Abstract: A system, method and computer program that administers access and security on a network having more than one computer system connected thereto. This system, method and computer program has a local password file (1500) which is one-way encrypted and contains user identifications, associated one-way encrypted passwords and associated privileges for each authorized user allowed access to the wide area network (10). A user login module (1200) is used to receive a user identification or role and password from a user and login the user when a match is found in the local password file (1500). A channel monitoring and filtering module (1000) is provided to monitor and receive broadcast or multicast messages within the wide area network (10) and display the message to the user when the user's associated privileges permit the viewing of the message.

Abstract: A system, computer program and method to multicast messages to workstations in a network (10). The system uses an MDP database table (140) which stores the parameters used to manage transmission and reception of multicast messages in the network (10). An MDP server initialization module (100) executing on a server reads the parameters from the MDP database table (140) and initialize an MDP session. The system also uses an MDP client initialization module (130) to read the necessary parameters in the MDP database table (140) and initialize an MDP session in a client workstation that receives multicast messages. An MDP server operations module (120) is used to receive requests to transmit messages and transmit repair packets to a workstation designated as action workstations when a negative acknowledgment is received.

Abstract: A technique for saving bandwidth that is otherwise used by the transmission of continual administrative message traffic in an intranet. A data packet originating from one host computer (18A) and addressed another (18B) is first sent to a local router (16A), which broadcasts a request for the address of the destination node. Another router (16B) local to the destination host (18B) recognizes the destination host in the data packet and supplies a response with the correct address for the destination host. The broadcast request and its response are transmitted over an auxiliary channel, which avoids depleting the bandwidth capacity of the intranet. When the response is received, the local router (16A) associated with the first host computer 18A sets up a switched virtual circuit to the other router (16B), after which the data packet and others following it can be delivered efficiently to the destination host (18B).

Abstract: A system and corresponding method of its operation, for configuring a communication network of multiple interconnected computers. The system includes a graphical user interface (36) that facilitates the functions of task organization development (38), platform equipment development (40), address book development (60) and logical network development (42) in a simulated planning phase of operation (30). Using the system, an authorized user performs these development functions to define one or more logical communication networks, and then the system automatically generates specifications for a corresponding physical communication network (44), including management information blocks (74). In a dissemination phase of operation (32), the management information blocks are transmitted (50) to the network computers.