Abstract: In an enterprise network system a plurality of software systems are integrated using an enterprise wide software management system and communicate with a plurality of clients. At least one of the clients is functionally represented by a plurality of subclients through a midware which is transparent to the software systems. Communication destined for any of the clients interfaced through the midware is received by the midware and converted to a format suitable for communication with one or more of the subclients prior to transmission thereto. Correspondingly, communications received from one or more subclients is converted to an appropriate format by the midware and forwarding to the assigned destination. Communications received by the midware is further monitored for fields which are tracked. Upon receiving communications having fields being tracked, the midware stores a least a portion of the communication in a report table.

Abstract: A method and system for viewing a document containing at least one page and at least one image, the document being located on a server computer, including sending by a client computer a page display request to the server computer creating by the server computer a layout page containing a reference to stored image data, transmitting the layout page from the server computer to the client computer, sending an image data request to a remote computer according to the reference to stored image data, and transmitting requested image data from the remote computer to the client computer in response to the image data request.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a fuel dispenser system and a system for managing dispenser systems. The system comprises of at least one fuel dispenser having a peripheral, a point of sale terminal for initiating dispensing transactions and for controlling the peripheral on the fuel dispenser and a processor connected between the point of sale terminal and the dispenser for translating commands between the point-of-sale terminal and the dispenser and for translating response between dispenser and the point-of sale terminal. The present invention also includes a managing processor communicating with each dispenser system for administering the activities of the dispenser system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating and utilizing To-Be-Visited sites in a web enabled application accessible list is provided. The apparatus includes an access unit for adding the TBV site to the web enabled application accessible list, and a dating/deleting unit for determining whether the TBV site is expired, and deleting the TBV site if the TBV site has expired.

Abstract: Communications network performance is tested utilizing a test scenario simulating actual communications traffic on the network to be tested. The test scenario includes an endpoint node specific test protocol between an endpoint node pair including a first and associated second endpoint node on the network to be tested. A partner endpoint node test protocol is determined from the endpoint node specific test protocol and communicated to from the first endpoint node to the associated second endpoint node of the endpoint node pair. A plurality of endpoint node pairs may executed different endpoint node specific test protocols under a test scenario. A console node is provided on the network for establishing the test scenario and assigning the test scenario to endpoint node pairs and initiating execution of the test scenario. Performance data may be monitored at one of the endpoint nodes of each endpoint node pair and reported to the console node either as it is generated or after completion of the test.

Abstract: A network management system (NMS) and method is arranged for monitoring, controlling and managing a network that includes a set of interconnected network elements (NEs). A management agent in each NE interacts with the NMS on behalf of the NE. The system and method utilizes (a) a behavior transition model based on NE status or “health” indicators for passive monitoring, (b) a status updating mechanism with adjustable or “tunable” parameters based on operating conditions, (c) a derivation procedure for correlating ripple effects, and (d) an early-warning model for proactive management.

Abstract: A site server is provided to which devices to be managed are connected. The site server is configurable from remote locations using Internet browser technology. The site server ports can be -configured as serial ports, contact closure ports and analog ports. Users from remote locations can communicate with the site server via direct dial through a public switch telephone network, as well as Internet and intranet connections. In addition to a modem and a 10-BaseT Ethernet interface, the site server is provided with a manager agent, a MIB or similar data structure of managed objects and/or variables, a Web server, a SQL database engine, TCP/IP routing software, PPP communications support, device-translation drivers and a multi-tasking Device Management Operating System to allow the site server to map native device interfaces into operations to communicate with a manager. The site server is Web-configurable to manage different types of devices without requiring device-specific software development.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus provide for controlled access to a shared communication medium. Time slots on a forward channel include information regarding status useful for remote units to determine whether a reverse channel is available for seizure. Additionally, information along the forward channel provides guidance to the remote units to control attempts to seize the reverse channel. In one embodiment a remote unit divides a data package into a plurality of portions and attempts to seize the reverse channel using a single portion of the data package which corresponds to one time slot on the reverse channel. It then waits until it receives notification along the forward channel that the first data portion was successfully received before it attempts to send any of the remainder of its data in consecutive time slots on the reverse channel.

Abstract: A method that rapidly reconfigures a computer network having a plurality of devices executing the spanning tree algorithm. First, one or more devices are configured and arranged so that one port, providing connectivity to the root, is in the forwarding state and the remaining ports, providing connectivity to the root, are in the blocked state. Next, one or more of the blocked ports are designated as back-up ports. Upon detection of a failure at the active forwarding port, one of the back-up ports immediately transitions from blocked to forwarding, thereby becoming the new active port for the device. Following the transition to a new active port, dummy multicast messages are transmitted, each containing the source address of an entity directly coupled to the affected device or downstream thereof. By examining the dummy multicast messages, other devices in the network learn to use to the new forwarding port of the affected device.

Abstract: A computer system employs a hierarchical ring structure for communication. Computer system elements are configured into modules with ring interface hardware, and the modules are coupled to one or more rings. Bridge modules may be included for transmitting between rings in the hierarchy. The rings are time division multiplexed, and each time slot on a ring carries a frame. According to an address carried within the frame, bridge modules determine whether or not to transmit a frame circulating on a source ring onto a target ring. If the address of the frame indicates a module upon the source ring, the bridge module retransmits the frame on the source ring. Otherwise, the bridge module transmits the frame on the target ring. The bridge module operates in this fashion at any level of the hierarchy. The owner of a time slot on a ring is permitted to release the time slot for use by other modules. To reclaim a time slot, the owner marks the time slot owned.

Abstract: A method of sending messages from a first chat client in a chat group to multiple other clients in the chat group comprises storing a first message on a first server, the first message not suitable for efficient multiple distribution from the first client to the other clients, and transmitting to the other clients a first signal comprising the location of the first message on the first server.

Abstract: An information stream management network server is disclosed that enables distributing articles to a destination in the network at times and in forms that are specified by a user, while also enabling accessing and receiving the articles from sources in the network at times and in forms that are independent of the user. The network server handles both information pull articles and information push articles. The information push articles use declarative addressing to specified groups of users, thereby masking recipient endpoint identities and delivery preferences from sources and enabling broadcast communication to members of such a group.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for a front end navigating tool that may access and manipulate files distributed across different physical machines and platforms. The front end navigating tool communicates with a plurality of server processes, resident on networked servers, to perform all types of file manipulations such as such as debugging and editing. The server processes communicate with gateway processes resident on the same machine as the calling server process that perform the desired function on any of a plurality of program segments that may distributed across a plurality of computers. The present invention supports any type of function, such as debugging, browsing and editing, that may be applied to a file.

Abstract: A server operating system supports multiple client-server sessions and enables a user to begin a session and later dynamically reconnect to that session even if the user uses two different client computers. The operating system has a multi-user session manager to enable multiple client-server sessions on the server and a multi-user stack protocol manager to manage one or more protocol stacks used in communicating with the clients. When a user connects to the server via a first client, the stack protocol manager assigns a first protocol stack to this first client-server connection and the session manager creates a first session for the user. When the user subsequently reconnects to the server using a second client that is different from the first client, the stack manager assigns a second protocol stack to a second client-server connection and the session begins creating a second session for the user.

Abstract: A telecommunications performance management system for processing, analyzing and abstracting performance data from a traffic machine (3) in real time using a hierarchial structure of a performance agents (10) connected to a user interface (11) to ensure optimum network design and performance. Each agent (10) transmits performance data to a supra agent (10) and operates according to a subscription signal and associated delivery deadline received from the supra agent (10).

Abstract: The process comprises a user acting on an initial group control module so as to commence the hooking up as a first step. It also includes the following steps: a request for signaling in the network of all the modules which are hooked up with the initial group control module by comparing the addresses which they have stored with the address of the initial group control module, the user acting on one or more of the modules of the network so as to hook it up with the initial group control module or to cancel it s hookup with the initial group control module. The process is terminated by the user acting on the initial group control module in order to terminate the hookup.

Abstract: A method for a message processing system in which messages are transmitted from source nodes to destination nodes. A transmission flow control technique is disclosed in which the source node optimistically sends control information and a data portion of a message, and wherein a destination node discards the data portion of the message if it is unable to accommodate it. The destination node, however, retains enough of the control information to identify the message to the source node, and when the destination node is subsequently able to accommodate the data portion, the destination node issues a request to the source node to retransmit the data portion of the message. Discarding of one message is followed by discards of sequential messages, until the destination node is able to accommodate the data portions of messages.

Abstract: An improved method for efficiently retrieving data associated with linked network locations utilizing a computer network is disclosed. First, data is retrieved from a network location which has a plurality of links to related network locations. Next, in response to a single user input, the plurality of links and their network addresses are automatically classified into a folder having common subject matter. A user can later efficiently retrieve data associated with the classified network locations utilizing the common category of network addresses.

Abstract: A method and system are described which allow programs to become dynamically reconfigurable without programmer intervention. This means that the programs can be dynamically distributed among multiple computers within a computer network without modification to the source code of the programs running on the system. In addition, the method and system described allow an administrator of the system to specify conditions under which reconfiguration is to occur without modification to the source text of the program to be dynamically reconfigured.

Abstract: An improved method of providing a document to a client coupled to a server. The server provides a number of Internet services to the client, including functioning as a caching proxy on behalf of the client for purposes of accessing the World Wide Web. The proxying server retrieves from a remote server in response to a request from the client a Web document used to generate a Web page on a television screen coupled to the client. Prior to downloading the requested Web page to the client, the server lays out the entire Web page and separates the Web page into partitions such that each one of the partitions corresponds to the viewable display area of the television screen coupled to the client. The server downloads the HTML data that drives the layout within the viewable display area of the television screen.