International Business Machines Corporation

Togewa Holding Ag

Laurent Frelechoux

Michael Charles Osborne

Claude Basso

Philippe Damon

Brahmanand Kumar Gorti

Bernard Metzler

Robert Haas

Bay Van Nguyen

Colin Beaton Verrilli

Natarajan Vaidhyanathan

Ilias Iliadis

Paolo Scotton

Gero Dittmann

Andreas Guenther Herkersdorf

Richard John Blasiak

Bay V Nguygen

The invention relates to a method and system for authenticating a mobile network node in a Wireless Local Area Network, wherein the mobile network node requests access to the WLAN at an access point. Within a closed first network region, before authentication all network protocol layers up to the Layer 3 protocol layer (L3) are set up. An authenticator based on Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is generated on the Web server as captive portal and the Layer 3 protocol layer between the authenticator and the mobile network node comprising an EAP peer is extended bidirectionally by means of a defined bit sequence. In case of an access request, the Web server transmits an authentication stimulus to the mobile node by encoding an EAP message request and transmitting it in the Layer 3 protocol layer by means of the defined bit sequence. The mobile node decodes the EAP message request and transmits, in the Layer 3 protocol layer, by means of the defined bit sequence, an encoded EAP response message to the authenticator, the EAP response message comprises authentication data of the mobile network node. The Web server decodes the EAP response message from the bit sequence, transmits it to an AAA server including an EAP server by means of an authentication inquiry. On the basis of an authentication response by the AAA Server, access is enabled to a second network region for use by the mobile network node by means of a Network Access Server.

Method and system for authenticating a network node in a UAM-based WLAN network

A method and system for authenticating a mobile network node in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), wherein the mobile network node requests access to the WLAN at an access point. Within a closed first network region, before authentication all network protocol layers up to the Layer 3 protocol layer are set up. An authenticator based on Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is generated on the Web server as a captive portal and the Layer 3 protocol layer between the authenticator and the mobile network node including an EAP peer is extended bidirectionally by a defined bit sequence. In case of an access request, the Web server transmits an authentication stimulus to the mobile node by encoding an EAP message request and transmitting it in the Layer 3 protocol layer by the defined bit sequence. The mobile node decodes the EAP message request and transmits, in the Layer 3 protocol layer, by the defined bit sequence, an encoded EAP response message to the authenticator, the EAP response message includes authentication data of the mobile network node. The Web server decodes the EAP response message from the bit sequence, transmits it to an AAA server including an EAP server by an authentication inquiry. On the basis of an authentication response by the AAA Server, access is enabled to a second network region for use by the mobile network node by a Network Access Server.

A method, computer program product and system for processing TCP/IP packets. A TCP protocol stack may store a payload of a received TCP/IP packet in a data fragment list. The TCP protocol stack may further read the header of the received packet to extract a value used to index into a table storing a list of transport control blocks (TCBs). The TCP protocol stack may further perform a lock and a read operation on the TCB indexed in the table. The TCP protocol stack may further transmit the payload to the TCP application without requiring the application to perform a lock, read, write or unlock operation on the indexed TCB since the TCP protocol stack and the TCP application are operating on the same thread. By the TCP application foregoing the lock, read, write and unlock operations on the TCB, there is a reduction in the number of memory accesses.

Reducing memory accesses in processing TCP/IP packets

Described is a method for managing flow of protocol information in a node of a hierarchical network in which the protocol information is communicated between network nodes in topology state elements. The method includes checking topology state elements generated by the node to identify protocol information encapsulated therein, and selectively allowing transmittal of the topology state elements from the node to lower levels of the network based on the protocol information identified.

Management of protocol information in PNNI hierarchical networks

Described is a method for managing flow of protocol information in a node of a hierarchical network in which the protocol information is communicated between network nodes in topology state elements. The method comprises checking topology state elements generated by the node to identify protocol information encapsulated therein, and selectively allowing transmittal of the topology state elements from the node to lower levels of the network based on the protocol information identified.

Described is a method and system for processing data packets of a data stream in a communication system. The data packets are processed depending on a feature of the header of a data packet in a faster path or in a slower path. To avoid a disorder by the different processing paths, the fast processed data packets are stored in a memory. The stored fast processed data packets are output after all slowly processed data packets which before the processing were in order before the fast data packets have been put to the output. In this way, the processed data packets are in the same order as prior to the processing.

Method for preserving the order of data packets processed along different processing paths

Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling the clustering of nodes which implement a cluster-based routing protocol in a data communications network system where the system comprises a plurality of such nodes which are interconnectable to form a plurality of ad hoc networks. For each node which is a member of a cluster, cluster control information (CCMs) is maintained, this cluster control information being dependent on the size of at least the cluster of which that node is a member. On connection of two nodes which are members of two respective clusters, each of the two nodes transmits its cluster control information to the other node, and then determines whether a clustering condition is satisfied. In each node, the clustering condition is dependent on the cluster control information maintained for that node and the cluster control information received from the other node. In each node, if the clustering condition is satisfied, the node then communicates a clustering agreement to the other node. If the clustering conditions of both nodes are satisfied for the two clusters, the two nodes exchange routing information to merge the two clusters.

Cluster control in network systems

Methods and apparatus are provided for managing protocol information in a PNNI hierarchical network. In a PAR-enabled device () of the network, topology indicators (HC, LC) are assigned to protocol information encapsulated in PAR PTSEs received by the PAR-enabled device () from the network. The assignment of a topology indicator (HC, LC) to protocol information in a PAR PTSE is dependent on the location of the network node which originated that PAR PTSE in the PNNI topology as seen by the PAR-enabled device (). Protocol information in received PAR PTSEs is then supplied to a protocol device () associated with the PAR-enabled device () in a manner dependent on the assigned topology indicators (HC, LC), for example with tags comprising the assigned topology indicators (HC, LC). The information supplied to the protocol device () thus reflects the topology indicators (HC, LC) which in turn reflect the location in the PNNI topology of the originating nodes of the PAR PTSEs. This allows the configuration of the network topology for the protocol in question to be controlled in dependence on the underlying PNNI topology.

System and method for maintenance and examination of timers for a computer system having connections in a networking system. Timer values in a connection table each indicate a timeout for a timer for a connection, where each connection has multiple timers, and one of the timer values is written to a global timer array for each connection such that the global timer array can be scanned to determine when timeouts occur for active connections. Sparse restart of a timer includes restarting the timer if data is communicated with a connected computer before the timeout occurs and after a predetermined time interval after timer start, and not restarting the timer if data is communicated before the timeout occurs and within the predetermined interval after timer start.

Method and system for maintaining and examining timers for network connections

Methods and apparatus are provided for managing protocol information in a PNNI hierarchical network. In a PAR-enabled device () of the network PAR PTSEs received by the PAR-enabled device () from the network are checked to identify redundant protocol information encapsulated in the PAR PTSEs. Protocol information in received PAR PTSEs is then supplied to a protocol device associated with the PAR-enabled device (). In some embodiments, protocol information identified as redundant is excluded from the protocol information supplied to the protocol device. In other embodiments, the protocol information supplied to the protocol device is tagged to distinguish redundant protocol information from non-redundant protocol information. This facilitates efficient configuration of the network topology for the protocol in question.

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Lausanne, Switzerland

Laurent Frelechoux