Abstract: A method for transmitting electronic information items over a network includes registering a first user via a first client machine and a second user via a second client machine with a discovery machine wherein the first client machine, the second client machine and the discovery machine are coupled to a network. A communication is initiated from the second user via the second client machine to the first user via the client machine through the discovery machine. It is determined that the first user will accept the communication and a direct link is established between the first client machine and the second client machine and the communication is delivered.

Abstract: An information management method includes invoking a client environment hosted on a client machine. The client environment is registered with a discovery machine coupled to the client machine by a network. A server machine coupled to the network registers with the discovery machine. A host environment of the client environment on the server machine registers with the discovery machine upon an indication that the server machine has a communication for the client environment. A direct link is established between the client machine and the server machine and the communication is delivered from the server machine to the client machine.

Abstract: A method of testing a computer system in a testing environment formed of a network of routers, servers, and firewalls. Performance of the computer system is monitored. A log is made of the monitored performance of the computer system. The computer system is subjected to hostile conditions until it no longer functions. The state of the computer system at failure point is recorded. The performance monitoring is done with substantially no interference with the testing environment. The performance monitoring includes monitoring, over a sampling period, of packet flow, hardware resource utilization, memory utilization, data access time, or thread count. A business method entails providing a testing environment formed of a network of network devices including routers, servers, and firewalls, while selling test time to a customer on one or more of the network devices during purchased tests that test the security of the customer's computer system.