Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Raju Gulabani

Stephen Russell Falcon

Vellore T Vetrivelkumaran

Neel Malik

Baogang Yao

Brandon L Watson

Systems and methods for controlling the number of clients that can access a server in a server-client network are described. A communications filter driver resides on the server and monitors network communications to determine a unique network address of each client that attempts to access the server. When a client attempts to access the server, the server allows the client to access the server if the network address of the client is listed in a table. If the network address of the client is not listed in the table, the server determines if a client limit has been met or exceeded. If the limit has been reached, the server determines if the client is a client that has previously accessed the server under a different network address. This is accomplished by sending a signal to each network address listed in the table and requesting a response.

Systems and methods for controlling the number of clients that access a server

Systems and methods for controlling the number of clients that can access a server in a server-client network are described. A communications filter driver resides on the server and monitors network communications to determine a unique network address of each client that attempts to access the server. A table of clients that have accessed the server is stored at the server. When a client attempts to access the server, the server allows the client to access the server if the network address of the client is listed in the table. If the network address of the client is not listed in the table, the server determines if a client limit has been met or exceeded. If the limit has not been met, the client is allowed to access the server and the Internet address of the client is added to the table.

Systems and methods for controlling the number of clients that can access a server in a server-client network are described. A communications filter driver resides on the server and monitors network communications to determine a unique network address of each client that attempts to access the server. A table of clients that have accessed the server is stored at the server. When a client attempts to access the server, the server allows the client to access the server if the network address of the client is listed in the table. If the network address of the client is not listed in the table, the server determines if a client limit has been met or exceeded. If the limit has not been met, the client is allowed to access the server and the Internet address of the client is added to the table. If the limit has been reached, the server determines if the client is a client that has previously accessed the server under a different network address. This is accomplished by sending a signal to each network address listed in the table and requesting a response. If a response is not received from a client, then the network address for that client is removed from the table and the client attempting to access the server is allowed to access the server. The network address for this client is then added to the table. If a response is received from all network addresses, a signal indicating that a client limit has been exceeded is sent to the client attempting to access the server and access to the server is denied to that client.

Automatic server-side plug-and-play without user intervention is disclosed. An automatic plug-and-play component residing on the server is designed to detect connection and disconnection of a device to a port. Without user intervention, the component automatically installs an appropriate driver for the device upon connection of the device to the port. The device is then accessible by clients served by the server. Also without user intervention, the component automatically uninstalls the driver upon disconnection of the device from the port. The device is then inaccessible by the clients.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Raju Gulabani