Method and system for connecting network hosts having different communication protocols

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein results of said first and said second reachability tests are determined by static analysis of capability information furnished by said first host and said at least one second host at a registration time.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: storing a first value to indicate whether unreliable multicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; and storing a second value to indicate whether unreliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: creating a matrix to maintain a record of said first value and said second value.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating is preceded by the steps of: if unreliable unicast communications and unreliable multicast communications are not possible, initiating a third reachability test from said first host to said at least one second host to determine whether or not reliable unicast communications are possible; and then selecting reliable unicast communications as a communications type for communications between the first host and the at least one second host, if possible.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5, wherein results of said first, second and third reachability tests are determined by static analysis of capability information furnished by said first host and said at least one second host at a registration time.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of: storing a first value to indicate whether unreliable multicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; storing a second value to indicate whether unreliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; and storing a third value to indicate whether reliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of: creating a matrix to maintain a record of said first value, said second value and said third value.

Claim 12

The system of claim 9, wherein results of said first and said second reachability tests are determined by static analysis of capability information furnished by said first host and said at least one second host at a registration time.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9, further comprising: means for storing a first value to indicate whether unreliable multicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; and means for storing a second value to indicate whether unreliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10, further comprising: means for creating a matrix to maintain a record of said first value and said second value.

Claim 15

The system of Claim 9, further comprising: means, responsive to said means for initiating a second reachability test, for determining if unreliable unicast communications are not possible; means, responsive to said means for determining if unreliable unicast communications are not possible, for initiating a third reachability test from said first host to said at least one second host to determine whether or not reliable unicast communications are possible; means, responsive to said means for initiating a third reachability test, for selecting reliable unicast communications as a communications type for communications between the first host and the at least one second host, if reliable unicast communications are possible.

Claim 16

The system of claim 13, wherein results of said first, second and third reachability tests are determined by static analysis of capability information furnished by said first host and said at least one second host at a registration time.

Claim 17

The system of claim 13, further comprising: means for storing a first value to indicate whether unreliable multicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; means for storing a second value to indicate whether unreliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; and means for storing a third value to indicate whether reliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined.

Claim 18

The system of claim 15, further comprising: means for creating a matrix to maintain a record of said first value, said second value and said third value.

Claim 19

A computer program product recorded on computer readable medium for communicating between a plurality of network hosts in which each of the hosts has a different communication protocol capability, comprising: computer readable means for initiating a first reachability test from a first host to at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable multicast communications are possible; computer readable means for selecting unreliable multicast communications as a communications type for communications between the first host and the at least one second host, if possible; computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for initiating a first reachability test, for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible; computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible, for initiating a second reachability test from said first host to said at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable unicast communications are possible; computer readable means for selecting unreliable unicast communications as a communications type for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host, if unreliable unicast communications are possible; and computer readable means for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host utilizing the selected communications type.

Claim 20

A computer program product recorded on computer readable medium for communicating between a plurality of network hosts in which each of the hosts has a different communication protocol capability, comprising: computer readable means for initiating a first reachability test from a first host to at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable multicast communications are possible; computer readable means for selecting unreliable multicast communications as a communications type for communications between the first host and the at least one second host, if possible; computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for initiating a first reachability test, for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible; computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible, for initiating a second reachability test from said first host to said at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable unicast communications are possible; computer readable means for selecting unreliable unicast communications as a communications type for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host, if unreliable unicast communications are possible; and computer readable means for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host utilizing the selected communications type.

Claim 21

The program product of claim 17, wherein results of said first and said second reachability tests are determined by static analysis of capability information furnished by said first host and said at least one second host at a registration time.

Claim 22

The program product of claim 17, further comprising: computer readable means for storing a first value to indicate whether unreliable multicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; and computer readable means for storing a second value to indicate whether unreliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined.

Claim 23

The program product of claim 19, further comprising: computer readable means for creating a matrix to maintain a record of said first value and said second value.

Claim 24

The program product of claim 20, further comprising: computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for initiating a second reachability test, for determining if unreliable unicast communications are not possible; computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for determining if unreliable unicast communications are not possible, for initiating a third reachability test from said first host to said at least one second host to determine whether or not reliable unicast communications are possible; and computer readable means for selecting reliable unicast communications as a communications type for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host, if reliable unicast communications are possible.

Claim 25

The program product of claim 21, wherein results of said first, second and third reachability tests are determined by static analysis of capability information furnished by said first host and said at least one second host at a registration time.

Claim 26

The program product of claim 21, further comprising: computer readable means for storing a first value to indicate whether unreliable multicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; computer readable means for storing a second value to indicate whether unreliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined; and computer readable means for storing a third value to indicate whether reliable unicast communications are possible, not possible, or not yet determined.

Claim 27

The program product of claim 23, further comprising: computer readable means for creating a matrix to maintain a record of said first value, said second value and said third value.