Abstract: In a multilink point-to-point protocol (PPP) network access server, a method is provided in one aspect of the invention allocating ports among various users that includes allocating primary ports among various users, and thereafter, allocating secondary ports among various users only until the number of allocated secondary ports reaches a prescribed maximum. Another aspect of the invention may be thought of as a back-channel allocation method that includes determining whether a back channel is actually being used by a first network client, and if not then allocating the unused back channel to a second network client.

Abstract: A method and system for network address maintenance in a data-over-cable system. The method includes determining whether a network device, such as a cable modem, responds to a request in a timely manner. When updating network address tables, such as Address Resolution Protocol tables, an Internet Control Message Protocol (“ICMP”) echo message is generated and sent to the Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of a network device. If an ICMP echo reply message is not detected within a pre-determined time, the network address is deleted from the network address table. The deletion of the network address ensures that the device is isolated from the network. The method and system provide for the rapid removal of stale network addresses, freeing valuable memory space, and increasing security in a data-over-cable system.

Abstract: A recording system comprises a non-volatile recording medium, a recording device for recording information data on the recording medium, the recording medium including a first recording area in which to record the information data, a second recording area in which to record data indicative of an erased area in the first recording area, and a third recording area in which to record data indicative of a use status of each area in the first recording area. The recording device is operative to detect from the recording medium the data recorded in the second area and the data recorded in the third recording area, and perform erasure of, and recording of the information data in, a recording-enable and unerased area in the first recording area.

Abstract: A multimedia multiparty communication system and method which includes one or more “agents” and one or more “brokers”. Each communication session is managed by a broker which creates and maintains the session. An agent may cause a broker to alter a communication session by entering into “negotiations” with the broker. It is also possible for an agent, through the broker, to enter into negotiations with one or more other agents. Negotiations, between agents and between agents and brokers may consist of any number of exchanged messages (or “offers”), thereby allowing for the dynamic negotiations necessary for effective multimedia multiparty communications.

Abstract: An intelligent local client agent can passively keep track of the state of network intermediaries, and can allocate network traffic according to different policies. In addition, an optional management platform running on a policy server provides an active network monitor of intermediaries and implements administrative policies. Under the present invention, an intermediary-aware application (e.g., a browser) will be configured to use the local client agent instead of an intermediary. The policy server can remotely load configuration information into a running client agent to provide administrative constraints or state changes. At each client agent, the intermediary servers (e.g. SOCKS servers) are ranked into tiers, so that several servers in the top-rated tier can be used concurrently to provide better performance. When the performance of a server degrades, its tier rating is lowered, and thus it may be avoided. Administratively defined tiers can be used to reserve resources for mission critical applications.

Abstract: A communication apparatus, a communication system, and a communication method are provided for relaying and receiving data from an information source which presents data services such as video data services via a network such as Internet. With this configuration, the service data can be dynamically changed and a digest corresponding to such a change can be presented. Also with this configuration, a communication apparatus, a communication system, and a communication method are provided which are capable of reducing the load of the whole network and relaying and receiving data at high efficiency.

Abstract: Encrypted e-mails that reside in e-mail service providers servers or a gateway machines can be compromised and deciphered with advances in technology for breaking encryption codes. Significant security can be achieved by encrypting the message, splitting message, and transmitting the individual fragments via a set of unique e-mail servers. At the receivers end, the message can be reconstructed from the individual pieces and then decrypted and displayed to the recipient.

Abstract: A data processing network having at least one centrally accessed computer connected to a plurality of PC Client computers of various types containing myriad “content”, defined as any type of multimedia, program and OS elements, files or text and voice and video messages located in accessible storage, the centrally accessed computer having content management software and a database containing one copy of each content element unique to one PC Client and one copy of each content element common to a plurality of PC Client computers, each PC Client computer containing a software agent and numerous content elements in local accessed storage. A method and means for maintaining one copy of each common content element and one copy of each unique content element, stored in the database of the centrally accessed computer and for refreshing the contents of the PC Client computers as required from the database and network resources.

Abstract: A method of monitoring transmissions across a network by recording a history of user-selected network transmission requests to a network client in a trace object, wherein the history of user-selected network transmission requests includes a trace of one or more network links, assigning a unique identifier to the trace object, and saving the trace object. In the embodiment wherein the network is the Internet, the method records a sequence of links to sites on the World Wide Web. A web browser can allow toggling between a logging mode and a non-logging mode, in order to start and stop recording of link traces. Multiple traces from different network sessions can thus be merged into a single link sequence which can thereafter be used to revisit a network link contained in the history of network transmissions. Different link sequences can be combined to form procedures. Supervisors (e.g.

Abstract: An management information base integrative management method for an asynchronous transfer mode server is disclosed which reduces the load to be applied to CPU processing of an ATM switch body and minimize the influence upon the processing capacity of the other functions then the SNMP function. Upon accessing, from a network management system (NMS) through an ATM switch in which a plurality of servers are incorporated, a management information base of any of the servers in accordance with an SNMP procedure, one of the servers is set as a master server and the others are set as slave servers. Then, from the ATM switch, the master server is accessed representatively in accordance with the SNMP procedure, and from the master server, any of the slave servers is accessed over a virtual connection (VC). A PVC is used for the communication between the ATM switch and the master server, and an SVC is used for the communication between the master server and any of the slave servers.

Abstract: To provide telephony-like interfaces to a computer network, a computer system has a visual display device that continually displays a network status icon indicating network status information. The icon can have segments corresponding to different communications environments, and the icon and the segments will change some characteristic, such as shape, size, or color, to indicate the presence of some network event or the status of some network parameter.

Abstract: A distributed computing system used for controlling a telecommunications network includes a number of computers interconnected by a data communications network each computer storing a plurality of data records. The computers are programmed to access records held on other computers and are programmed to move the record to another computer. Each computer is further arranged to store a table of data indicating the computer on which that record may currently be stored, and to update that table when the record is moved. Each computer is further programmed to store a log of the identities of the other computers which have accessed the record, and the computers are further programmed so that after moving the record, the computer sends a location updating message to at least one further computer determined in accordance with the log.

Abstract: A method is provided for blocking attacks on a private network (12). The method is implemented by a routing device (10) interconnecting the private network (12) to a public network (14). The method includes analyzing an incoming data packet from the public network (14). The incoming data packet is then matched against known patterns where the known patterns are associated with known forms of attack on the private network (12). A source of the data packet is then identified as malicious or non-malicious based upon the matching. In one embodiment, one of the known forms of attack is a denial of service attack and an associated known pattern is unacknowledged data packets. In another embodiment, one of the known forms of attack is an address spoofing attack and an associated known pattern is a data packet having a source address matching an internal address of the private network (12).

Abstract: A method and system for adjusting a message preamble on a shared bus, wherein the message preamble includes N synchronization characters, and each of the synchronization characters is separated in time by a random delay interval. First, an activity status is determined for the shared bus in terms of the number of stations that are currently active on the bus. The number of synchronization characters is then adjusted according to the bus activity status. The activity status is also utilized as a dynamic adjustment parameter for the random delay interval that includes a fixed delay term, D, added to a randomly determined delay increment, d. In this manner the message preamble specification is optimized according to real-time network demands, such that latency and data collisions are minimized.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to one or more computer networks having computers like personal computers or network servers with microprocessors linked by broadband transmission means and having hardware, software, firmware, and other means such that at least one parallel processing operation occurs that involve at least two computers in the network. More particularly, this invention relates to one or more large networks composed of smaller networks and large numbers of computers connected, like the Internet, wherein more than one separate parallel processing operation involving more than one different set of computers occurs simultaneously and wherein ongoing processing linkages can be established between virtually any microprocessors of separate computers connected to the network.

Abstract: Improving object organization by presenting controlling attribute-specific lists is disclosed. For example, the object can be an email and the controlling attribute the sender of the email. Sender-specific lists are dynamically maintained and can include the most recent folders into which email have been moved. When a current email is selected, or when the user otherwise so indicates, a sender-specific list for the sender of the current email is displayed to the user. The user can select one of the folders from the list into which to move the current email. Besides email, the object can be a file, such that the controlling attribute can be the creator of the file.

Abstract: A system and method for the communication of streaming data is disclosed. In an exemplary method of the present invention, a first set of data is received by an information handling system. A second set of data is received via a network wherein the second set of data is continuously streaming. During times when a sufficient amount of streaming data of the second set of data is available for communication, the second set of data is communicated to a user. Otherwise, the first set of data is communicated to the user. In one embodiment, the second set of data may include a video stream viewable by a user. In another embodiment of the present invention, the first data set and the second data set may be transmitted from a first source.

Abstract: A network operator identifies an address of a network element used by a particular client to obtain IP addresses. The client sends a test message to a test URL which includes a unique host name unknown to the client or network element. The network element accesses an authoritative server, which records the IP address of the requesting network element and resolves the host name in the test URL to a test IP address. The server records an IP address of the client when the client subsequently sends a message directly to the test IP address. In an alternative embodiment, another network node generates a redirect command, which incorporates the client IP address in a test URL, to allow for single-message determination of the network element and client IP addresses by the authoritative server. In both embodiments, user unique test URLs may be generated to allow the network operator to assist many users.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product for guaranteeing network client-server response time while providing a way of putting the client on-hold when the response time temporarily prohibits, access to the requested server. The apparatus is implemented within an interface unit connecting a plurality of servers and an on-hold server to the Internet, which is connected to a plurality of clients.

Abstract: A single protocol is used by sending systems to inform receiving systems what kind of data is arriving after the notification by this prefix protocol. The payload protocol follows, and is the real protocol that is used to exchange the data after the prefix protocol session. Although the PPP protocol allowed a negotiation of the used network protocol in the NCP, the PPP enforced that payload protocol data would always be carried inside HDLC framing. The payload protocol can be any protocol, and is only notified by prefix protocol HDLC frames, and therefore payload protocol data can be transferred inside any kind of protocol that is supported by a handler within the receiving system.