Telephone calls, data and other multimedia information is routed through a hybrid network which includes transfer of information across the internet. A media order entry captures complete user profile information for a user. This profile information is utilized by the system throughout the media experience for routing, billing, monitoring, reporting and other media control functions. Users can manage more aspects of a network than previously possible, and control network activities from a central site. The hybrid network also contains logic for responding to requests for quality of service and reserving the resources to provide the requested services.

System and method for providing requested quality of service in a hybrid network

A system, method, and article of manufacture are provided for technology sharing during demand and supply planning in a network-based supply chain environment. Steps included are providing locator and mapping capabilities utilizing the network. Technology that includes streaming audio, stereo audio and video data is also shared utilizing the network. Encryption capabilities for the technology are also included. Further, searching capabilities are provided utilizing the network in addition to logging events and passive user profiling. The event logging includes logging network operations. User profile data is automatically received and stored. User profile data includes user identity, state, preferences and interests. User profile data is also automatically exported to an active profile manager which automatically adds additional user profile data. Additional user profile data includes information related to whether the user is a service provider or a manufacturer and the location of user.

Technology sharing during demand and supply planning in a network-based supply chain environment

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for a first business entity to provide a network-based supply chain framework for collaborative order management between at least a second and a third independent business entity, such as a service provider, vendor, reseller, manufacturer and the like. A request for an order is received over a network with an automated system, from at least a second business entity. The order is transmitted over a network, with an automated system, to at least the third business entity. Information is received from the third business entity relating to a status of completion of the order by the third business entity using a network. The progress in completing the order is tracked based on the information received from the third business entity. Progress reports from the tracking are generated periodically; and transmitted to the second business entity using the network.

Increased visibility during order management in a network-based supply chain environment

The present invention provides a firewall that achieves maximum network security and maximum user convenience. The firewall employs “envoys” that exhibit the security robustness of prior-art proxies and the transparency and ease-of-use of prior-art packet filters, combining the best of both worlds. No traffic can pass through the firewall unless the firewall has established an envoy for that traffic. Both connection-oriented (e.g., TCP) and connectionless (e.g., UDP-based) services may be handled using envoys. Establishment of an envoy may be subjected to a myriad of tests to “qualify” the user, the requested communication, or both. Therefore, a high level of security may be achieved. The usual added burden of prior-art proxy systems is avoided in such a way as to achieve fall transparency-the user can use standard applications and need not even know of the existence of the firewall. To achieve full transparency, the firewall is configured as two or more sets of virtual hosts. The firewall is, therefore, “multi-homed,” each home being independently configurable. One set of hosts responds to addresses on a first network interface of the firewall. Another set of hosts responds to addresses on a second network interface of the firewall. In one aspect, programmable transparency is achieved by establishing DNS mappings between remote hosts to be accessed through one of the network interfaces and respective virtual hosts on that interface. In another aspect, automatic transparency may be achieved using code for dynamically mapping remote hosts to virtual hosts in accordance with a technique referred to herein as dynamic DNS, or DDNS.

Firewall providing enhanced network security and user transparency

Method and apparatus providing connection-oriented services for packet switched data communications networks. Directory services include distributed discovery of MAC addresses and protocol alias addresses. Topology services include a link state topology exchange among switches, which provides each switch with a complete topology graph of the network. This enables an access switch receiving a data packet to determine a complete path from a source end system to a destination end system. Another service includes resolution of broadcast frames to unicast frames, in order to reduce the amount of broadcast traffic. Policy restrictions may be applied prior to connection setup. Path determination services enable multiple paths from a source to a destination. Connection management includes source routed mapping of connections on the desired path. A distributed call rerouting service is provided wherein if a link on an active path fails, each switch receives a topology change notification and unmaps any connection involving the failed link. A broadcast/unknown service provides restricted flooding of nonresolvable packets. Furthermore, connection-oriented switching is provided based on the source and destination MAC addresses as a connection identifier. Still further, resolution of networks outside the switch domain is enabled by access switches listening for network and server route advertisements and maintaining best routes to said networks and servers. The best route metrics may be combined with best path metrics to determine a path from a first access switch to an egress switch connected to the external network.

Distributed connection-oriented services for switched communication networks

Apparatus and method for establishing 'virtual connections' through a switched data communications network which provides higher speed, lower cost, integrated services, and manageability. Once the virtual connection is established, the switches can move connectionless data packets along the established path in a straight-forward manner without transformation of the data packets. The complexities associated with routing data are pushed out of the data transfer path and are instead handled at connection establishment time. This allows the switches to be simpler and therefore faster. Also, the switching decision is substantially protocol independent and transparent to the end systems. It also yields important benefits in terms of manageability because capabilities which were too costly to perform on a packet-by-packet basis can readily be performed at connection establishment time. Thus, a new level of manageability can be achieved which was not practical with datagram oriented technology. Improved allocation of bandwidth and a new best path searching method are also provided.

Network having secure fast packet switching and guaranteed quality of service

Apparatus and method for establishing "virtual connections" through a packet switched data communications network, the network including a plurality of end systems and switches connected by links. Each end system has a unique physical layer address and each switch has a connection database of valid connections between different ports on the switch and a switching mechanism for establishing temporary connections. Each switch is registered with a connection server such that, prior to transmission of a connectionless datagram from a first end system to a second end system, a path of valid connections through one or more switches from the first end system to the second end system is determined by configuring the connection table of each switch on the path with a connection identifier identified by the physical layer addresses of the first and second end systems, and wherein the data packet remains as a connectionless datagram. In other aspects, an improved method is providing for allocating bandwidth among competing devices requesting access to a bandwidth limited shared resource (e.g., the previously defined switch), and to a search method for making a best path determination through the network based on a number of constraints.

Method of transmitting data packets in a packet switched communications network

The invention relates to a method and a system for allocating a bandwidth-limited, shared resource among a plurality of competing devices, comprising: means (414) for dividing an available time of the resource into a plurality of time segments; means (414) for allocating the time segments among the competing devices in a predetermined order to provide a first level of arbitration; means (414) for providing a list of competing devices; means (414) for allocating a token entitling one of the competing devices in the list of competing devices to a time segment; means (414) for allocating a time segment to the competing device having the token if the time segment is unallocated after the first level of arbitration to provide a second level of arbitration; and means (414) for allocating the time segment to the device having a predetermined rank in the list of competing devices if the time segment is unallocated after the second level of arbitration to provide a third level of arbitration.

Method and system for allocating a bandwidth-limited shared resource

The invention relates to a method of breadth-first searching to build a spanning tree, wherein a plurality of traversals are made of different paths moving outwardly from a starting point in a search to find an optimum path to a destination point based on a plurality of metrics, with the following steps: initializing a vector of metrics at the starting point where a value of each metric in the vector is a best value; traversing an arc to a next node along a path from the starting point to the destination point; and at an end of each traversal, modifying the vector of metrics to produce a traversal value which accumulates from a best value to a worst value, comparing the values of the metrics and eliminating the paths which are not best or do not pass a threshold level in at least one metric.

Andy Grimes

Papers

Network having secure fast packet switching and guaranteed quality of service

Method of transmitting data packets in a packet switched communications network

Method and system for allocating a bandwidth-limited shared resource

Methods for routing DTAT packets, using a spanning tree