Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques provide a data communications device for inserting an audio tag into a content page during a communications session between a first computerized device and a second computerized device. A data communications device receives a request for a content page from a first computerized device and transfers the request to a second computerized device. The data communications device receives the content page from the second computerized device in response to the request, inserts an audio tag within the content page, and adjusts a connection characteristic associated with the content page to maintain the communications session between the first computerized device and the second computerized device. The data communications device then transfers the content page having the inserted audio tag and modified connection characteristic to the first computerized device.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods and techniques in a communications device for delivering content. In particular the technique includes intercepting, from a requesting device, an initial request for initial content accessible from an initial content source and in response to intercepting the initial request, creating redirection information indicating an identity of secondary content to be accessed by the requesting device in addition to the initial content in the initial request and providing the redirection information to the requesting device, such that the requesting device accesses both the secondary content from the secondary content source as well as the initial content from the initial content source.

Abstract: Internet services are differentiated by including user-reflexive data with a user request. The user-reflexive data may specify a quality of service to be accorded the return data and also billing information to improve detail of bills for billed Internet services. The user-reflexive data is included with the user request and data transmission is adjusted accordingly. Alternatively, the user-reflexive data is sent out-of-band.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for routing data traffic in a network having a plurality of layers including physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is received and one of a plurality of routing options for the data traffic is selected with reference to information outside of the physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is then routed according to the selected routing option.

Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques provide a system that operates in a data communications device such as a switch or a router to provide a technique for inserting data into packets associated with a communications session between a first and second computerized devices. The technique comprises receiving a first packet containing data being propagated from the first computerized device to the second computerized device in the communications session and inserting a first amount of extra data into the first packet to alter the size of the first packet and forwarding the first packet including the first amount of extra data to the second computerized device. By monitoring and adjusting sequence and acknowledgement information from with in the data communications device, data can be inserted into packets without disrupting connection state information maintained by and expected by each computerized device.

Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques for managing access to data available from a data access device using a network switching protocol to manage content requests from clients. A data communications device receives a request for content from a client. The data communications device, such as a network switch, exchanges signals using the network switching protocol with one or more data access devices, such as a web cache. The data communications device can then select one data access device to provide the requested content to the client based, for example, on load balancing considerations. The data communications device sends a data transfer approval signal to the selected data access device. The selected data access device establishes a connection with the client using information, such as the client's network address, provided by the signals. The selected data access device then bypasses the data communications device and sends the requested content to the client.

Abstract: A method and system for preventing the detection of an operating system by an intruder, the operating system installed on a host in a network, is provided. The intruder transmits a network probe for operating system detection. The network probe is identified and a response is generated to the network probe, generated by the operating system, is modified. The modified response provides the intruder with false information related to the operating system, thereby misleading the intruder about the type of operating system.

Abstract: A method for routing a data request received by a caching system is described. The caching system includes a router and a cache, and the data request identifies a source platform, a destination platform, and requested data. Where the source and destination platforms correspond to an entry in a list automatically generated by the caching system, the data request is transmitted without determining whether the requested data are stored in the cache.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for routing data traffic in a network having a plurality of layers including physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is received and one of a plurality of routing options for the data traffic is selected with reference to information outside of the physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is then routed according to the selected routing option.

Abstract: The technique of the present invention provides a solution to the problem of routing or redirecting a given client to a replica or proxy server which has a relatively shortest propagation delay to the client. According to the technique of the present invention, a network device referred to as an intercept server sits in front of a host server, and intercepts packets routed to the host server. When desired, packets which are intercepted by the intercept server are replicated, encapsulated and tunneled to selected client servers in the overlay network. The tunneled packets are received and processed by each of the selected client servers, whereupon each of the selected client servers generates a respective spoofed response to the source device identified in the header of the originally intercepted packet. Further, according to the technique of the present invention, each of the selected client servers transmits its respective spoofed response to the identified source device at substantially the same time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for routing data traffic in a network having a plurality of layers including physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is received and one of a plurality of routing options for the data traffic is selected with reference to information outside of the physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is then routed according to the selected routing option.

Abstract: In order to direct content requests to an appropriate content serving site in a computer network, a phased learning approach is utilized to ensure that, as best as possible, the request is made to content serving site with the shortest delay. In a setup phase, an indirect path return geographic sever load balancer times queries to all of the individual content serving sites so that the queries all arrive at the content serving sites at the same time. Therefore, when the requesting fixed location receives communications from the content serving sites, it can easily tell which content serving site has the least delay by an established race condition. The winner of the race may then be relayed to the indirect path return geographic server load balancer for later usage. In an execution mode, only the m fastest content serving sites and n other sites (used to test random and new sites) are queried when a DNS request arrives from the requesting fixed location.

Abstract: A method of communicating an encrypted data broadcast to a plurality of virtual private network receivers is disclosed. A first communication channel is established between a first one of the receivers and a network node. A private data stream is communicated to the first receiver on the first channel. A request is received from the first receiver to join a broadcast data stream that is directed to a plurality of receivers by a broadcast server. A second encrypted communication channel is established between the first receiver and the network node for purposes of carrying the broadcast data stream. Decryption information, which the first receiver can use to decrypt information that is sent on the second channel, is sent to the first receiver through the first channel. The broadcast data stream is then communicated to the first receiver on the second channel.

Abstract: Internet services are differentiated by including user-reflexive data with a user request. The user-reflexive data may specify a quality of service to be accorded the return data and also billing information to improve detail of bills for billed Internet services. The user-reflexive data is included with the user request and data transmission is adjusted accordingly. Alternatively, the user-reflexive data is sent out-of-band.

Abstract: Mechanisms and techniques provide a system that operates in a data communications device such as a switch or a router to provide a technique for load balancing packets between computer systems based on extra data inserted in the packets. The system receives a message containing extra data. The extra data was inserted into the message by a second data communications device existing in a network coupling the first data communications device to a first computerized device that originated the message. The system identifies, based on the extra data inserted into the message, a second computerized device that is to process the message and forwards the message to the second computerized device for processing. The extra data can include demographic data that can be used to select a demographic server, and for selection of a specific server from a group of servers associated with the demographic server.

Abstract: A method and system for preventing the detection of an operating system by an intruder, the operating system installed on a host in a network, is provided. The intruder transmits a network probe for operating system detection. The network probe is identified and a response is generated to the network probe, generated by the operating system, is modified. The modified response provides the intruder with false information related to the operating system, thereby misleading the intruder about the type of operating system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for replicating a plurality of original packets in a packet flow which follows a first routing path. The packet flow is received with a first device, the first device being included in the first routing path. In the first device, the original packets in the packet flow are identified according to at least one predetermined criterion. In the first device, replicate packets corresponding to the original packets are generated. The original packets are transmitted from the first device along the first routing path. The replicate packets are transmitted from the first device along a second routing path which is different from the first routing path.

Abstract: Techniques for handling objects in a network cache are described. A cost function value is calculated for each of a plurality of data objects. The cost function value relates to at least one metric relating to a total time required to download a corresponding one of the plurality of data objects. Each of the plurality of data objects are handled by the network cache according to its cost function value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a packet is received from a client, and the packet has a destination identifier associated with a server. When the packet is a start packet, the start packet is altered to indicate that the start packet should be forwarded to any replica that duplicates the data content of the server. The destination identifier of the start packet may be stored for later use. The start packet is then sent to the server. When the start packet indicates that the start packet should be forwarded to any replica that duplicates the data content of the server, the start packet is encapsulated and sent to each replica associated with the server. When a first acknowledgement packet associated with the start packet is received a source identifier of the first acknowledgement packet is stored and associated with the stored destination identifier. The first acknowledgement packet is then sent to the client.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for intelligently assigning a portion of a cluster's traffic (e.g., buckets) to a cache system to minimize overloading of such cache system. In general terms, when a new cache system enters a cache cluster and/or starts up, the new cache system's full bucket allocation is not immediately assigned to the new cache system. Instead, only a portion of the full bucket allocation is initially assigned to the new cache system. In one embodiment, the new cache system's bucket assignment is gradually increased until the cache system is handling it's full bucket allocation or it becomes overloaded. The cache system's load is also checked periodically to determine whether it has become overloaded. When the cache system becomes overloaded, buckets are immediately shed from the cache system. In sum, the new cache system's load is adjusted until it is handling an optimum number of buckets.