Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which generate a cryptographic key utilizing user specific information to generate a user dependent key. The user specific information may be a user identification or biometric information associated with a user. In particular embodiments of the present invention a seed value is modified with biometric information to generate a user dependent key value. In alternative embodiments a key value is hashed with user specific information or user specific information is hashed and then combined with the key value to generate the user dependent key value. In still another embodiment of the present invention the space of potential key values is divided into subspaces and the subspaces assigned based on user specific information. A key value is then generated from the assigned subspace. Thus, the generated key values for different users are guaranteed to be disjoint.

Abstract: An improved methodology and implementing computer system are provided in which sensitive information is selectively masked in order to enable such information to be relatively securely and efficiently transmitted over networks without disclosure of such sensitive information at a transmitting or receiving terminal, or at points along the data transmission network.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for controlling scheduling in an ATM node in a network are provided which aggregate connection information for connections to the ATM node to provide a set of aggregate connection information for the ATM node. The set of aggregate connection information is distributed to other ATM nodes in the network and may be used in accepting connections to the ATM network based on the aggregate connection information. Scheduling may be provided by associating a timestamp value in each cell associated with an accepted connection as it is received by the ATM node. Received cells are grouped into a plurality of cell groups in timestamp order based upon characteristics of the cells and cells are selected from each group so as to transmit the cells in earliest deadline first order.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for controlling scheduling in an ATM node in a network are provided which aggregate connection information for connections to the ATM node to provide a set of aggregate connection information for the ATM node. The set of aggregate connection information is distributed to other ATM nodes in the network and may be used in accepting connections to the ATM network based on the aggregate connection information. Scheduling may be provided by associating a timestamp value in each cell associated with an accepted connection as it is received by the ATM node. Received cells are grouped into a plurality of cell groups in timestamp order based upon characteristics of the cells and cells are selected from each group so as to transmit the cells in earliest deadline first order.

Abstract: Described is a method and apparatus which calculates Cyclic Redundant Check (CRC) for an entity from partial CRCs associated with segments of the entity. The entity includes a data packet segmented into a plurality of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells. The Packet CRC is calculated from the algorithm (A.sub.1 C.sub.1 +A.sub.2 C.sub.2 . . . +A.sub.N C.sub.N)/P with A.sub.i, i=1, . . . , N, representing a partial CRC associated with a particular ATM cell, C.sub.i, i-1, . . . , N, representing a Fixed Remainder and P is the CRC generation polynomial. The C.sub.i values are calculated and stored in a table. The partial CRCs (i.e., A.sub.i 's) are calculated by hardware generator and forwarded to a processor which selects the corresponding value of C.sub.i from the table and generates the CRC for the frame.