Abstract: A computerized method is provided for connecting a remote computer to a local area network (LAN) via the Internet. An identification is sent to a gateway of a local area network using a publicly accessible communications network, either by a user or by a modem of the remote computer. The gateway uses the sent identification to index a database and read a profile record specifying an Internet Service Provider. The gateway makes a request of the specified Internet Service Provider to assign an IP address. Upon receiving the assigned IP address, the gateway sends a mail message including the Internet address to a mailbox at a mailbox address specified in the indexed profile record. The user of the remote computer reads the mail message to obtain the IP address, and the dynamically assigned IP address can then be used to connect the remote computer to a local area network (LAN) via the Internet.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for providing a client-side intermediary that communicates with an application on a second server computer system. The method operates by receiving a composite message at a client computer system from a first server computer system, and examining type information from the composite message. This type information specifies how the composite message is formatted, and can be used to select an application that is capable of processing the composite message. The method uses the type information to look up a network address of the application residing on the second server computer system. This address is used to forward the composite message to the application on the second server computer system. The above embodiment can be implemented within a browser on the client computer system, or within a separate application on the client computer system.

Abstract: The electronic mail editing section 26 has a function of editing an electronic mail and inserts a stored index sticker into the text of the electronic mail. The edited electronic mail after insertion of the index sticker is sent to the electronic mail transmitting section 27 by an electronic mail transmitting command, and then transmitted to other information processing apparatus 10b serving as a client computer. The transfer information notifying section 28 sends out transfer information via the internet 7 to the WWW server 8i upon sending the electronic mail by the electronic mail transmitting section 27. The transfer information comprises prescribed information permitting confirmation by the WWW server 8i of the transfer of the information. As a result, the WWW server 8i can know at least that the information processing apparatus 10a has transferred the information to the other information processing apparatus 10b.

Abstract: An address-translating connection device which makes it possible to dynamically assign an IP address to a private address when a connection is made to inside of a LAN from outside. When an inquiry made by designating a host name as to a global address of the same is received from the first network, a private address-retrieving device looks up a host-name/private-address correlation storage device to retrieve a private address correlated to the designated host name. When a determining device determines that the address-correlation storage/translation device does not store a global address correlated to the retrieved private address, a storage device extracts an available one of global addresses to correlate the available global address to the retrieved private address, and cause the address-correlation storage/translation device to store therein the addresses correlated to each other. At the same time, a first notifying device sends out into the first network a reply notifying the global address stored.

Abstract: A data processing system and method for sharing a component of the data processing system between multiple resources are disclosed. According to the method, at least one query is transmitted from a first resource to a second resource. In response to receipt of the query by the second resource, a reply is transmitted from the second resource to the first resource. The reply indicates that the second resource has an active communication session through a particular communication port controlled by the shared component. In response to receipt of the reply by the first resource, a transfer command is transmitted from the first resource to the second resource. In response to receipt of the transfer command by the second resource, control of the component is transferred from the second resource to the first resource while maintaining the active communication session.

Abstract: A technique, system, and computer program for maintaining session information among multiple clustered computers for servlets and providing those servlets with various session services. The session services are implemented using a plug-in servlet engine. The session information is preferably maintained without using a persistent data store, to avoid performance penalties associated with storing information in persistent storage such as a database. A locking technique is implemented to prevent servlets from inadvertently overwriting each other's session object data. A registration process is preferably used, to optimize communication of configuration property changes. Non-proprietary interfaces are used, allowing for scalability, portability, and maximum industry acceptance of this solution.

Abstract: A home page creating system, apparatus, and program recording medium, capable of creating a home page easily without requiring any special knowledge, wherein, when a WWW server confirms a terminal's request to create a home page, the terminal's type code is set in a predetermined register based on the terminal's ID. The server sends terminal user's preference inquiry data to the terminal and receives user's preference data entered from the terminal by the user. When the server receives all user's preference data about predetermined items, it creates a home page by pasting information corresponding to the user's preference data to a predetermined template. The created home page is stored along with data on the date and time when the home page was created in a predetermined data file, and is then sent to the terminal.

Abstract: An ARP server which can inform a calling terminal of an address suitable for an intended communication with a receiving terminal among a plurality of addresses usable for that purpose. The ARP server is equipped with an ATMARP table consisting of a plurality of unit tables each of which correlates an IP address and a plurality of ATM addresses. When receiving an inquiry about an ATM address corresponding to a certain IP address, the ARP server checks free bandwidths of circuits relating to respective ATM addresses in a unit table that corresponds to the IP address of interest, and informs the terminal that issued the inquiry of an ATM address with the largest free bandwidth.