Abstract: A chat system includes a chat server and a plurality of chat clients in a network that may be bandwidth constrained. Each chat client is configurable, in response to instructions from the chat server, to operate in either a master mode or a slave mode. In the master mode, a chat client is capable of initiating a chat session. In the slave mode, a chat client is incapable of initiating a chat session and may participate only in a chat session initiated by another chat client operating in the master mode. An invitor user initiates, or adds a member to, a chat session by sending an invitation to an invitee user name at a proxy address at the chat server. If the chat server determines that the invitee is logged on, the chat server forwards the invitation to the invitee at the invitee's network address.

Abstract: A system for managing documents in a distributed computing environment, which may be bandwidth limited, includes a document locker server and a document locker client. The document locker client monitors user interaction with a version of a document locally replicated from a document server. Whenever the user attempts interaction with the document, such as editing or performing a workflow action, which would change said document, the document locker client requests a lock for the document from the document locker server. The document locker server grants a lock if the document is not already locked by another user and the document locally replicated is the latest version of the document. The document locker client allows the user to perform the operation if a lock is received, without having to replicate a version of the document to the local host.