Abstract: The present invention provides a framework for enabling an object oriented paradigm to be implemented in a networked environment. The framework comprises a client dispatcher object for managing the network communications of objects on the client's side, and a server dispatcher object for managing the network communications of objects on the server's side. The dispatcher objects cooperate with each other to send messages from the associated objects across the network in batches. By collecting and sending messages in batches, the dispatchers minimize the number of network round trips that need to be incurred, thereby minimizing network traffic. The framework further comprises a proxy interface for enabling the dispatcher objects to communicate with their associated objects. The proxy interface sets forth a set of methods that each of the associated objects needs to implement in order to participate in the communication scheme of the present invention.

Abstract: A multi-network system is provided with a facility for storing an old or superseded router image without the need for increasing router memory. A local storage device is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a router. Before a new image is downloaded to the router, the old or superseded image is first stored in the support device. If the new image is defective or undesirable, the old image can be recovered, even if the wide area link is unopenable, by reloading the old image from the local storage device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for distribution of multimedia files from file servers (110) over arbitrary telecommunication networks (150) to consumers (160) where those networks offer connections of a certain bandwidth for transmission. The consumers deliver requests for presentation of multimedia files, and the file servers deliver those files with respect to said requests for presentation. According to the proposed method, the transmission rates of the multimedia files are smoothed by spreading the transmission over time leading to additional delays in the delivery of said information. Minimum transmission rates for maximum values of the delays are calculated, and these values are provided as control data for the transmission. These control data are appended to the respective multimedia files, and the multimedia files are delivered to the receivers with respective additional, delays between the requests for presentation and the presentation of the files, corresponding to the maximum delays.