Abstract: A small world infrastructure network of communication units, a plurality of which are stigmergic-capable nodes that are capable of generating and supporting virtual ants. A virtual ant can carry information relating to a node, such as its identification and sequence information, and can be sent by the node to one or more neighboring nodes to establish, recursively, hierarchical forwarding paths. A virtual ant interacts with a node through alteration of the table entries of the destination node receiving the virtual ant.

Abstract: A small world infrastructure (SWI) of a general packet communications network and a method of determining, establishing and maintaining a hierarchical forwarding path (HFP) interconnecting communications units (CUs) of the small world infrastructure. The SWI includes a domain that has a given communication unit CU as a message packet source, a plurality of associated communications units each in direct contact with the given CU, and a plurality of HFPs each providing the direct contact between the given CU and one of the associated CUs, respectively. The method includes providing these communications units in which there are HFPs between first and second CUs and between the second and the third CUs, and a third HFP is constructed between the first and the third CUs.

Abstract: A non-standardized private computer network (20) uses a tunnel engine (50, 58) to allow a computer (12-16) on one private computer network with non-standard address to communicate over a standardized carrier network (32) with a computer (22-26) on the same private computer network. The tunnel engine includes a local router (52) and rule check engine (54) in the private computer network and a remote router (56) in the standardized carrier network. The rule check engine performs rule checks to determine proper encapsulation and routing of the message. The message is encapsulated with a standardized address of endpoints of a tunnel through the carrier network corresponding to the desired destination. With a standardized address, the encapsulated message packet passes through the tunnel and arrives at the boundary of the destination private computer system. The encapsulation is removed and the message is routed to the destination computer.

Abstract: An IP packet (210) is retrieved having a header and a payload. The header of the IP packet is compressed. The payload is appended to the compressed header to create a compressed IP packet. A multi-protocol label switch (MPLS) virtual circuit is established through a plurality of IP routers terminating at a destination of the IP packet. The compressed IP packet is converted into a MPLS packet (230). The MPLS packet (230) is transmitted through the MPLS virtual circuit. The MPLS packet is re-converted into the compressed IP packet at the destination. The compressed IP packet is decompressed at the destination (170).

Abstract: A computer network comprising a trusted computer network (16), and an untrusted computer network (17). A plurality of firewall systems (21) provide controlled access between the trusted computer network and the first untrusted computer network. An Application layer bridge (22) establishes a transparent virtual circuit across the plurality of firewalls (21).