Abstract: One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for time-based communications port protection includes generating a transmission period schedule that is known only by authorized network users including a server and one or more clients of the server. The transmission period schedule dictates pre-defined times at which the server and clients may communicate, e.g., to transfer data. By communicating only at these secret, pre-defined times, the likelihood that an unauthorized party will be able to disrupt service to the clients is greatly reduced.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and an apparatus for failure-resilient forwarding of data over a computer network. In one embodiment, a marker is introduced into the data stream, e.g., at the sending node, and allows, in turn, forwarding nodes and/or receivers to efficiently track data stream reception. The marker functions as a checkpoint for the data transport process, and is identified and indexed at each forwarding node and receiver. Each receiver saves the marker prior to delivering data to an application, thereby designating a point in the data stream at which all preceding data is confirmed to have been delivered to the application. Thus, if a forwarding node fails, the receiver may request stream data from an alternate forwarding node by specifying to the alternate forwarding node to provide data starting from the marker.