Abstract: Methods and systems for managing the communications and information resources of a user. A manager interfaces with communications systems such as a telecommunications and/or data network. The manager allows a user to participate in, keep track of, log, monitor, and engage or direct activities relating to communications. The manager may include user data and keep it current. The manager may receive and display data on a user's communications. The manager may respond to communications with a standard or selected response, and/or based on the user's instructions. The manager may make information related to the data or the received communications available. The manager may include a message log with entries on communications of the user including instant or chat room messages, and unanswered calls. An entry from the message log may be made available as related information to a communication received for the user. The manager may include a directory that is kept current using data on received communications.

Abstract: A method for managing communications including receiving a multitude of communication attempts from a multitude of communication sources. For each communication attempt, a communication event can be responsively determined. For each communication event, an event weight for the communication event can be determined. Each event weight can be compared to an event threshold associated with the communication event. At least one communication management action can be responsively performed. The communication management action can include a busy indication action, a queuing action, an automated response action, a linking action, a notification action, and/or a reformatting action.

Abstract: Techniques for accessing data that resides in a document on a computer-readable medium by a device with device resources of limited resource amount include determining usage for each portion of the document that consumes the device resources of a plurality of portions of the document. Each portion may be accessed independently of a different portion of the document. Based on the usage, a particular portion of the document is selected to cease consuming the device resources. The device resources consumed by the particular portion are released. The techniques allow a document-processing device with limited resources to scale up to process a large document that would otherwise exceed the available resources. This capability is an advantage when first inserting a large XML document, which cannot be fully manifested in available memory, as multiple loadable units into a database or other persistent store.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for communicating with a technician at a customer service location in a telecommunications system. One method embodiment includes generating an electronic message in an administration system; transmitting the generated electronic message from the administration system through a technician server operatively associated with the administration system; and, displaying the generated electronic message on a screen display adapted for viewing with an access device of the technician at the customer service location. One system embodiment includes an administration system configured for generating at least one electronic message; a technician server operatively associated with the administration system; and, a screen display adapted for receiving and displaying the generated electronic message for viewing on an access device of the technician at the customer service location. Computer-readable media embodiments of the present methods are also provided.

Abstract: A storage system capable of restoring data even if packets have been lost in exchanges of the data between storage apparatus each conforming to an iSCSI protocol adopting an FEC technique. In a storage system comprising storage apparatus each conforming to an iSCSI protocol adopting an FEC technique, each of the storage apparatus is provided with an FEC function and, when data is transmitted from an iSCSI layer to another iSCSI layer, the state of an FEC process and a redundancy of the data transmission are changed to values suitable for a transmission destination prior to the transmission so that the data can be restored at the destination of transmission.

Abstract: A network synchronization method designed to provide synchronization of multiple networks and devices. This invention provides a specific method for determining which nodes are responsible for network synchronization as nodes fail or cannot see each other due to conditions on the network. This allows for fault tolerance in a network in which conditions change dynamically. In addition, this invention uses synchronization codes and network numbers to isolate separate networks using the same physical medium, thus allowing sharing of network resources.

Abstract: An initialization file download method of a cable modem includes the steps of: registering configuration file name information in a DHCP server; receiving the configuration file name information registered in the DHCP server; comparing the received first configuration file name information with a previously stored second configuration file name information; downloading the received first configuration file name information, if the received first configuration file name/version is more updated file than the second configuration file name/version upon comparison; updating the memory with the downloaded first configuration file name information; and registering a cable modem by using the received first configuration file name information. Since the configuration file for initializing the cable modem is downloaded, there is no need to download the configuration file in the initializing process, so that the time required for initializing process can be shortened at the maximum.

Abstract: A method for allocating network addresses comprises providing an address pool comprising a plurality of network addresses and then dividing the address pool into a plurality of address sub-pool that comprise a unique subset of the network addresses of the address pool. Each of the sub-pools is available for use by any one of a plurality of routing devices of a network access server. The method then comprises receiving a request to assign a first network address to a first user, allocating a first address sub-pool of the plurality of address sub-pools to a first routing device of the plurality of routing devices and transmitting a first message to the other routing devices to indicate that the first address sub-pool has been allocated. The method additionally comprises assigning the first network address to the first user from the first address sub-pool and advertising an aggregate route for the first address sub-pool over a network.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for maximizing transmission throughput or capacity in a heterogeneous communications network. The systems and methods may include any one, or combinations, of: a route tracing module for identifying an optimization endpoint or destination; a testing module for sending representative test data to the endpoint/destination and measuring the data throughput/capacity for a given set of transmission variable values; and an optimization module for analyzing the set of transmission variable values and the associated data throughput/capacity, and determining an optimized set of transmission variables/values. Thus, the optimization module changes the transmission variable values of an associated network device operating within the heterogeneous communications network to achieve maximum data throughput/capacity.

Abstract: A handle administration system is described in which software agents receive handles to various resources that they can use to obtain the resources. The described embodiments provide multiple states that can be assumed by the handles. An unassigned state is provided in which handles are not assigned to a particular resource, nor can they be dereferenced to obtain pointers to any resources. An assigned state is provided in which handles are assigned to a particular resource and can be dereferenced to obtain a pointer to the resource. A suspended state is provided in which the handles are assigned to a particular resource but cannot be dereferenced to obtain a pointer to that resource. Advantageously, a suspended handle can be reinstated to assume the assigned state. In one embodiment, the handle system is implemented by incorporating a suitable field in a handle database that is used to indicate that a handle is suspended. In another embodiment, no additional fields are necessary.

Abstract: A method and system for establishing and maintaining a connection in a client/server environment is disclosed. A client requests a connection from a server, and the client and server negotiate environment options to establish the connection including a recovery location comprising, in one example, an IP address and port. The server stores the recovery location received from the client in a recovery information file. In response to losing the connection with the server, the client checks the recovery location for a recovery notification sent by the server. When the server is re-started, a recovery notification is sent by the server to the recovery location that was stored in the recovery information file. The client receives this recovery notification, and the connection between the client and the server is re-established without the need for the client to query the server.

Abstract: The invention provides, in one aspect, an improved digital data processing system of the type having a plurality of execution resources, including a central processing unit (CPU) and one or more further execution resources (or “components”). The improvement is characterized by a process executing on the central processing unit that selects portions of an applications program and effects their execution on one or more of the further execution resources, while effecting execution of remaining portions of the application on the CPU. The further execution resources, according to related aspects of the invention, can include co-processors, accelerators, controllers or other devices, of the “plug-and-play” variety or otherwise. They may provide specialized functionality for any of fast Fourier transforms, image reconstruction and synthetic aperture radar algorithms, to name a few. Those resources may be disposed locally or remotely with respect to the CPU.

Abstract: An inferred relation weighting process for determining the strength of an inferred relation between a first and a second Internet object which are not directly linked includes a first link weighting process for determining the strength of at least a first link between the first non-directly linked Internet object and a common object. A second link weighting process determines the strength of at least a second link between the second non-directly linked Internet object and the common object. An inferred relation weight calculation process calculates the strength of the inferred relation based on the strength of the at least a first link and the at least a second link.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a domain name registration operation in a shared registration system is provided. A registry receives a request for performing a domain name registration operation from a registrar. The registry performs an authentication of the registrar that sent the request. If the registrar is determined to be authenticated, the registry then determines whether the registrar is authorized to perform an action necessitated by the operation. Subsequently, the registry executes the operation based on a determination that the registrar is authorized and stores changes necessitated by the operation in a database. A response indicating success or failure of the operation is sent to the registrar.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically allocating data buffers to a data structure is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, the amount of log data that is being stored within data buffers associated with a data structure is monitored. Based on the amount of log data that is being stored within the data buffers, a determination is made as to whether additional data buffers need to be linked into the data structure. If it is determined that additional data buffers do need to be linked to the data structure, one or more free buffers are identified and linked into the data structure.

Abstract: A method of providing network access across a shared communications medium between competing users pursuant to SLAs of the users includes the steps of: (a) monitoring network access usage by each user during a time interval; (b) comparing the monitored network access usage by each user with a predetermined threshold value; and (c) soliciting a user to modify the user's SLA if the user's monitored network access usage varies from the predetermined value by a predetermined tolerance. The solicitation is conducted via email, instant messaging, redirection of a web browser of the user to a solicitation web page, generation and mailing of literature, telephonic communication, or other communication avenue.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically selecting a level of compression to be applied to data to be served to a client. The level of compression may be selected on the basis of one or more factors, such as: the bandwidth of a communication link between the client and a server, the amount of data requested by the client, the workload of the server, whether the data are cacheable, etc. The server can readily obtain information such as the amount of requested data and the available CPU time on the server. To determine the bandwidth, the server may conduct a test transfer of a known amount of data to or from the client, or consult a database identifying known or expected bandwidths for specific client connections (or addresses). Based on the selected factor(s), the server dynamically selects a level of compression for the data.

Abstract: A client player performs a query to a nameserver against a network map of Internet traffic conditions. The query is made asking for a particular service (e.g., RTSP) via a particular protocol (TCP) in a particular domain. In response, the nameserver returns a set of one or more tokens, with each token defining a machine or, in the preferred embodiment, a group of machines, from which the player should seek to obtain the stream. The player may then optionally perform one or more tests to determine which of a set of servers provides a best quality of service for the stream. That server is then used to retrieve the stream. Periodically, the client player code repeats the query during stream playback to determine whether there is a better source for the stream. If a better source exists, the player performs a switch to the better stream source “on the fly” if appropriate to maintain and/or enhance the quality of service.

Abstract: A web navigation system includes a virtual link creator that creates an electronic file that contains positional data of a physical location and a web address of a web page associated with the physical location. A virtual link server system receives the electronic file. The server system can transmit the electronic file to any remote receiver system that is near the physical location via a communication network. A receiver system, capable of communicating with the server system and accessing external Internet, receives the electronic file from the server system when the receiver system is near the physical location such that the web address of the web page is virtually posted at the physical location without employing a physical object to host the web address at the physical location. A system for creating such a virtual link is also described. Also described is a system for virtually posting a web address of a web page associated with a physical location.

Abstract: A server or software program implemented on a third-party server to facilitate incoming and outgoing calls in a mobile communication system is provided. Users can access information in a corporate information system (“CIS”) through a plurality of speech terminals coupled to the server through a communications network. The information may be accessed using voice or digital signals. Conferencing with other users is also made available through the server. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).