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

• US 20050141507A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 06/30/2005
• 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 7,577,140 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

1-59. -59. (canceled)

60. A method for determining a transmission method for a network communication, the method comprising:

transmitting from a first node at least one packet to a second node via a first transmission method;

determining at the first node whether the first transmission method need not be used;

responsive to determining that the first transmission method need not be used;

transmitting from the first node at least one packet to the second node via a second transmission method;

determining whether a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the second node via the second transmission method is received at the first node; and

responsive to determining the response packet via the second transmission method is received at the first node, configuring for communication with the second node in accordance with the second transmission method of the first node.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the first transmission method is unicast transmission method.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the second transmission method is multicast transmission method.

63. The method of claim 60 further comprising, responsive to determining that the first transmission method is to be used, configuring for communication with the second node in accordance with the first transmission method at the first node.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the configuring for communication in accordance with the first transmission method further comprises:

receiving a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the second node via the first transmission method at the first node; and

using an address from the response packet received via the first transmission method.

65. The method of claim 60 further comprising:

responsive to determining that the responsive packet via the second transmission method is not received at the first node;

determining whether the second transmission method need not be used;

responsive to determining that the second transmission method need not be used, configuring for communication with the second node in accordance with the first transmission method at the first node.

66. The method of claim 65 further comprising:

responsive to determining that the second transmission method is to be used, determining whether a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the second node via the first transmission method is received at the first node; and

responsive to determining that the responsive packet via the first transmission method is received at the first node, configuring for communication with the second node in accordance with the second transmission method at the first node using an address from the response packet received via the first transmission method.

67. The method of claim 66 further comprising, responsive to determining that the response packet via the first transmission method is not received at the first node, configuring for communication with the second node in accordance with the second transmission method at the first node using an IP address from the first node.

68. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a computer to:

transmit at least one packet to a first node via a first transmission method;

determine whether the first transmission method is to be used;

responsive to determining that the first transmission method is to be used;

determine whether a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the first node via the first transmission method is received from the first node; and

responsive to determining that the response packet via the first transmission method is received from the first node, configure for communication with the first node in accordance with the first transmission method using an address from the response packet received via the first transmission method.

69. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 68 further comprising contents that cause the computer to, responsive to determining that the response packet via the first transmission method is not received from the first node, configure for communication with the first node in accordance with the first transmission method using an IP address of the computer.

70. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 68 further comprising contents that cause the computer to:

responsive to determining that the first transmission method need not be used;

transmit at least one packet to the first node via a second transmission method;

determine whether a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the first node via the second transmission method is received from the first node; and

responsive to determining that the response packet via the second transmission method is received from the first node, configured for communication with the first node in accordance with the second transmission method.

71. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 70 further comprising contents that cause the computer to:

responsive to determining that the response packet via the second transmission method is not received from the first node;

determine whether the second transmission method is to be used;

responsive to determining that the second transmission method is to be used, determine whether a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the first node via the first transmission method is received from the first node; and

responsive to determining that the response packet via the first transmission method is received from the first node, configure for communication with the first node in accordance with the second transmission method using an address from the response packet received via the first transmission method.

72. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 71 further comprising contents that cause the computer to, responsive to determining that the response packet via the first transmission method is not received from the first node, configure for communication with the first node in accordance with the second transmission method using an IP address of the computer.

73. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 71 further comprising contents that cause the computer to, responsive to determining that the second transmission method need not be used, configure for communication with the first node in accordance with the first transmission method.

74. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 73, wherein the configuration in accordance with the first transmission method includes using an address from a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the first node via the first transmission method received from the first node.

75. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 73, wherein the configuration in accordance with the first transmission method includes using one of its own IP addresses.

76. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 70 further comprising contents that cause the computer to, responsive to determining that the response packet via the second transmission method is not received from the first node, configure for communication with the first node in accordance with the first transmission method.

77. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 76, wherein the configuration in accordance with the first transmission method includes using an address from a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the first node via the first transmission method received from the first node.

78. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 77, wherein the configuration in accordance with the first transmission method includes using one of its own IP addresses.

79. A computer operable to:

transmit at least one packet to a remote node via a first transmission method;

transmit at least one packet to the remote node via a second transmission method; and

configure for communication with the remote node in accordance with the first transmission method responsive to not receiving from the remote node a response packet to one of the at least one packet transmitted to the remote node via the second transmission method.