International Business Machines Corporation

Denis Chevalier

Zsolt Szalai

Gerard Marmigere

Claude R Galand

Olivier Bertin

Marcel Villaflor

Yves Ouvry

Sophie Martin

Gérard Marmigere

Jean L Calvignac

Maurice Duault

Jean-Marie L Munier

Guy Platel

Bernard J Naudin

Michel Geneste

Patrick Massi

Zsolf Szalai

Jean Gallian

For optimizing Internet access resources, a system for billing network access capacities shared across Internet service providers is disclosed. A Client Service Provider (CSP) may rent access on Points Of Presence belonging to a Master Service Provider (MSP) while maintaining a constant security level and providing connection accounting. When a CSP's subscriber sends an access request to a MSP, the MSP analyzes the subscriber's realm and checks the capacities allocated to the subscriber's CSP. If connection is allowed, the MSP sends an authentication request to the CSP. If the subscriber is authenticated, the MSP launches an accounting process based on the subscriber's realm while the CSP may launch an accounting process associated with the subscriber identifier. The cost of rented Points Of Presence capacity is based on total connection time and on the number of simultaneous connections established by the MSP for the CSP, combined with predetermined thresholds.

System for billing network access capacities shared between internet service providers

For optimizing Internet access resources, an apparatus and computer-like readable medium for sharing network access capacities across Internet service providers is disclosed. According to an apparatus comprising means adapted for carrying out a method for sharing network access capacities between a master Internet service provider, the method of the invention, a client service provider (CSP) may hire accesses to points of presence belonging to a master service provider (MSP) while maintaining a constant security level and providing connection accounting means. When a CSP's subscriber sends an access request to a MSP, the MSP analyzes the subscriber's realm and checks the capacities allocated to the subscriber's CSP. If connection is allowed, the MSP sends an authentication request to the CSP. If the subscriber is authenticated, the MSP launches an accounting process based on the subscriber's realm while the CSP may launch an accounting process associated with the subscriber identifier. Thus, the MSP does not need to maintain a database comprising information relative to the CSP's subscribers.

Sharing network access capacities across internet service providers

For optimizing Internet access resources, a method and system for billing network access capacities shared across Internet service providers is disclosed. A Client Service Provider (CSP) may rent access on Points Of Presence belonging to a Master Service Provider (MSP) while maintaining a constant security level and providing connection accounting. When a CSP's subscriber sends an access request to a MSP, the MSP analyzes the subscriber's realm and checks the capacities allocated to the subscriber's CSP. If connection is allowed, the MSP sends an authentication request to the CSP. If the subscriber is authenticated, the MSP launches an accounting process based on the subscriber's realm while the CSP may launch an accounting process associated with the subscriber identifier. The cost of rented Points Of Presence capacity is based on total connection time and on the number of simultaneous connections established by the MSP for the CSP, combined with predetermined thresholds.

Method and system for billing network access capacities shared between internet service providers

For optimizing Internet access resources, a method and systems for sharing network access capacities across Internet service providers is disclosed. According to the method of the invention, a client service provider (CSP) may hire accesses to points of presence belonging to a master service provider (MSP) while maintaining a constant security level and providing connection accounting means. When a CSP's subscriber sends an access request to a MSP, the MSP analyzes the subscriber's realm and checks the capacities allocated to the subscriber's CSP. If connection is allowed, the MSP sends an authentication request to the CSP. If the subscriber is authenticated, the MSP launches an accounting process based on the subscriber's realm while the CSP may launch an accounting process associated with the subscriber identifier. Thus, the MSP does not need to maintain a database comprising information relative to the CSP's subscribers.

Method and systems for sharing network access capacities across internet service providers

Method and system for non disruptively assigning link bandwidth to a user in a high speed digital network

A method based on predefined connection priorities for assigning link bandwidth to a requesting user in a high speed digital network interconnecting network users through a path including network nodes connected through high speed links. According to this method, a predefined reservable link bandwidth is split into so-called nominal bandwidth portions and common bandwidth portions, both assignable to the same connections on a priority basis. Each of the common bandwidth priorities is individually related to a nominal bandwidth priority through a predefined relationship, making the common bandwidth priorities always lower than any nominal priority. In this way the requested link connection bandwidth, whatever be its nominal priority, is made preemptable primarily on all common bandwidth, thus avoiding the disruption of any network connection which is already established.

Method and system for non-disruptively assigning link bandwidth to a

Apparatus for recovering lost buffer contents in a data processing system uses a memory divided into a plurality of buffers provided with buffer control blocks, through which source and destination users exchange information. A buffer management circuit is responsive to requests from users for allocating buffers to source users in order that source users may store the information to be sent to the destination users. This circuit builds buffer queues and dequeues buffers from the queues to send the information contained therein to the destination users and releases the buffers afterwards. A time mark register is settable to n different values in a predetermined order. The value of the time mark register is changed at the expiration of a time period P. Each time a buffer is allocated to one user, the current value of the time mark register is written into a time mark field of the buffer control block and a state field is set to a first value (leased). When the buffer is released, the state field is set to a second value (released). The contents of the buffer control blocks are read at regular time intervals t after period P, and the state field of every buffer control block is tested to determine whether it is set to the second value. If not so set, the time mark field is compared with the value the time mark register had at the time t-xP, where x is a number such as 1&lt;x&lt;n, and the buffer is released in case of equality.

Apparatus for recovering lost buffer contents in a data processing system

A communication controller CCP includes line adapters (104-i) each having a storage which is loaded with a general application program during an initialization phase. The line adapters allow the attachment and the communication of different telecommunication entities, e.g. a LAN, a teleprocessing line etc. . . The CCP is connected by means of a control adapter to a local control terminal (100) which is associated with a storage for storing the different general application programs which are likely to be required by the different line adapters. A storage contains an access key comprising data relative to the types and the number of line adapters of any type which are authorized to be loaded with the general application program stored in the storage controlled by the control terminal. The CCP also has logic for checking whether a loading request received from one adapter complies with the contents of the stored access key in order to prevent the loading of an unauthorized line adapter. A method is disclosed for performing the loading of a line adapter card which is attached to a communication controller product CCP, the line adapter card being loadable with a general application program during an initialization phase. The method includes the steps of receiving a request from a determined line adapter to be loaded with the corresponding general application program which is loaded in its said storage, and of checking whether the requesting line adapter is included in a list of line adapters which are authorized to be loaded with their corresponding general program application. The method further includes checking whether the number of already defined line adapters which are of the same type as the one which requests the loading operations does not exceed a predetermined value, and of eventually preventing the loading of the requesting line adapter in the case when one of the preceding conditions is not satisfied.

Growing community of inventors

La Colle sur Loup, France

Denis Chevalier