Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for reducing unsolicited electronic messages by using immutable email identities in place of traditional email addresses. Over any of various protocols, an address generation server receives an electronic message requesting a disposable address for an intended recipient having an immutable email identity. The request also includes a return address for the sender, which discourages unsolicited messages because most senders of unsolicited messages prefer to remain anonymous. After receiving the request, the address generation server creates the disposable electronic message address, which may be limited in use. A challenge must be completed before the address may be discovered or used. This challenge further discourages unsolicited electronic messages because it imposes a burden that many senders of unsolicited messages are unwilling to bear.

Abstract: A system and method for pre-allocating resources for use by registering consumers of applications and/or services available via a protocol that identifies a user through items including, but not limited to, a cookie and/or a persistent connection (e.g., the Internet) is provided. The system includes one or more components for pre-allocating resources for use by consumers registering to use applications and/or services available over the Internet. Since consumers can be served by more than one application and/or service server, and since resources can be managed by more than one resource manager, information concerning a consumer may be replicated to the more than one resource manager. The system thus includes one or more components for processing requests from consumers that require access to resources so that requests from newly registered consumers can be processed by a resource manager that has information concerning the newly registered consumers.

Abstract: The invention provides quality assured network services in a multi-domain network and comprises a network service management device for managing device clusters incorporated within the operations management network of each provider network and receiving service orders, and a multi-domain service broker for providing a broker function for achieving agreement between a plurality of providers, and the multi-domain service broker further comprises a device for collecting domain information and information relating to the services each provider is able to provide from the network service management devices, and a device which on receipt of a network service request from a customer, extracts the network service management device of the domain which is able to satisfy the required quality level, and then issues instructions for the setting of the required information within the extracted network service management device.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with situations in which call signalling follows an indirect path between an originating party and a destination party. Such an indirect path can occur when multi-homed communications networks are used. For example, where a service is provided to an enterprise which has a private address domain and that service is hosted by a service provider whose equipment is located in a public address domain connected to the enterprise domain by two or more address translators. Previously, in this type of situation, resulting media paths also follow the indirect path of the call signalling. This is wasteful of network resources. The present invention enables a direct media path to be set-up. This is achieved by enabling network address translators between two address domains to retain information in call set-up messages about the relevant address in the previous address domain and also by adding network identifier information to call set up messages.

Abstract: A communications system in which both a layer-2 and layer-3 virtual private networks (VPNS) can operate in an efficient and cost-effective way to offer improved network services. An ingress edge node has a path data manager which sets and manages path data describing configuration of an intra-network transport path. For transport over the intra-network transport path, a labeling unit adds an intra-network transport label to each outgoing frame, based on the path data. Those frames also have a VPN label for transport over an end-to-end VPN path. In an egress edge node, a frame discrimination value setting unit gives a frame discrimination value for identifying to which VPN each received frame belongs. A redirection processor redirects the received frames to their destinations according to their VPN labels and frame discrimination value.

Abstract: An efficient mechanism for sending messages without the use of intermediate copies (i.e. without the staging of data) is provided. In particular an interface specification which allows use users of a transport protocol is defined so as to lend itself to efficient implementations. The interface specification is a complete and robust set of user functions usable within systems desiring reliable and efficient zero copy transport protocols. Two methods are provided to accomplish the implementation of an efficient zero copy protocol. The first method is especially useful in systems where the network device has limited capabilities in terms of hardware, message fragmentation and message reassembly. An additional RDRAM memory allows data to reside in an adapter while handshake operations take place between an adapter and a node so as to specify the final destination of the data. The second method takes advantage of network devices with advanced features which are exploited for maximum efficiency.