Abstract: An exemplary method facilitates automatic recovery upon failure of a server in a network responsible for replying to user requests. Periodic heartbeat information is generated by a first group of servers responsible for replying to user requests. The heartbeat information provides an indication of the current operational functionality of the first group of servers. A second group of servers determines that one of the first servers has failed based on the periodic heartbeat information. The second group of servers is disposed in communication channels between users and the first group of servers. One of the second group of servers receives a message containing a request from a first user having the one of the first group of servers as a destination. One of the second group of servers determines that the message is part of an ongoing dialog of messages between the first user and the one of the first group of servers.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for dynamically generating one or more group lists as a sub-group of the contact list by assigning tags to contacts in a contact list. A user may define one or more tags for contacts in the contact list to generate a tag list in addition to the contact list. The tags indicate additional attributes of the contact that cannot be included in the contact list. To dynamically generate the group list, the user enters list criteria, and the tag list is searched to identify which of the contacts in the contact list has tags that match the list criteria. The contacts having tags that match the list criteria are combined into a group list which the user may then access to initiate communication with those contacts, or store for later use.

Abstract: An exemplary method is implemented in a communication system in which periodically updated data for respective end-users is stored in a notification profile at a communication infrastructure node. The updated data is based on conditions associated with each end-user's communication device and its network context, where the data is not presence status. Predetermined rules are stored at the communication infrastructure node and generate respective results based on factors such as network contextual data and corresponding values contained in the notification profile data for each end-user. An event is detected by the communication infrastructure node where the event is intended to cause communication with all the communication devices that are interested in that event. The communication infrastructure node determines an action to be taken in response to the event based on the results of the rules for data associated with the first end-user.

Abstract: A presence server of an apparatus in one example is configured to receive at least one event message from a network entity in continuous time. The presence server is configured to determine at discrete time intervals if an update message should be sent for the network entity. The discrete time intervals comprise instances of an epoch. The presence server is configured to determine if the update message should be sent upon an epoch boundary. The presence server is configured to dynamically determine a duration of the epoch.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for dynamically generating one or more group lists as a sub-group of the contact list by assigning tags to contacts in a contact list. A user may define one or more tags for contacts in the contact list to generate a tag list in addition to the contact list. The tags indicate additional attributes of the contact that cannot be included in the contact list. To dynamically generate the group list, the user enters list criteria, and the tag list is searched to identify which of the contacts in the contact list has tags that match the list criteria. The contacts having tags that match the list criteria are combined into a group list which the user may then access to initiate communication with those contacts, or store for later use.

Abstract: Presence servers, communication devices, and methods are disclosed for determining the availability of a target party to receive a call prior to call setup. Upon initiation of a call to a target party, the communication device of a subscriber transmits an availability request message to a presence server requesting the availability of the target party to receive the call. Responsive to the availability request message, the presence server determines the availability of the target party to receive the call and transmits an availability response message indicating the availability of the target party to receive the call to the subscriber's communication device. The subscriber's communication device receives the availability response message from the presence server, displays the availability of the target party to receive the call from the subscriber, and may talk other associated actions such as setting up the call to the target party if it is available.

Abstract: An exemplary method is implemented in a communication system in which periodically updated data for respective end-users is stored in a notification profile at a communication infrastructure node. The updated data is based on conditions associated with each end-user's communication device and its network context, where the data is not presence status. Predetermined rules are stored at the communication infrastructure node and generate respective results based on factors such as network contextual data and corresponding values contained in the notification profile data for each end-user. An event is detected by the communication infrastructure node where the event is intended to cause communication with all the communication devices that are interested in that event. The communication infrastructure node determines an action to be taken in response to the event based on the results of the rules for data associated with the first end-user.

Abstract: An exemplary method facilitates automatic recovery upon failure of a server in a network responsible for replying to user requests. Periodic heartbeat information is generated by a first group of servers responsible for replying to user requests. The heartbeat information provides an indication of the current operational functionality of the first group of servers. A second group of servers determines that one of the first servers has failed based on the periodic heartbeat information. The second group of servers is disposed in communication channels between users and the first group of servers. One of the second group of servers receives a message containing a request from a first user having the one of the first group of servers as a destination. One of the second group of servers determines that the message is part of an ongoing dialog of messages between the first user and the one of the first group of servers.

Abstract: The geographic location of an Internet user is determined and correlated with the Internet protocol address of the user during an active Internet session. This information is stored preferably by the user's Internet service provider so that Internet services can be provided to the user based on the user's location. The user's location can supplement a request for services made by the user so that the responding web site or application will have additional information on which to base a reply. Alternatively, a web site or application may initially seek to send messages and/or information to users within a predetermined geographical location.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements for virtual private network (VPN) data packets are disclosed. VPN packets include a payload having Internet Protocol (IP) addresses which guide the packet through a network to a security gateway. The payload may be encrypted and/or compressed and may include internal addresses to denote the real source and destination for a data portion of the payload. As initial control packets are received they are authenticated and rules and procedures are identified for proper treatment of VPN data packets bearing the same source IP address. The rules and procedures are stored in a gateway data engine having a plurality of protocol processing modules. VPN data packets are received by a protocol discriminator which reads the stored rules and procedures identified for the source IP address of the received packet. The discriminator passes the received packet to a first protocol module as identified in the stored rules and procedures.