Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels and network information. Note that a given device is configured to select a first set of sub-channels to be reserved by the given device based on a first election technique in which a first ranking of a first permutation of a first ordered set of sub-channel identifiers is calculated. Furthermore, the given device is configured to dynamically reserve the selected first set of sub-channels.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels and network information. Note that the network information in a given frame transmitted from a first device includes identification information for a second device that is communicating with the first device and corresponding sub-channels used by the first device and the second device to transmit data. Furthermore, the first device and the second device are configured to dynamically reserve one or more sub-channels based on the network information when communicating with each other, and dynamic-reservation conflicts may occur in which the first device and the second device both reserve a common sub-channel.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels and the total number of sub-channels in a given frame is dynamically determined based on a transmission schedule. Furthermore, the transmission schedule is calculated by the devices based on transmission lists that are exchanged between the devices. For example, a first transmission list for a first device includes a first group of sub-channels reserved by the first device, and a second group of sub-channels reserved by a set of devices communicating with the first device.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels. Note that a given device in the devices is configured to select sub-channels to reserve based on a nearest-neighbor spacing between the sub-channels to be reserved and/or a switching latency between data in-flow to the given device and data out-flow from the given device. Furthermore, the given device is configured to dynamically reserve the selected sub-channels on a frame-by-frame basis for up to N frames.

Abstract: A set of access control labels is assigned to each of a number of users of a caching infrastructure in a network. The labels are used in specifying access control lists for content of the users. Requests for the content are referred to selected information object repositories of the caching infrastructure without regard as to whether the content is actually stored at the information object repositories; and access to the content is controlled according to access lists developed according to the access control labels. Access to the content may be controlled by comparing information included in uniform resource locators (URLs) to the access control lists. Such information may be one or more digital signatures, for example, which identify one or more of: the source of the requests, and an owner of an information object being requested. The access control lists are preferably maintained corresponding to the access control labels, which may be hierarchical in nature.

Abstract: An address of a server that should supply an information object or service to a requester is returned in response to a request therefor. The address of the server that is returned is an optimal server selected according to specified performance metrics. The specified performance metrics may include one or more of an average delay from the server to another, average processing delays at the server, reliability of a path from the server to another, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the server.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels and the total number of sub-channels in a given frame is dynamically determined based on a transmission schedule. Furthermore, the transmission schedule is calculated by the devices based on transmission lists that are exchanged between the devices. For example, a first transmission list for a first device includes a first group of sub-channels reserved by the first device, and a second group of sub-channels reserved by a set of devices communicating with the first device.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels and network-context information associated with communication between the devices. For example, network-context information associated with a data packet transmitted by a first device using a first sub-channel during a first frame is included in the first sub-channel. Furthermore, a second device, which communicates with the first device and a third device, arbitrates potential conflicts between the first device and the third device over use of the first sub-channel by providing feedback information to the first device. This feedback information is determined based on the network-context information in multiple frames, which is accumulated by the second device.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels. Note that a given device in the devices is configured to select sub-channels to reserve based on a nearest-neighbor spacing between the sub-channels to be reserved and/or a switching latency between data in-flow to the given device and data out-flow from the given device. Furthermore, the given device is configured to dynamically reserve the selected sub-channels on a frame-by-frame basis for up to N frames.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels and network information. Note that a given device is configured to select a first set of sub-channels to be reserved by the given device based on a first election technique in which a first ranking of a first permutation of a first ordered set of sub-channel identifiers is calculated. Furthermore, the given device is configured to dynamically reserve the selected first set of sub-channels.

Abstract: A communication system includes devices configured to communicate with each other through a temporal sequence of frames. Each of these frames includes multiple sub-channels and network information. Note that the network information in a given frame transmitted from a first device includes identification information for a second device that is communicating with the first device and corresponding sub-channels used by the first device and the second device to transmit data. Furthermore, the first device and the second device are configured to dynamically reserve one or more sub-channels based on the network information when communicating with each other, and dynamic-reservation conflicts may occur in which the first device and the second device both reserve a common sub-channel.

Abstract: A request for an information object at an address identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) is received; and the URL is mapped to a corresponding unicast address for the information object. Thereafter, the unicast address for the information object may be used as an anycast address.

Abstract: A system and method of providing distributed election of a shared transmission schedule within an ad hoc network. The invention includes a collision-free access protocol which resolves channel access contentions for time division multiple access (TDMA) of a single channel. Time-slots are organized into part numbers, which are included within sections, a sequence of which define a block. Each node is given a ring number according to its location within the network topology and maintains local neighbor information along with its own part number and message digest. Collision-free channel access is automatically scheduled and repetitious contention phases are resolved by a random permutation algorithm operating in message digests. An empty time-slot utilization method is also described and data packets may also be transmitted subject to a non-zero collision probability within a blind section of the block.

Abstract: A method for performing end-to-end “tree-based ordered multicasting” (TOM) which ensures collective integrity and consistency of distributed operations, and which is applicable to distributed multiparty collaboration and other multipoint applications. The TOM protocol performs cascaded total ordering of messages among on-tree hosts en route from senders to receivers, and does not require the building of a separate propagation graph to compute ordering information. TOM elects sequencer nodes dynamically based on address extensions of the multicast tree. Message ordering is performed by multicasting a message from each source node to receivers, unicasting a control message from a source node across a primary node to an ordering node for the designated multicast group or transmission in the tree, determining a binding sequence number for the message and a multicast to the receiver group, and delivering messages at end hosts according to the agreed-upon sequence numbers.

Abstract: Methods are described for maintaining a small bounded aggregate state within network routers pertaining to selected architectural families. Small bounded reservations states are utilized wherein the method is fully scalable for use on large networks. The size of the aggregate state and the complexity of the associated refresh mechanism is determined by the parameters of the network, such as size, and classes, which is in contrast to states based on the number of end-user flows. The method can render deterministic bandwidth use within the network wherein real-time multimedia applications may be accorded strict delay and bandwidth guarantees. The invention provides a middle-ground between the stateful Intserv and the stateless SCORE architectures.

Abstract: An address of a server that should supply an information object or service to a requester is returned in response to a request therefor. The address of the server that is returned is an optimal server selected according to specified performance metrics. The specified performance metrics may include one or more of an average delay from the server to another, average processing delays at the server, reliability of a path from the server to another, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the server.

Abstract: A communication protocol includes one or more messages passed between Web routers over a reliable transmission protocol used for inter-Web router communication. These messages include information that allows the Web routers to dynamically update mappings of client addresses or address ranges to information object repository addresses based on client-to-server distance and server load. The mappings are preferably optimal mappings of the client addresses or address ranges to the information object repository addresses and the messages report updated distances from these information object repository addresses to the client addresses or address ranges. For example, the messages may report, for each updated distance, an associated client address or address range and/or an associated anchor address of a Web router co-located with an information object repository that is the subject of the message.

Abstract: A protocol for differentiating congestion-related packet loss versus random packet loss in a wireless data connection. The protocol monitors changes in the length of a transmission queue in a wireless data connection over an interval substantially equal to the amount of time it takes to transmit a window of data packets and receive acknowledgements corresponding to all data packets transmitted in the window. If packet loss is preceded by an increase in the queue length over two consecutive intervals, the packet loss is designated as being due to congestion and a congestion avoidance algorithm is initiated. Otherwise, the packet loss is designated as random loss and the transmission window is maintained at its current size. The protocol reduces the transmission rate only when congestion is identified as the cause of lost packets; otherwise wireless losses can simply be quickly retransmitted without a reduction in the data transmission rate.

Abstract: A scalable packet forwarding approach to speed up unicast and multicast routing-table lookups in the Internet which we refer to as “Cluster-based Aggregation Switching Technique” or “CAST”. CAST integrates the use of two mechanisms: (i) organizing table entries into clusters and (ii) using cluster-label swapping so that packets can refer to specific clusters within which the routing-table lookup should take place. The motivation for introducing CAST is the escalating rate of improvement of Internet bandwidth available at backbone routers, which continues to exceed the maximum rate of packet processing power of high-speed routers. Simulations show that the hybrid approach used in CAST to expedite routing table lookups is more attractive for unicast routing than all prior approaches in terms of its lookup power and total memory size. Furthermore, CAST applies equally well to multicast routing, while many prior schemes do not.

Abstract: A method is described for distance vector routing of on-demand traffic between routers within an ad-hoc network maintaining multiple loop-free paths to destinations. Each router maintains routing table entries only for destinations associated with data flows through the router which reduce the amount of storage space and bandwidth required for routing table maintenance. Diffusing computations are utilized for establishing and maintaining the routes within the network. The sending of unnecessary flood searches and search-to-infinity problems are avoided, while the protocol decreases the vulnerability of the network to various service attacks along with router failures, fading, and drop outs.