Interprocess communication system

• US 6,807,582 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hans-Joachim Muschenborn
• Original Assignee: Hans-Joachim Muschenborn
• Inventors: Müschenborn, Hans-Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/558,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/310-320, 709/101, 709/200-203, 709/252, 709/238-244, 709/249-253, 718/101, 719/310-320
• US Class Current: 709/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

The present invention concerns interprocess communication systems consisting of an arbitrary number of homogeneous or heterogeneous physically connected units, where a central unit executes at least one central process—called Central Process—and at least one of the units executes peripheral process(es), which are connected to the Central Process via at least one standing logical bidirectional connection. The Central Process assigns logical identifications to the connections of the peripheral processes. Using these logical identifications, peripheral processes can communicate independently of the physical units with selected peripheral processes or connections. Peripheral processes of the same kind can be exchanged transparently for other peripheral processes.

Peripheral processes can maintain parallel connections to multiple Central Processes and Central Processes can be linked directly or indirectly via links to arbitrary hierachies or topologies. Multiple individual subsystems can access shared peripheral processes without knowledge of the other subsystems or the ability to communicate with the other subsystems.

Interprocess communication systems according to this invention can run outside of firewall protected areas and still be accessed only by a limited user group. Such networks can be applied advantageously in electronic-commerce, for example, as providers of online-system-services.

The security of existing firewall systems can be greatly increased by appropriate interfacing of systems according to this invention with traditional networks.

Claims

1. An interprocess communication system running on a network system comprising at least one central unit and one or more peripheral units physically connected to said central unit, means to establish one or a plurality of direct bidirectional logical communication connections between Peripheral Processes executing on one of said peripheral units or a central unit, and at least one Central Process running on at least one central unit, wherein

i. at least one central unit is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and

ii. said Central Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, said endpoint being identified by at least one local identification unique on said central unit, and

iii. at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process comprises means to automatically initiate a connection to said Central Process solely on the basis of said physical identification of said central unit and said local identification of said endpoint of said Central Process, and

iv. said Central Process accepts at least one connection from said Connection Initiating Peripheral Process,

and wherein

v. said at least one communication from said Connection Initiating Peripheral Process connection after its build-up is a standing communication connection,

vi. said Central Process assigns to at least one connection of at least one connected Peripheral Process at least one logical identification, such that a Peripheral Process is able to communicate solely on the basis of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process with at least one member of a group of Peripheral Processes, said group being uniquely determined by said at least one logical identification,

and wherein

vii. said Central Process sends at least one message, said at least one message is sent by at least one Sending Peripheral Process via at least one Sending Connection to said Central Process and said at least one message contains at least one logical identification of said at least one Receiving Connection of said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, via said at least one Receiving Connection referenced in said at least one message to said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process.

4. An interprocess communication system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein

i. said Central Process destroys, saves, or returns to said Sending Peripheral Process or forwards to all connections of Peripheral Processes connected to said Central Process except the at least one Sending Connection messages not containing any logical identification of said Receiving Connections, or

ii. said Central Process informs said Sending Peripheral Process of a message automatically or upon said Sending Peripheral Process request about

said individual Receiving Peripheral Process to which Receiving Peripheral Process the message has or has not been successfully sent or

at least one of said multiple Receiving Peripheral Processes to which Receiving Peripheral Process the message has been successfully sent or

at least one of said multiple Receiving Peripheral Processes to which Receiving Peripheral Process the message has not been successfully sent.

5. An interprocess communication system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said at least one logical identification assigned by said Central Process to at least one connection of at least one Peripheral Process during the build-up of said connection is unique within said Central Process for said Peripheral Process, such that a Peripheral Process can communicate only with the knowledge of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process with said uniquely determined Peripheral Process.

6. An interprocess communication system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said at least one logical identification assigned by said Central Process to at least one connection of at least one Peripheral Process during the build-up of said connection is unique within said Central Process, such that a Peripheral Process can communicate only with the knowledge of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process via said uniquely determined connection of said Peripheral Process.

7. An interprocess communication system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said Central Process comprises Access Rights, said Access Rights determine which Connection Initiating Peripheral Prosses said Central Process is allowed to accept or to which Connection Accepting Peripheral Process said Central Process is allowed to initiate a connection and wherein said Access Rights to accept or to initiate a connection by said Central Process can or cannot be modified during system operation, and wherein said Central Process immediately after a change of said Access Rights

i. automatically closes connections to connected Peripheral Processes, which connections are forbidden according to the new Access Rights,

ii. leaves connections of Peripheral Processes connected, which connections are allowed according to the new Access Rights, and

iii only accepts future connections of unconnected Connection Initiating Peripheral Processes allowed according to the new Access Rights or automatically initiates connections to unconnected Connection Accepting Peripheral Processes allowed according to the new Access Rights and contained in the database of said Central Process.

8. An interprocess communication system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein Connection Initiating Peripheral Processes, as included in claim 1 or 3 automatically reestablish broken connections to said Central Process and wherein said Central Process automatically reestablishes broken connections to Connection Accepting Peripheral Processes, as included in claim 2 or 3.

9. An interprocess communication system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said Central Process sends at least one message, said at least one message is sent by said Sending Peripheral Process via one Sending Connection to said Central Process and said at least one message contains said logical identification of at least one Receiving Connection of at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, after a positive authorization check together with said logical identification of said Sending Connection via said at least one Receiving Connection referenced in said at least one message to said respective Receiving Peripheral Processes, and/or wherein said Central Process after a negative result of said authorization check destroys at least one message and informs said Sending Peripheral Process automatically or upon said Sending Peripheral Processes request over the destruction of said at least one message, and/or wherein said Central Process destroys, saves, or returns to said Sending Peripheral Process or forwards to all connections of Peripheral Processes connected to said Central Process except said Sending Connection after a positive authorization check at least one message not containing any logical identifications of Receiving Peripheral Processes and/or wherein said Central Process informs said Sending Peripheral Process of at least one message automatically or upon said Sending Peripheral Process request about

said individual Receiving Peripheral Process to which Receiving Peripheral Processes said at least one message has or has not been successfully sent or

at least one of said multiple Receiving Peripheral Processes to which Receiving Peripheral Processes said at least one message has been successfully sent or

at least one of said multiple Receiving Peripheral Processes to which Receiving Peripheral Processes said at least one message has not been successfully sent.

10. An interprocess communication system according to claim 9 wherein at least one Peripheral Process can access the criteria of the authorization check performed by said at least Central Process before message transmission and wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can provide said information to at least one other Peripheral Process.

11. An interprocess communication system according to claim 9 wherein the logical structure can be modified during operation and wherein at least one Peripheral Process can modify the criteria of the authorization checks, which said at least one Central Process perform before forwarding said at least one message, and that the concerned at least one Central Process immediately take over the modified information.

12. An interprocess communication system according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the Central Process

i. temporarily stores at least one message addressed to at least one known but temporarily not connected Receiving Peripheral Processes and upon reconnection of said temporarily disconnected Receiving Peripheral Process sends said at least one stored messages automatically or upon request in the order of reception by said Central Process or another order to said reconnected Receiving Peripheral Process or

ii. returns to said Sending Peripheral Process or destroys at least one message addressed to at least one known but temporarily not connected Receiving Peripheral Process.

13. An interprocess communication system according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein

i. at least one System-Service Peripheral Process after the establishment of at least one System-Service Connection to or from said at least one Central Process comprises means to wait for an incoming transaction request, to perform after reception of such a transaction request a predefined action in dependence of said request, to eventually send after execution of said action at least one result to said Sending Peripheral Process of said request, to wait for the next incoming request and to repeal this cycle endlessly or wherein

ii. at least one Service-Client Peripheral Process after the establishment of at least one Service-Client Connection to or from said at least one Central Process comprises means to automatically or upon request issue in dependence of his tasks at least one transaction request to at least one System-Service Peripheral Process, to receive zero, one or more results from said System-Service Peripheral Process and to repeat said steps an arbitrary number of times in dependence of his tasks and said received results or wherein

iii. at least one Guard Peripheral Process comprises means to check the functionality of said at least one Central Process and/or at least one Peripheral Process in regular or irregular intervals and in case of a dysfunction to take at least one action to repair said dysfunction or to signal said dysfunction to at least one other Peripheral Process of the network system or wherein

a Peripheral Process having a plurality of connections to said at least one Central Process provides for each of said connections the functionality of either a System-Service Peripheral Process, a Service-Client Peripheral Process or a Guard in Peripheral Process.

14. An interprocess communication system according to claim 13 wherein multiple System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind are being executed in parallel at the same time and initiate parallel standing connections to said at least one Central Process or accept parallel standing connections from said at least one Central Process, where each of said at least one Central Processs assigns to all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind at least one for all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind connected to said at least one Central Process identical logical Service Identification, where said Service Identifications of the same System-Service Peripheral Processes can be different for different Central Processes or equal for all Central Processes.

15. An interprocess communication system according to claim 14 wherein each said at least one Central Process sends all transaction requests addressed to a Service Identification to at least one of the said System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification, and wherein said at least one Central Process receives all transaction results of at least one transaction request from all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification, and wherein

i. either said at least one Central Process determines the final transaction result and sends said final transaction result to said Service-Client Peripheral Process sending the transaction request or

ii. said at least one Central Process sends all different transaction results together with their frequency distribution to said Service-Client Peripheral Process sending the transaction request and said Service-Client determines the final transaction result or

iii. said Central Process sends all transaction results to said Service-Client Peripheral Process sending the transaction request and said Service-Client Peripheral Process receives all transaction results and determines the final transaction result.

16. An interprocess communication system according to claim 15 wherein said at least one Central Process directs at least one transaction request addressed to one Service Identification to all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification and wherein said at least one Central Process determines exactly one of said System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind to be the Master-System-Service for said respective Central Process, and wherein said Master-System-Service sends the transaction result to said Service-Client Peripheral Process and wherein all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind connected to a Central Process with the same logical identification as said Master-System-Service—

with the exception of said Master-System-Service itself—

execute in the background to backup said Master-System-Service and receive and eventually execute said at least one transaction request to update their internal data, but do not send back transaction results to said Service-Clients and wherein said at least one Central Process upon breakdown of the connection between said Master-System-Service and said Central Process assigns one of said backup System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification as said Master-System-Service as new Master-System-Service, such that the whole system continues to operate transparently for all Service-Clients without interruption and wherein said System-Service Peripheral Process executing in backup mode synchronizes automatically or upon request at least once its internal data with the internal data of said Master-System-Service with the same logical identification as said backup System-Service Peripheral Process.

17. An interprocess communication system according to claim 13 wherein at least one Peripheral Process can access the information describing which at least one Peripheral Process is connected to which at least one Central Process, and/or wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can access the information describing which at least one Peripheral Process is allowed to connect to which at least one Central Process and/or the information describing which at least one Central Process is allowed to build up at least one connection to which at least one Peripheral Process and wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can provide said information to at least one other Peripheral Process.

18. An interprocess communication system according to claim 13 wherein the logical structure can be modified during operation and wherein at least one Peripheral Process can modify the information which at least one Peripheral Process is connected to which at least one Central Process and/or which at least one Peripheral Process is permitted to connect to which at least one Central Process and/or which at least one Central Process is permitted to connect to which Peripheral Process and that said concerned at least one Central Process and/or Peripheral Process immediately take over the modified information.

19. An interprocess communication system according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein

i. said at least one central unit reachable from all peripheral units executes in parallel more than one Central Processes of the same kind,

ii. at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process—

particularly a System Service Peripheral Process—

establishes multiple parallel standing connections to at least two of said more than one Central Processes or at least two of said more than one Central Processes establish multiple parallel standing connections to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process—

particularly a System Service Peripheral Process—

, and wherein

iii. at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process after failure of one Central Process to which Central Process said Connection Initiating Peripheral Process was connected, reconnects to at least one of the other Central Processes.

20. An interprocess communication system according to claim 19, wherein multiple System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind are being executed in parallel at the same time and initiate parallel standing connections to at least one Central Process or accept parallel standing connections from at least one Central Process, where said Central Process assigns to all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind at least one for all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind connected to said Central Process identical logical Service Identification, where said at least one Service Identification of the same System-Service Peripheral Processes can be different for different Central Processes or equal for all Central Processes.

21. An interprocess communication system according to claim 20 wherein each Central Process sends all transaction requests addressed to said Service Identification to at least one of said System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification, and wherein said Central Process receives at least one transaction results of at least one transaction request from all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification, and wherein

i. either said at least one Central Process determines the final transaction result and sends said final result to the Service-Client Peripheral Process sending the transaction request or

ii. said at least one Central Process sends all different transaction results together With their frequency distribution to said Service-Client Peripheral Process sending said transaction request and said Service-Client Peripheral Process determines the final transaction result or

iii. said Central Process sends all transaction results to said Service-Client Peripheral Process sending said transaction request and said Service-Client Peripheral Process receives all transaction results and determines the final transaction result.

22. An interprocess communication system according to claim 21 wherein said at least one Central Process directs at least one transaction request addressed to one Service Identification to all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification and wherein said at least one Central Process determines exactly one of said System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind to be the Master-System-Service for the respective Central Process, and wherein said Master-System-Service sends said transaction result to said Service-Client Peripheral Process and wherein all System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind connected to said at least one Central Process with the same logical identification as said Master-System-Service—

with the exception of said Master-System-Service itself—

execute in the background to backup said Master-System-Service and receive and eventually execute said transaction request to update their internal data, but do not send back transaction results to said Service-Client Peripheral Processes and wherein said at least one Central Process upon breakdown of the connection between said Master-System-Service and said Central Process assigns one of said backup System-Service Peripheral Processes of the same kind and with the same Service Identification as said Master-System-Service as new Master-System-Service, such that the whole system continues to operate transparently for all Service-Client Peripheral Processes without interruption and wherein said System-Service Peripheral Process executing in backup mode synchronizes automatically or upon request at least once his internal data with the internal data of said Master-System-Service with the same logical identification as said backup System-Service Peripheral Process.

23. An interprocess communication system comprising at least two subnetwork systems, wherein each of the subnetwork systems is a network according to one of the claims 1, 2 or 3 and wherein the Subsystem Central Processes of different subnetworks can be connected in any topology by either standing direct bidirectional logical connections or Linking Peripheral Processes establishing parallel standing direct bidirectional logical connections to two or more of said Subsystem Central Processes of different subnetworks, and wherein said Subsystem Central Processes forward at least one message addressed to at least one logical identification of at least one connection of another Subsystem Central Process to the Subsystem Central Process to which the connection identified by said logical connection exists.

24. An interprocess communication system according to claim 23 wherein each of said two or more Subsystem Central Processes has at least one locally—

for all directly or indirectly via exactly one Linking Peripheral Process connected Subsystem Central Processes—

unique logical identification and wherein said Subsystem Central Processes transmit at least one message to at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, which Receiving Peripheral Process is connected to other Subsystem Central Processes than the Sending Peripheral Process, to the at least one Subsystem Central Processes of the Receiving Peripheral Process, where each address of said at least one message Receiving Peripheral Processes contains in addition to the logical identification of the Receiving Peripheral Process a sequence of at least one Subsystem Central Process identification describing via which at least one Subsystem Central Process the Receiving Peripheral Process can be reached, and wherein said Subsystem Central Processes transmit said at least one message directly or indirectly via a Linking Peripheral Process to the next Subsystem Central Process in said sequence of Subcentral Central Process identifications, until said at least one message reaches the Subsystem Central Process to which the Receiving Peripheral Process is connected and the latter Subsystem Central Process sends said at least one message together with the inverted sequence of at least one Subsystem Central Process identification to said Receiving Peripheral Process.

25. An interprocess communication system according to claim 23 wherein each Linking Peripheral Process connects to exactly two Subsystem Central Processes and each Linking Peripheral Process has at least one locally—

for all Subsystem Central Processes to which said Linking Peripheral Process is connected—

unique logical identification and wherein said Subsystem Central Processes transmit at least one message to at least one Receiving Peripheral Process connected to other Subsystem Central Processes than said Sending Peripheral Process, to at least one Subsystem Central Process of said Receiving Peripheral Process, where each address of said at least one message Receiving Peripheral Processes contains in addition to said logical identification of said Receiving Peripheral Process a sequence of at least one Linking Peripheral Process identifications describing via which at least one Linking Peripheral Process said Receiving Peripheral Process can be reached, and wherein said Subsystem Central Processes transmit said at least one message to the next Linking Peripheral Process in said sequence of Linking Peripheral Process Identifications and said at least one Linking Peripheral Processes transmit said at least one message to the—

uniquely determined—

other connected Subsystem Central Process, until said at least one message reach the Subsystem Central Process to which said Receiving Peripheral Process is connected and the latter Subsystem Central Process sends said at least one messages together with the inverted sequence of said said at least one Linking Peripheral Process identification to said Receiving Peripheral Process.

26. An interprocess communication system according to claim 23 wherein the Linking Peripheral Process or Subsystem Central Process select at least one message, said at least one message is allowed to be transmitted from one subsystem to another, according to Policies, and wherein each Linking Peripheral Process or each Subsystem Central Process comprises its own message transmission Policies or the transmission of messages follows the same Policies in the network system, and wherein the Policies of individual Linking Peripheral Processes and/or Subsystem Central Processes can or cannot be changed during system operation, and wherein said Linking Peripheral Processes and/or Subsystem Central Processes automatically or upon request exchange their Policies in regular or irregular intervals and update their own Policies according to the Policies of the at least one other Linking Peripheral Processes and/or Subsystem Central Processes, and wherein the Policies of the individual Linking Peripheral Processes and/or Subsystem Central Processes depend at least on the quality of said at least one message and/or the type of said Sending Peripheral Process and/or the type of said Receiving Peripheral Process and/or the user of said Sending Peripheral Process and/or the subsystem of said Sending Peripheral Process and/or the subsystem of said Receiving Peripheral Process and/or said transmission facilities between the subsystems of said Sending Peripheral Process and the subsystem of said Receiving Peripheral Process.

27. An interprocess communication system according to claim 23 wherein at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process—

particularly a System-Service Peripheral Process—

comprises means to establish parallel communication connections to at least two Central Processes belonging to at least two different subsystems or wherein at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process particularly a System-Service Peripheral Process—

comprises means to accept parallel communication connections from at least two Central Processes belonging to at least two different subsystems.

28. An interprocess communication system according to claim 23 wherein at least one Peripheral Process can access the information describing which at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Central Process is connected with which at least one Central Process, and wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can access the information describing which at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Central Process is allowed to connect to which at least one Central Process and/or the information describing which at least one Central Process is allowed to build up at least one connection to which at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Central Process, and/or wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can access the transmission Policies of at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Subsystem Central Process and wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can provide said information to at least one other Peripheral Process.

29. An interprocess communication system according to claim 23 wherein the logical structure can be modified during operation and wherein at least one Peripheral Process can modify the information which at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Central Process is connected to which at least one Central Process and/or which at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Central Process is permitted to connect to which at least one Central Process and/or which at least one Central Process is permitted to connect to which at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Central Process and/or the transmission policies of said at least one Linking Peripheral Process and/or Central Process and that the concerned at least one Central Process and/or Linking Peripheral Process immediately take over the modified information.

30. An interprocess communication system according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein at least one Peripheral Process can access the information describing which at least one Peripheral Process is connected to which at least one Central Process, and/or wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can access the information describing which at least one Peripheral Process is allowed to connect to which at least one Central Process and/or the information describing which at least one Central Process is allowed to build up connections to which at least one Peripheral Process and wherein said at least one Peripheral Process can provide said information to at least one other Peripheral Process.

31. An interprocess communication system according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the logical structure can be modified during operation and wherein at least one Peripheral Process can modify the information which at least one Peripheral Process is connected to which at least one Central Process and/or which at least one Peripheral Process is permitted to connect to which at least one Central Process and/or which at least one Central Process is permitted to connect to which at least one Peripheral Process and that the concerned at least one Central Process and/or Peripheral Process immediately take over the modified information.

32. An interprocess communication system according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein at least one Peripheral Process initiates at least one connection to at least one prior art service and/or at least one Peripheral Process accepts at least one connection from at least one prior art client, and wherein at least one connection between said Peripheral Process and a prior art client and/or prior art service can traverse at least one firewall, and wherein said at least one Peripheral Process connected to at least one prior art service and/or prior art client provides data or functionality of said prior art service and/or prior art client to at least one other Peripheral Process, such that said at least one other Peripheral Process can access the data or functionality of said prior art service and/or prior art client without to build up any direct connection to said prior art service nor to accept any direct connection from said prior art client.

2. An interprocess communication system running on a network system comprising at least one central unit and one or more peripheral units physically connected to said central unit, means to establish one or a plurality of direct bidirectional logical communication connections between Peripheral Processes executing on one of the peripheral units or a central unit, and at least one Central Process running on at least one central unit, wherein

i. at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, said endpoint is identified by at least one local identification unique on the unit executing said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and

ii. said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process accepts at feast one connection from said Central Process, and

iii. each unit executing at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and

iv. said Central Process comprises a database containing at least one entry of at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process and each of said at least one entry in said database includes at least one physical identification of the unit and at least one local identification of the connection endpoint of the associated Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and

v. said Central Process comprises means to initiate at least one connection and initiates automatically at least one connection to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process contained in said database,

and wherein

vi. said at least one communication connection to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process after its build-up is a standing communication connection,

vii. said Central Process assigns to at least one connection of at least one connected Peripheral Process at least one logical identification, such that a Peripheral Process is able to communicate solely on the basis of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process with at least one member of a group of Peripheral Processes, said group being uniquely determined by said at least one logical identification,

and wherein

viii. said Central Process sends at least one message, said at least one message is sent by at least one Sending Peripheral Process via at least one Sending Connection to said Central Process and said at least one message contains at least one logical identification of said at least one Receiving Connection of said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, via said at least one Receiving Connection referenced in said at least one message to said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process.

3. An interprocess communication system running on a network system comprising at least one central unit and one or more peripheral units physically connected to said central unit, means to establish one or a plurality of direct bidirectional logical communication connections between Peripheral Processes executing on one of said peripheral units or a central unit, and at least one Central Process running on at least one central unit, wherein

i. said central unit is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and

ii. said Central Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, said endpoint being identified by at least one local identification unique on said central unit, and

iii. at least one Connection Initialing Peripheral Process comprises means to automatically initiate at least one connection to said Central Process solely on the basis of said physical identification of said central unit and said local identification of said endpoint of said Central Process, and

iv. said Central Process accepts at least one connection from at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process,

and wherein

v. at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process provides at least one available connection endpoint, which endpoint is identified by at least one local identification unique on the unit executing said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and

vi. said Connection Accepting Peripheral Process accepts at least one connection from said Central Process, and

vii. each unit executing at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process is identified by at least one physical identification unique in the network, and

viii. said Central Process comprises a database containing at least one entry of at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process and each of said at least one entry in said database includes at least one physical identification of the unit and at least one local identification of the connection endpoint of the associated Connection Accepting Peripheral Process, and

ix. said Central Process comprises means to initiate at least one connection and initiates automatically at least one connection to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process contained in said database,

and wherein

x. said at least one communication connection from at least one Connection Initiating Peripheral Process or to at least one Connection Accepting Peripheral Process after its build-up is a standing communication connection,

xi. said Central Process assigns to at least one connection of at least one connected Peripheral Process at least one logical identification, such that a Peripheral Process is able to communicate solely on the basis of said at least one logical identification indirectly via said Central Process with at least one member of a group of Peripheral Processes, said group being uniquely determined by said at least one logical identification,

and wherein

xii. said Central Process sends at least one message, said at least one message is sent by at least one Sending Peripheral Process via at least one Sending Connection to said Central Process and said at least one message contains at least one logical identification of said at least one Receiving Connection of said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process, via said at least one Receiving Connection referenced in said at least one message to said at least one Receiving Peripheral Process.