Multiplex communications – Fault recovery – Bypass an inoperative switch or inoperative element of a...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-24
2001-04-03
Hsu, Alpus H. (Department: 2662)
Multiplex communications
Fault recovery
Bypass an inoperative switch or inoperative element of a...
C370S465000, C370S401000, C709S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212160
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICIAN FIELD
This invention relates to communicating entities and their interfaces with communications networks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Different communications networks may use different communications protocols. For example, some intranets use the Internet transmission control protocol (TCP), while other intranets use the Novell internetwork packet exchange (IPX)/sequenced packet exchange (SPX) protocol. The different protocols are incompatible; therefore, any communications entity—whether hardware or software—that is intended for use with a network must be configured to support the protocol of that network. However, the knowledge of which protocol needs to be supported and the skill to configure the communications entity are beyond those of many users. Therefore, adapting a communications entity to work on a network often requires the services of a technician. This is costly and causes delays.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to solving these and other problems and disadvantages of the prior art. According to one aspect of the invention, a communications entity is configured to communicate using any of a plurality of communications protocols, and it initially attempts to communicate by using a preferred one of the protocols, and attempts to communicate by using another one of the protocols if the initial attempt fails, whereby the entity is automatically adapted to communicate on any communications network that supports any of the protocols. Significantly, the adaptation is automatic, made without user or other human assistance. Preferably, a successful attempt establishes a first communications channel and, if needed, the entity responds to a successful attempt by again attempting to communicate by using the protocol of the successful attempt, in order to establish a second communications channel. Thus, the entity can have a plurality of channels in existence at the same time. Significantly, different ones of the plurality of channels may employ different ones of the plurality of protocols.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of communicating on a network that supports at least one of a plurality of communications protocols begins by first attempting to communicate on the network by using a preferred one of the plurality of protocols. Communicating in the preferred protocol continues if this first attempt succeeds. But in response to failure of this first attempt, communicating on the network is further attempted one or more times by using another one (or more) of the plurality of protocols. Again, communicating in the other protocol continues if a further attempt succeeds, but in response to failure of the further attempts, attempts to communicate on the network are abandoned. Preferably, a successful first or a further attempt establishes a first communications channel and, in response to the success, a second communications channel is established, if need be, by thirdly attempting to communicate on the network by using the protocol of the previous successful attempt. If the third attempt fails, the first attempt and—if needed—the further attempts are repeated in an effort to establish the second channel. Aside from the method, an apparatus that performs the method and a computer readable medium containing software which, when executed in a computer, causes the computer to perform the method also fall within this aspect of the invention.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the above-characterized method begins with initialization of a server with information identifying the preferred and the other protocols, and the server seeding each client of the server with the initialization information, whereupon the method steps are performed by each of the seeded clients when attempting to communicate with the server. The server then communicates with each client across the network by using whichever of the protocols the client initiated the communication in.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention considered together with the drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5425028 (1995-06-01), Britton et al.
patent: 5754552 (1998-05-01), Allmond et al.
patent: 5802042 (1998-09-01), Natarajan et al.
patent: 5870399 (1998-09-01), Smith
patent: 6038603 (2000-03-01), Joseph
Barbieri Raymond A.
Crofton Gregory F.
Donaldson Dustin M.
Milner Marius C.
Avaya Technlogy Corp.
Hsu Alpus H.
Qureshi Afsar M.
Volejnicek David
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