Abstract: Disclosed is a system for servers to redirect client requests to other servers in order to distribute client traffic among the servers. A client is assigned to a server although the client may be unaware of that assignment. When the client accesses a server, a server possibly identified to the client by a name service, the server checks the client's assignment. If the client is not assigned to this server, then in some scenarios this server redirects the client to its assigned server. The client responds by sending its request to the assigned server. In other scenarios, the first server accessed by the client proxies the client's traffic to the assigned server. A database is kept of client-to-server assignments. If the present load distribution is less than ideal (e.g., clients are assigned to an unavailable server), then the assignment database is updated to reflect how the load should be distributed.

Abstract: A system and method for uniquely identifying an SIP device extends the SIP communications protocol with an end point identifier, carried for example in the header of an SIP transmission. The end point identifier is useful for routing, registration, subscription, and authentication. The end point (device) of a given user epid can be uniquely identified by creating a key from an epid and a user's address-of-record (URI). This in turn enables improved connection management and security association management when the connections/IP addresses are transient, such as when HTTPS tunneling is used.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for servers to redirect client requests to other servers in order to distribute client traffic among the servers. A client is assigned to a server although the client may be unaware of that assignment. When the client accesses a server, a server possibly identified to the client by a name service, the server checks the client's assignment. If the client is not assigned to this server, then in some scenarios this server redirects the client to its assigned server. The client responds by sending its request to the assigned server. In other scenarios, the first server accessed by the client proxies the client's traffic to the assigned server. A database is kept of client-to-server assignments. If the present load distribution is less than ideal (e.g., clients are assigned to an unavailable server), then the assignment database is updated to reflect how the load should be distributed.

Abstract: End-to-end authentication capability based on public-key certificates is combined with the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to allow a SIP node that receives a SIP request message to authenticate the sender of request. The SIP request message is sent with a digital signature generated with a private key of the sender and may include a certificate of the sender. The SIP request message my also be encrypted with a public key of the recipient. After receiving the SIP request, the receiving SIP node obtains a certificate of the sender and authenticates the sender based on the digital signature. The digital signature may be included in an Authorization header of the SIP request, or in a multipart message body constructed according to the S/MIME standard.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for servers to redirect client requests to other servers in order to distribute client traffic among the servers. A client is assigned to a server although the client may be unaware of that assignment. When the client accesses a server, a server possibly identified to the client by a name service, the server checks the client's assignment. If the client is not assigned to this server, then in some scenarios this server redirects the client to its assigned server. The client responds by sending its request to the assigned server. In other scenarios, the first server accessed by the client proxies the client's traffic to the assigned server. A database is kept of client-to-server assignments. If the present load distribution is less than ideal (e.g., clients are assigned to an unavailable server), then the assignment database is updated to reflect how the load should be distributed.

Abstract: A system and method for uniquely identifying an SIP device extends the SIP communications protocol with an end point identifier, carried for example in the header of an SIP transmission. The end point identifier is useful for routing, registration, subscription, and authentication. The end point (device) of a given user epid can be uniquely identified by creating a key from an epid and a user's address-of-record (URI). This in turn enables improved connection management and security association management when the connections/IP addresses are transient, such as when HTTPS tunneling is used.

Abstract: End-to-end authentication capability based on public-key certificates is combined with the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to allow a SIP node that receives a SIP request message to authenticate the sender of request. The SIP request message is sent with a digital signature generated with a private key of the sender and may include a certificate of the sender. The SIP request message my also be encrypted with a public key of the recipient. After receiving the SIP request, the receiving SIP node obtains a certificate of the sender and authenticates the sender based on the digital signature. The digital signature may be included in an Authorization header of the SIP request, or in a multipart message body constructed according to the S/MIME standard.

Abstract: A system and method for uniquely identifying an SIP device extends the SIP communications protocol with an end point identifier, carried for example in the header of an SIP transmission. The end point identifier is useful for routing, registration, subscription, and authentication. The end point (device) of a given user epid can be uniquely identified by creating a key from an epid and a user's address-of-record (URI). This in turn enables improved connection management and security association management when the connections/IP addresses are transient, such as when HTTPS tunneling is used.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating presence information generated by multiple devices associated with a single user is presented. A server acting as a presence agent on behalf of a first user and the first user's computing device receives and responds to a subscription request generated by a computing device operated by a second user that wishes to be permitted as a watcher of the first user. If the server is not capable of acting as a presence agent, then the first user's computing device assumes the role of a presence agent.

Abstract: A system and method for uniquely identifying an SIP device extends the SIP communications protocol with an end point identifier, carried for example in the header of an SIP transmission. The end point identifier is useful for routing, registration, subscription, and authentication. The end point (device) of a given user epid can be uniquely identified by creating a key from an epid and a user's address-of-record (URI). This in turn enables improved connection management and security association management when the connections/IP addresses are transient, such as when HTTPS tunneling is used.

Abstract: A system and methods for facilitating multiparty communications sessions with a plurality of participants and for dynamically designating a communications session manager. More particularly, a system and methods, including protocols, for: establishing a multiparty communications session between a plurality of participants and their respective communication devices in a full-mesh topology; establishing a dynamically designated session manager uniquely associated with a first participant of the multiparty session and, hence, such participant's communication device; as necessary, adding and removing participants and their respective communication devices from the multiparty communications session; and, designating, or electing, another participant as session manager when the first participant exits the multiparty communications session. The methods also enable participants to maintain consistent lists of session participants and establish peer to peer communication links between the participants.

Abstract: Embodiments define a set of rules such that a type designer can express as part of a type's definition whether the type has extended the logic and/or constraints of its ancestral types in such a way that applications written against that ancestral type will continue to function correctly. Nonconformity can also be indicated and an embodiment can enforce limitations on a set of operations that can be performed on such instances when treated as their ancestral types. Applications can use standard interfaces to discover from embodiments whether such limitations can be in force for a particular instance and provide a user experience that accounts for those limitations. Embodiments can also provide mechanisms to enable type designers to limit a degree of extensibility for both types and/or Items.

Abstract: A system for detecting and communicating the presence of one or more computing devices is presented. The invention also presents a method and system for aggregating presence information generated by multiple devices associated with a single user. A server acting as a presence agent on behalf of a first user receives and responds to a subscription request generated by a computing device operated by a second wishing to be permitted as a watcher of the first user. When the second user corresponds to access preferences of the first user, a notify message is sent to the second user's device that includes presence information indicative of an activity level and availability level associated with the first user. When the first user employs multiple computing devices, the server generates an aggregate presence document that is representative of the overall presence of the first user.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating presence information generated by multiple devices associated with a single user is presented. A server acting as a presence agent on behalf of a first user and the first user's computing device receives and responds to a subscription request generated by a computing device operated by a second user that wishes to be permitted as a watcher of the first user. If the server is not capable of acting as a presence agent, then the first user's computing device assumes the role of a presence agent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for servers to redirect client requests to other servers in order to distribute client traffic among the servers. A client is assigned to a server although the client may be unaware of that assignment. When the client accesses a server, a server possibly identified to the client by a name service, the server checks the client's assignment. If the client is not assigned to this server, then in some scenarios this server redirects the client to its assigned server. The client responds by sending its request to the assigned server. In other scenarios, the first server accessed by the client proxies the client's traffic to the assigned server. A database is kept of client-to-server assignments. If the present load distribution is less than ideal (e.g., clients are assigned to an unavailable server), then the assignment database is updated to reflect how the load should be distributed.

Abstract: A system and method for uniquely identifying an SIP device extends the SIP communications protocol with an end point identifier, carried for example in the header of an SIP transmission. The end point identifier is useful for routing, registration, subscription, and authentication. The end point (device) of a given user epid can be uniquely identified by creating a key from an epid and a user's address-of-record (URI). This in turn enables improved connection management and security association management when the connections/IP addresses are transient, such as when HTTPS tunneling is used.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating presence information generated by multiple devices associated with a single user is presented. A server acting as a presence agent on behalf of a first user and the first user's computing device receives and responds to a subscription request generated by a computing device operated by a second user that wishes to be permitted as a watcher of the first user. If the server is not capable of acting as a presence agent, then the first user's computing device assumes the role of a presence agent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for servers to redirect client requests to other servers in order to distribute client traffic among the servers. A client is assigned to a server although the client may be unaware of that assignment. When the client accesses a server, a server possibly identified to the client by a name service, the server checks the client's assignment. If the client is not assigned to this server, then in some scenarios this server redirects the client to its assigned server. The client responds by sending its request to the assigned server. In other scenarios, the first server accessed by the client proxies the client's traffic to the assigned server. A database is kept of client-to-server assignments. If the present load distribution is less than ideal (e.g., clients are assigned to an unavailable server), then the assignment database is updated to reflect how the load should be distributed.

Abstract: A system for detecting and communicating the presence of one or more computing devices is presented. The invention also presents a method and system for aggregating presence information generated by multiple devices associated with a single user. A server acting as a presence agent on behalf of a first user receives and responds to a subscription request generated by a computing device operated by a second user that wishes to be permitted as a watcher of the first user. When the second user corresponds to access preferences specified by the first user, a notify message is sent to the second user's device that includes presence information indicative of an activity level and availability level associated with the first user. When the first user employs multiple computing devices, the server generates an aggregate presence document that is representative of the overall presence of the first user.