Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Skype Limited

Ooma, Inc.

Bruce Bernard Lowekamp

Matthew Todd Kaufman

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and software for providing enhanced reliability for information services. In an implementation, a method performed by a first data processing system is disclosed for operating a proxy service to support an information service provided by an application executed by a device remote to the first data processing system. The method comprises: registering the information service in association with an address unique to the information service; receiving information requests associated with the address via a data transmission network, wherein the information requests are sent from a second data processing system hosting an online service and remote from the first data processing system and the device; maintaining activity information indicative of whether any of the information requests were received while the application was in an unavailable state; and if the application has transitioned to an available state from a state different from the unavailable state, sending the activity information to the application.

Enhanced reliability for information services

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and software for providing enhanced reliability for web services. In an implementation, a proxy service supports web services provided by a client application to at least an online service. While the client application is temporarily disconnected from the proxy service, the proxy service monitors for web services activity to occur in association with the web services provided by the client application to at least the online service. In response to the client application reconnecting to the proxy service after having been temporarily disconnected from the proxy service, the proxy service communicates activity information to the client application indicative at least of whether or not to query the online service with respect to the web services activity.

Enhanced reliability for client-based web services

A communication system comprising a plurality of nodes that are capable of establishing a communication connection between two or more clients, the plurality of nodes being arranged in a hierarchy in which a node comprised in one level of the hierarchy is more likely to be reachable by a client trying to establish a communication connection with another client than a node comprised in a lower level of the hierarchy, the communication system being arranged such that, when a client determines that a node is unreachable for establishing a communication connection between it and another client, that communication connection is instead established by a node comprised in a higher level of the hierarchy than the unreachable node.

Multilevel routing

A computer-implemented system and method are described for exchanging messages between nodes and servers in accordance with specified service level guarantees, while at the same time retaining compatibility with other nodes and servers not subject to the same service level guarantees. For example, a system according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: a first cluster of servers having messaging applications executed thereon for enabling message passing between a first plurality of nodes, a first message database maintained by the first cluster of servers for storing an archive of messages passed between the first plurality of nodes; a second cluster of servers having the same messaging applications executed thereon for enabling message passing between a second plurality of nodes; and a second message database maintained by the second cluster of servers for storing an archive of messages passed between the second plurality of nodes; wherein the first cluster of servers implement a first set of protocols for ensuring latency and/or data retention requirements above a first specified threshold when exchanging messages between the first plurality of nodes. The first set of protocols may ensure various other characteristics of communication including, by way of example and not limitation, message delivery receipts and guaranteed call quality for voice calls.

System and method for reliable distributed communication with guaranteed service levels

A method for issuing tickets in a communication system comprising a plurality of nodes that are capable of establishing a communication connection between two or more clients, the method comprising a first client transmitting to a ticket-issuing service a request for a ticket authorizing the first client to establish a communication connection with a second client, the ticket-issuing service determining if the first client is authorized to establish the requested communication connection and if the first client is determined to be authorized to establish the requested communication connection, the ticket-issuing service transmitting to the first client one or more tickets designating the second client which authorizes the first client to establish the requested connection with the second client by means of one or more of the plurality of nodes.

Ticket authorization

A method of obtaining and using configuration information for communication devices in a P2P overlay for optimizing decision making based on locality is provided. An alpha-numeric hierarchical look-up procedure is provided that includes a general-to-specific search of a query having a result mapping of a location and purpose of the configuration information of the communication device. A registration procedure is provided for registering at least one resource, where the resource is found by the search on the overlay. The resource can be a communication device location, communication device information or the configuration information. The method provides calling an outside device from the overlay device and determining a gateway service provider that is most proximal to an area code or an exchange of the outside device by using the result mapping. An outside connection is established from the overlay device to the outside device, where a calling toll is minimized.

Growing community of inventors

Williamsburg, VA, United States of America

Bruce Bernard Lowekamp