Abstract: Users can send short message service (SMS) communication with the purpose of the communication being implied therein. An SMS broker described herein can derive the implied purpose by parsing the communication at least in part according to defined set of rules of syntax and in light of a current context within which the communication was received. In one aspect, the communication is brokered via the SMS broker and it may be intended as a message to be sent to another user identified by a moniker, such as their e-mail alias, which has the advantage of avoiding the need to store phone numbers on memory-constrained devices. In another aspect, the communication is a request for user data of other users also identified in the request by a simple moniker such as their e-mail alias. Additionally, a user can also send a communication intended to update their own user information such as their current location, availability and so on.

Abstract: Diagnosing problems in distributed systems. In one aspect, a model of a distributed system defines trace statements are generated by various nodes of the system and placed in log files. The log files are sent to an automatic validator that attempts to reconcile the trace statements against the model. Results of the attempt are indicated. In another aspect, trace statements are received by a multiplexer that creates an ordering via sequence numbers. The ordering is forwarded to an automatic validator to determine whether the trace statements indicate correct behavior.

Abstract: A method for providing an interface to a Bluetooth compliant device can emulate a modem such that computer software programs can communicate through the Bluetooth compliant device in the same manner in which they would communicate through a standard modem to access a dial-up, wide area network. The method also supports an interface to a Bluetooth compliant device which can emulate a network socket such that computer software programs can communicate through the Bluetooth compliant device seemingly in the same manner in which they would communicate through a standard network interface card to access a local area network. The method also allows for the interface to a Bluetooth compliant device to be dependent on the nature of the Bluetooth compliant device.

Abstract: The invention provides quality-of-service (QoS) delivery services over a computer bus having isochronous data transfer capabilities. A transmitting node on the bus transmits a message to an intended recipient indicating a requested bandwidth for a connection. If the intended recipient has sufficient resources, it allocates an isochronous data channel on the bus and notifies the transmitter of the allocated channel. Thereafter, the transmitter transmits the data on the allocated channel. If the recipient cannot allocate a channel, it does not respond, and the transmitter thereafter detects a time-out condition and begins transmitting using a “best efforts” scheme (i.e., non-guaranteed time delivery). In a second variation, a receiving node detects that it is receiving large quantities of data from a transmitting node. In response, the receiving node allocates an isochronous data channel on the bus and notifies the transmitter of the allocated channel.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product provide applications and application developers with generic access from user mode to the L2CAP layer of Bluetooth by exposing the L2CAP layer to user mode via a socket interface. In particular, a kernel mode primary component and user mode helper component cooperate to expose a Winsock interface to user mode components, and to manage various Bluetooth-specific functions and operations, allowing a user mode user application to access Bluetooth functionality without providing Bluetooth-specific commands or actions, and without being required to use RFCOMM.

Abstract: The invention builds a structure of software objects that captures the historically contingent development of an asynchronous program. The invention builds software objects that represent the resources and subtasks that make up the asynchronous program. The objects are connected into a hierarchy whose structure explicates interactions among the resources and subtasks. When a fault is detected, the structure tells the debugger everything the program was doing at the time of the fault and lays open the developmental history of the program that led to the fault. The debugger uses this information to trace the detected fault back through code and time to its origin. When a new feature is added, the structure tells maintenance personnel how the new feature affects existing functions. Within the structure, the invention provides mechanisms for handling reference counters and software locks. Groups of resources can be handled together, the structure taking care of coordination.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product provide applications and application developers with generic access from user mode to the L2CAP layer of Bluetooth by exposing the L2CAP layer to user mode via a socket interface. In particular, a kernel mode primary component and user mode helper component cooperate to expose a Winsock interface to user mode components, and to manage various Bluetooth-specific functions and operations, allowing a user mode user application to access Bluetooth functionality without providing Bluetooth-specific commands or actions, and without being required to use RFCOMM.

Abstract: Applications can transparently use a bus, such as the IEEE-1394 serial bus, as if it were an Ethernet (IEEE 802.3). In a conventional Ethernet, each node is assigned a unique 6-byte MAC address in order to receive frames addressed to it over the LAN. According to the invention, IEEE-1394 bus node identifiers are mapped to Ethernet MAC addresses using for example a digital signature algorithm. Ethernet frames are then “wrapped” into 1394 bus packets and addressed to the destination node using the hashed address. The receiver unwraps the 1394 packet and restores the Ethernet frame to its original form. An optimum packet size for transmission of Ethernet packets over the 1394 bus is selected with reference to speed topology maps in the 1394 bus nodes, and this optimum size is transmitted to bus nodes. This packet size is reported to TCP to specify the packet size, and all packets larger than that size are fragmented and reassembled at the receiving node.

Abstract: The invention provides quality-of-service (QoS) delivery services over a computer bus having isochronous data transfer capabilities. A transmitting node on the bus transmits a message to an intended recipient indicating a requested bandwidth for a connection. If the intended recipient has sufficient resources, it allocates an isochronous data channel on the bus and notifies the transmitter of the allocated channel. Thereafter, the transmitter transmits the data on the allocated channel. If the recipient cannot allocate a channel, it does not respond, and the transmitter thereafter detects a time-out condition and begins transmitting using a “best efforts” scheme (i.e., non-guaranteed time delivery). In a second variation, a receiving node detects that it is receiving large quantities of data from a transmitting node. In response, the receiving node allocates an isochronous data channel on the bus and notifies the transmitter of the allocated channel.

Abstract: A system and methods for carrying out point-to-point intracluster communications between hosts is provided. The disclosed system enables communication protocol layer components of hosts within a cluster to continue to operate in a cluster mode while facilitating such point-to-point communications. Initially, address discovery provides the non-cluster mode address for a target host. Thereafter, an initiating/source host issues a message including the non-cluster mode address of the target host. A network load balancing layer, or any other suitable component within the target host, intercepts the message and substitutes a cluster address for the non-cluster mode address within the message destination field before the message is presented to the communication protocol layer of the target host.

Abstract: In an exemplary device implementation, a device includes: a connection migrator that is configured to migrate connections away from the device; the connection migrator capable of precipitating a compilation of protocol state for a connection across a protocol stack; the connection migrator adapted to aggregate the compiled protocol state with data for the connection into an aggregated connection state; the connection migrator further capable of causing the aggregated connection state to be sent toward a target device. In an exemplary media implementation, processor-executable instructions direct a device to perform actions including: obtaining at least a portion of a source/destination pair from a packet; accessing an encapsulation mapping table using the at least a portion of the source/destination pair to locate an encapsulation mapping entry; extracting a flow identifier from the encapsulation mapping entry; and replacing part of the packet with the flow identifier to produce an encapsulated packet.

Abstract: An exemplary network gateway is capable of accepting a session-related message having a session identifier field; the network gateway is adapted to extract a host identifier from a value populating the session identifier field and to perform a routing operation for the session-related message using the host identifier. For an exemplary media implementation, processor-executable instructions direct a device to perform actions including: ascertaining a host identifier from a session identifier field of a session message; and routing the session message responsive to the ascertained host identifier. An exemplary apparatus includes: at least one processor; and one or more media including processor-executable instructions that are capable of being executed by the at least one processor to direct the apparatus to perform actions including: receiving a session message having a session identifier including a host identifier; and routing the session message responsive to the host identifier.

Abstract: A first exemplary media implementation includes processor-executable instructions that direct a device to perform actions including: creating a session identifier using a host identifier; and formulating a host session initiation message with the created session identifier. A first exemplary device implementation includes: at least one processor; and one or more media including processor-executable instructions that direct the device to perform actions including: formulating a host session message with a session identifier that is created responsive to a host identifier; and sending the formulated host session message that includes the session identifier from the device. A second exemplary media implementation includes a data structure that has a message including a session identifier field, at least part of the session identifier field including a host identifier.

Abstract: A new network load balancing/firewall node for use in a system including multiple network load balancing/firewall nodes is disclosed. The network load balancing/firewall applies bi-directional load balancing affinity with regard to requests from external clients and corresponding responses from internal network servers. An external network load balancing adapter executes a load-balancing algorithm to determine whether a received client request is accepted by the network load balancing/firewall node. A firewall utility processes the received client request and maintains state information associated with the received client request. An internal network load balancing adapter ensures that the same network load balancing/firewall node accepts a response from an internal network server corresponding to the received client request.