Abstract: An example method of establishing an authenticated session between two communicating devices includes establishing, by a first processor of a first device, a secure connection with a second device over the network using a communications protocol; receiving, by the first processor, an identity authentication request from the second device; passing, by the first processor, the identity authentication request to a second processor located on an authentication chip of the first device; generating, by the second processor using one or more authentication code functions stored on the authentication chip, one or more authentication codes using a unique serial number of the first device and an authentication key, both stored on the authentication chip; providing, by the second processor, the one or more generated authentication codes to the first processor; and sending, by the first processor, a response to the second device that includes the one or more generated authentication codes.

Abstract: A formula-driven programming-environment is described, which may be used to provide an environment for applications to operate within a network node or other computing device. In one example, statements of a program may be interpreted to thereby execute formula-style commands within an address space defined and constrained in a memory device by the integrated development environment. The commands may obtain data, assign values to variables and access data from other node(s) by the interpretation of statements in the program and communicating over a network. The communicating may include queuing a message for transmission by the formula-driven programming-environment. The commands may provide named access or relative access to data in response to the interpretation of statements in the program. The commands may communicate with at least one application located on a remote computing device in response to the interpretation of statements in the program.

Abstract: An example method of managing a resource includes receiving a request associated with one or more of at least one resource device from one or more other devices over a network; standardizing the request using standardization definitions that are universal across different types of resource devices and their associated drivers; providing the standardized request to one or more handler units associated with the one or more resource devices; receiving a response regarding the request from the one or more handler units; preparing a packaged response; and sending the packaged response to the one or more other devices that sent the request. The method may further include determining whether input information accompanying the request is valid, and if the input information accompanying the request is invalid, sending an error message to the sender of the request. Devices that incorporate such methodology are also disclosed.

Abstract: An example method of establishing an authenticated session between two communicating devices includes establishing, by a first processor of a first device, a secure connection with a second device over the network using a communications protocol; receiving, by the first processor, an identity authentication request from the second device; passing, by the first processor, the identity authentication request to a second processor located on an authentication chip of the first device; generating, by the second processor using one or more authentication code functions stored on the authentication chip, one or more authentication codes using a unique serial number of the first device and an authentication key, both stored on the authentication chip; providing, by the second processor, the one or more generated authentication codes to the first processor; and sending, by the first processor, a response to the second device that includes the one or more generated authentication codes.

Abstract: A formula-driven programming-environment is described, which may be used to provide an environment for applications to operate within a network node or other computing device. In one example, statements of a program may be interpreted to thereby execute formula-style commands within an address space defined and constrained in a memory device by the integrated development environment. The commands may obtain data, assign values to variables and access data from other node(s) by the interpretation of statements in the program and communicating over a network. The communicating may include queuing a message for transmission by the formula-driven programming-environment. The commands may provide named access or relative access to data in response to the interpretation of statements in the program. The commands may communicate with at least one application located on a remote computing device in response to the interpretation of statements in the program.