Abstract:
The invention provides a storage area network (SAN) of type having one or more digital data processors coupled to one or more storage devices. At least a selected one of the hosts includes a file system that effects access by the host to assigned storage devices. This can be, for example, a conventional AIX or other host platform file system that oversees file and other data accesses between the host and those assigned devices. That host can be associated, according to these aspects of the invention, with lower and upper capacity bounds for purposes of file system extension. In response to a request by (or on behalf of) the selected digital data processor for extension of the file system, the manager assigns one of more further storage devices to that digital data processor.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for storage of user identifier/IP address pairs in a network. The network includes a DHCP server for assigning IP addresses to computer and other devices in the network, a device (such as a computer) coupled to receive an IP address from the DHCP server, an authentication server coupled with the device for receiving user identifier/IP address pairs from the device and authenticating the user, and a directory server coupled to receive authenticated user identifier/IP address pairs from the authentication server.
Abstract:
A system and method for providing a plurality of client applications access to data in a distributed file system. In various embodiments, read requests are separated from write requests and the read requests are processed by dedicated read servers. A plurality of read servers are coupled to the client applications and each read server reads file data from the distributed file system and returns the file data to the client applications. A write server writes data to the distributed file system. Various embodiments are described for separating read requests from write requests and transmitting read requests to the read servers write requests to the write server.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for processing registration requests by a Home Agent supporting Mobile IP are disclosed. A registration request is received from each of a plurality of Mobile Nodes, the registration request specifying a care-of address, which may be allocated by the Foreign Agent. A binding is established between each of the plurality of Mobile Nodes and the associated care-of address, each of the plurality of Mobile Nodes being associated with one another. For instance, the plurality of Mobile Nodes may be statically or dynamically assigned the same Home Address. A tunnel is then created between the Home Agent and the care-of address for each of the plurality of Mobile Nodes, thereby enabling a server request to be distributed by the Home Agent to one of the plurality of Mobile Nodes or to a cluster of Mobile Nodes (e.g., associated with the care-of address) via the associated tunnel. For instance, a server request addressed to the Home Address may be forwarded directly to one of the Mobile Nodes assigned that Home Address. Alternatively, when an address such as the care-of address is associated with multiple Mobile Nodes, the Foreign Agent may perform a second level of dispatching such that the server request is dispatched to one of the Mobile Nodes in the cluster.
Abstract:
There is provided a method of processing requests for target node identification data received from a first node of a data network at a second node of the data network, said first node processing user requests, said method comprising the following steps: a) storing, in a data store accessible by said second node, target node identification data for a set of a plurality of target nodes, each target node of said set being interchangeably useable by said first node to service a user request: b) receiving, at said second node, a plurality of similar requests from the first node, each one of said similar requests relating to said set of target nodes; c) in response to a first said similar request, selecting a first selection of one or more target nodes of said set and transmitting data identifying said first selection to said first node; d) in response to a second said similar request, selecting a second selection of one or more target nodes of said set and transmitting data identifying said second selection to said first node, wherein said second selection includes at least one target node which is not included in said first selection.
Abstract:
A computer network includes a user computer connected to a communications network, an encryption/decryption device connected to the user computer, a plurality of authentication servers connected to the communications network, an authentication server selector that determines a near authentication server for the user computer from the plurality of authentication servers, wherein the user computer is connected to the near authentication server through the communication network. In a system including a first and second computing device which each store the same series of at least one value and each store a plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes, the first computing device establishing an encrypted communications session with the second computing device using at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes selected from the plurality of encryption and decryption processes. The encrypting and decrypting processes are selected as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the stored series.
Abstract:
A communication system and method is disclosed for facilitating connection by a user to a selected one or more of multiple ISP's, thereby alleviating problems associated with providing a fixed link to a single ISP. Advantages may include ease of switching between ISP's and the system may enable a virtual ISP to be created having characteristics more suited to a user's need than the individual ISP's.
Abstract:
A system provides a router node to bridge a LAN and a System Area Network (SAN). The router node distributes LAN traffic across the SAN using a router management agent (RMA) and a filter agent (FA); the RMA includes a session management agent (SMA), a policy management agent (PMA) and a routing agent (RA); the SMA manages connections between remote clients and SAN nodes; the PMA maintains system operation policies; the RA with the FA direct LAN packets to SAN nodes; the FA handles conversion between a SAN protocol and a LAN protocol for packets within the SAN/LAN architecture. The cluster nodes include a node management agent (NMA); the NMA includes an SMA and PMA; these two agents perform the same functions as those in the router node; and a management node sets policies on the router node and includes a monitoring agent to query router node statistics.
Abstract:
Data is routed through the Internet to a mobile node by using home agents and foreign agents to provide mobility functions. Data transfer rates to the mobile node are improved by providing for transfer of data from the home agent to a plurality of foreign agents on a round-robin basis, which can be enhanced by checking the quality of the connection between the foreign agent and the mobile node and re-routing the data through another foreign agent if certain predetermined quality criteria are not met.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method for allocating an address of a data service offering server to a communication device such as a mobile services device or a SIM card. With the allocation, the server address is selected from a number of address identifiers. Each address identifier identifies a valid server independently of the current server configuration of the communication network. The server address can be combined out of a fixed and a variable portion. Moreover, the address identifiers can be updated, for example, by means of a so-called DNS server. The described server address allocation method improves the scalability of the communication system and offers an efficient measure for load distribution for both the data service offering application servers and for so-called DNS servers. Moreover, the invention relates to a corresponding communication device for allocating a server address, and to a corresponding communication system and computer program.