Abstract: A method and means for automatically detecting, for any site or LAN of an organizational net, all the external subnets within the net with which it, or any subnet within it, actively communicate through a WAN and compiling a configuration- or mapping table that lists address pairs of such detected subnets as corresponding active tunnels. The process, carried out by a special agent, includes intercepting data packets flowing in- or out of the LAN and extracting from each the local and remote subnet addresses. Further the table is to indicate, for each such tunnel, an IP address associated with the LAN to which the remote subnet is connected. Such an address is obtained by sending in inquiry message to the remote subnet, which is intercepted by the corresponding remote agent, and having the remote agent send a response message to the originating agent, from which the remote agent's address is extracted. Other data may also be exchanged between the agents in the net, including data in the compiled tables.

Abstract: A method for sub-optimizing interactions in data communications network environments. The method includes the steps of deeming certain activities which involve interactions between a user and a data communication system to be less important than other activities, and introducing a degradation in response time for the interactions belonging to the certain activities deemed less important compared to a response time for the interactions belonging to the other activities.

Abstract: A method for sub-optimizing interactions in data communications network environments. The method includes the steps of deeming certain activities which involve interactions between a user and a data communication system to be less important than other activities, and introducing a degradation in response time for the interactions belonging to the certain activities deemed less important compared to a response time for the interactions belonging to the other activities.

Abstract: Strategic modifications in traffic shaping, load balancing or the like are associated with the managing of aspects or characteristics of the transfer of data communications in a network environment. The present system is directed to changing the way humans interact with data communications technologies; and circumstantially to effecting modifications in those automated portions of data communications systems which are sensitive to response time metrics. This changing is accomplished through the introduction of selective increasing of delay in response time which serves to pedagogically discourage human users of data communications systems from economically disadvantageous interactions.