Abstract: A system that flexibly, retrieves, processes and distributes data across a global computer network is disclosed. Within the system, a first party identifier is captured and converted into a Linkage Key, such as a United States Postal Service Delivery point code (11-digit zip code). The Linkage Key is then used to retrieve Linkage Key indexed data from various network nodes that house components of a virtual Linkage Key indexed database. The retrieved information associated with the first party identifier is then distributed by the system to one or more network nodes to provide benefits to the first party and other network nodes.

Abstract: An intelligent network interface card (INIC) or communication processing device (CPD) works with a host computer for data communication. The device provides a fast-path that avoids protocol processing for most messages, greatly accelerating data transfer and offloading time-intensive processing tasks from the host CPU. The host retains a fallback processing capability for messages that do not fit fast-path criteria, with the device providing assistance such as validation even for slow-path messages, and messages being selected for either fast-path or slow-path processing. A context for a connection is defined that allows the device to move data, free of headers, directly to or from a destination or source in the host. The context can be passed back to the host for message processing by the host. The device contains specialized hardware circuits that are much faster at their specific tasks than a general purpose CPU.

Abstract: A network interface device has a fast-path ACK generating and transmitting mechanism. ACKs are generated using a finite state machine (FSM). The FSM retrieves a template header and fills in TCP and IP fields in the template. The FSM is not a stack, but rather fills in the TCP and IP fields without performing transport layer processing and network layer processing sequentially as separate tasks. The filled-in template is placed into a buffer and a pointer to the buffer is pushed onto a high-priority transmit queue. Pointers for ordinary data packets are pushed onto a low-priority transmit queue. A transmit sequencer outputs a packet by popping a transmit queue, obtaining a pointer, and causing information pointed to by the pointer to be output from the network interface device as a packet. The sequencer pops the high-priority queue in preference to the low-priority queue, thereby accelerating ACK generation and transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for establishing multiple connections using a private data field of a communication management protocol is provided. With the present invention, a Service ID identifies a specific consumer and the private data field contains a list of connection attributes for each connection that is to be established. An active side requests a connection and the passive side replies to the connection request. The active side sends the passive side a connection establishment request. This connection establishment request includes a Service ID which identifies a passive side process associated with a service. This connection establishment request also includes communication attributes of one or more connected services and datagram services associated with the Service ID. The passive passes the connection request to a process associated with the service. If the passive side process does not wish to carry out the service, a negative reply message is returned to the active side.

Abstract: Guaranteed, exactly once delivery of messages is disclosed. In one embodiment, there is a sender and a receiver. In a sender transaction, the sender does the following: receives a message from a sender queue; generates a substantially unique identifier and an expiration time for the message; and, saves the identifier, the expiration time, and the message in a sender database. The sender then sends the identifier, the expiration time, and the message to the receiver. In a receiver transaction, the receiver then does the following: receives the identifier, the expiration time, and the message from a receiver queue; determines whether the message has expired based on the expiration time and determines whether the message is present in a receiver database by its identifier; and, upon determining that the message has not expired and is not present in the receiver database, stores the message in the receiver database, and performs actions associated with the message.

Abstract: A transactional data communications system and method communicates information within an enterprise having a process control system and a plurality of information technology systems that are communicatively coupled to the process control system via a web services interface and a transactional information server. The system and method generates transactional process control information and formats the transactional process control information based on an extensible markup language input schema to form formatted transactional process control information. The system and method sends the formatted transactional process control information to the transactional information server via the web services interface and maps the formatted transactional process control information to an extensible markup language output schema associated with one of the plurality of information technology systems to form mapped transactional process control information.

Abstract: A method and system for externally managing router configuration data in conjunction with a centralized database subsystem in a router device. The centralized database provides external management registration and unregistration for various managing router subsystems associated with said database system. The centralized database and the subsystems registered for external data management engage in transaction request sequences to provide router data requested by other client subsystems. The arrangement of the various client subsystems associated with the database subsystem allows the client subsystems to remain modular and independent of each other.

Abstract: An apparatus collects information stored in a host computer through a network. A correspondence acquirement unit acquires a correspondence between an information identifier of requested information and host identifiers of a plurality of host computers each of which stores the requested information. A first decision unit decides at least one host computer to retrieve the requested information by referring to the correspondence. A second decision unit decides a retrieval method used for each host computer decided by the first decision unit from a plurality of retrieval methods. A retrieval unit indicates retrieval of the requested information based on the retrieval method decided by the second decision unit and each host computer decided by the first decision unit.

Abstract: A mechanism for balancing message traffic in a multi-chassis fully interconnected computer system partitioned into multiple domains allows the system to identify I/O transactions, to route I/O transactions over inter-domain cables, and to route non-I/O transactions over intra-domain cables. This beneficially reduces message traffic congestion on intra-domain cables.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a process for the data communication between a system unit (8) and technical facilities (2, 3, 4) in buildings for the flexible and convenient parameterization and remote monitoring of the facilities (2, 3, 4), an existing communication infrastructure being usable to reduce the expenditure resulting from cabling and to enable cost-effective data communication. The apparatus comprises a system unit (8) which is suited for data transmission according to a first data transmission protocol, at least one facility (2, 3, 4) which is suited for data transmission according to a second data transmission protocol, a protocol converter (1) which is connected to system unit (8) and converts data of the first data transmission protocol into data of the second data transmission protocol and vice versa, and a bus system (5) to which the facilities (2, 3, 4) and the protocol converter (1) can be connected.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for providing continuous, interactive communication among devices on an electronic network (110). A permanent, dedicated symmetric connection is provided between a server application and a client device (164). Both client and server can therefore communicate bi-directionally. Message storage is provided for allowing messages to be stored (166,178) while the client is offline or otherwise unavailable. The method and system is operable with any addressable device (164, 174, 174) on the electronic network. The invention can be used as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, prior art electronic network communication methods. The invention implements an advanced message routing system. A set of base capabilities are built on top of the message routing system. The communication method and system according to the present invention use a graphical user interface to virtually represent the applications that are used to interact with the electronic network.

Abstract: A monitor analyzes and generates a profile of an Internet website data transmission. The profile indicates the relative load and/or execution times of different components of the data, including text, images, and Java code. The profile is displayed and an end-user deselects one or more of the data components which are of marginal interest but contributing to the webpage load or execution times, whereupon the altered profile is stored. During a next access of the website, the altered profile is retrieved and utilized to selectively control a more limited load and/or execution of subsequently transmitted website data by eliminating the previously de-selected data types. The load or execution times associated with pages of the website are thereby reduced. In one embodiment, the profile is pre-generated and stored with the website data and transmitted in the website data transmission for display and alteration.

Abstract: In prefetch caching program implementation for hiding the delay of data access via a network, the operation of the existing applications with the prefetch program must branch, depending on whether data to access is on the cache and it is necessary to add branch processing to the data access process. In the disclosed invention, means for caching data on a device driver level in a client system and means for storing cached data into an external storage unit are provided. Cache control is accomplished by means for sending cache control commands such as “flush the cache” to the client from the outside of the client and means for executing received cache control commands within the client. Data access delay over a network can be hidden by caching.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing adaptive error correction for a fax and/or modem over packet network session is disclosed. A gateway device configured in accordance with the present invention comprises a controller configured to receive a signal from its local client device and a signal processor coupled to said controller. The signal processor encodes the signal based on a level of error correction selected by the controller. The controller is configured to determine a type of signal communicated by the local client device from, and then select a level of error correction used by the signal processor to encode the signal based on the determined type of signal communicated by the local client device.

Abstract: In a system in which a plurality of computers and printers are connected, when a font of a document to be printed does not exist in the printer, the font is downloaded to the printer and a fact that it was downloaded is also notified to the other computers.

Abstract: A system for managing packets incoming to a data router has a local packet memory (LPM) mapped into pre-configured memory units, to store packets for processing, an external packet memory (EPM), a first storage system to store packets in the LPM, and a second storage system to store packets in the EPM. The system is characterized in that the first storage system attempts to store all incoming packets in the LPM, and for those packets that are not compatible with the LPM, relinquishes control to the second system, which stores the LPM-incompatible packets in the EPM.

Abstract: A user is able to effect and manage, by using a user-friendly GUI provided on a client, various operations on volume pairs, including the mounting of a volume to a host in a system provided with volume pair features and the splitting of a volume pair. When, on a window showing a list of available hosts, the user selects a host, specifies that a volume pair be created, and designates the backup host to which the secondary volume is to be mounted, the information on the backup host entered by the user is stored in a storage together with the information on the volume pair. When, on a window showing primary or secondary volumes mounted on a host, the user selects a volume and specifies that the volume pair be split, an appropriate function in the storage system retrieves out of the storage the information on the secondary volume and the information on the backup host, and the operating system resident on the backup host mounts the secondary volume.

Abstract: A method of reconstruction of data gathered from Internet web sites and, more specifically, the reconstruction of data regarding the experiences of Internet users at particular web sites for determining the utilization of a respective web site.

Abstract: An automated device recordation and registration process for automatically registering, on a remote computer, an embedded device is described. The registration process includes a feature detection process for detecting feature information associated with a device to be registered. A transmission process transmits the feature information to a remote computer at a known address using a self-describing computer language. A registration process registers the device by storing the feature information on the remote computer.

Abstract: A medical system architecture has a modality for acquiring examination images, a device allocated to the modality for processing the examination images, a device for transmission of data and the examination images, a device for storing the data and examination images, and further devices for post-processing the data and examination images, and a message system, such as an e-mail server, for receiving and sending messages by e-mail is allocated to the devices for processing and post-processing the examination images.