Method and apparatus for automatically determining an appropriate transmission method in a network

• US 20020191612A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Placeware, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Curtis, Pavel
• Granted Patent: US 6,891,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, includes transmitting at least one packets to a first host via a first transmission method, transmitting at least one packets to the first host via a second transmission method, and configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted in accordance with a second transmission method is received.

Claims

1. A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method;

transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a second transmission method; and

configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method provided no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method further includes receiving from the first host a response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting at least one packet via a second transmission method further comprises receiving from the first host a response to a transmitted via the second transmission method.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method comprises an address.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein configuring further comprises configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method comprises an address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received from the first host.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the response comprises an address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein configuring further comprises configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication in accordance with the second transmission method.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method is received.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission method is the unicast transmission method.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transmission method is the multicast transmission method.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to the first host via the first transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a second transmission method further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to the first host via the second transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein configuring further includes configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the first transmission method provided no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein configuring comprises configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the first transmission method.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein configuring further comprises configuring the first host for communication with the second host using an available address.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the first transmission method is the unicast transmission method.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the second transmission method is the multicast transmission method.

25. A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network comprising a plurality of hosts, the method comprising:

transmitting by a first host at least one packet to a second host via a first transmission method;

transmitting by a first host at least one packet to a second host via a second transmission method; and

configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the second transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

33. A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network comprising a plurality of hosts, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first host, a packet from a second host transmitted via a first transmission method;

transmitting by the first host at least one packet to the second host in accordance with a second transmission method;

configuring for communication with the second host in accordance with the second transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein configuring further includes configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the first transmission method provided no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method provided no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein transmitting at least one packet via a first transmission method further includes receiving from the first host a response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein receiving further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein transmitting at least one packet via a second transmission method further comprises receiving from the first host a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, wherein the response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method comprises an address.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein configuring further comprises configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44, wherein the response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method comprises an address.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 45, wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received from the first host.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein the response comprises an address.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 48, wherein configuring further comprises configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein no response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method is received.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication in accordance with the second transmission method.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

53. The computer readable medium of claim 52, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method is received.

54. The computer readable medium of claim 52, wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method.

55. The computer readable medium of claim 54, wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

56. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein the first transmission method is the unicast transmission method.

57. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein the second transmission method is the multicast transmission method.

58. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein transmitting at least one packet via a first transmission method, further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to a first host via a first transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.

59. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein transmitting at least one packet to the first host via a second transmission method further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to the first host via the second transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.

35. A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one first packet to the first host in accordance with a first transmission method;

receiving from the first host, a second packet transmitted via a second transmission method;

configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method.

36. A computer readable medium containing instructions for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method;

transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a second transmission method; and

configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.