hierarchical network where servers can share the load of finding data across a massive, distributed system.
The clever bit
The system uses a 'redirect message' logic that treats location servers like a distributed phone book; if one server doesn't have your number, it doesn't just fail—it tells you exactly which other directory to check.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the actual data content itself, only the mechanism for storing and retrieving the location of that data.
- Does not cover centralized databases where all information is stored on a single machine.
- Does not cover physical GPS tracking or real-time geographic mapping of mobile devices.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
This patent is in the public domain
See the Freedom to Build guide — what is free to use, what is not, and how to cite this patent.
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$126K – $403K
Midpoint $252K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Patent Claims
0 independent claims · 1 dependent
Claims are the legal boundaries of the patent. An independent claim stands alone. A dependent claim adds limitations to its parent, narrowing — but not broadening — the scope.
The original legal language
Original claims
36 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Bailey, S. W., & Overton, J. K. (2007). How Distributed Servers Find Data Using Location Pointers (U.S. Patent No. 7,233,978). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7233978/method-and-apparatus-for-managing-location-information-in-a-network-separate-from-the-data-to-which-the-location-information-pertains
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Distributed Servers Find Data Using Location Pointers cover?
A system that uses a network of specialized servers to track where specific data is located, allowing computers to find information by asking a server for its address rather than searching every machine.
Who owns patent US 7233978?
Econnectix LLC owns this patent, granted in 2007.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 7233978 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 119 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology addresses the 'needle in a haystack' problem for large-scale networks. By decoupling the location of data from the data itself, it enables systems to grow (scale) without needing a single, massive master server that would eventually become a bottleneck. It is a foundational concept for how modern distributed computing and content delivery networks manage traffic.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the actual data content itself, only the mechanism for storing and retrieving the location of that data.
Patent monitoring