Routing messages within a network using the data content of the message

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein said searching comprises traversing said data structure until a mask provides an indication of said zero or more links.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, wherein said mask comprises a plurality of values the positions of which correspond to a plurality of links, and wherein said indication indicates: zero links when said plurality of values includes a plurality of first predefined values; and one or more links when one or more of said plurality of values includes a second predefined value.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, wherein said plurality of first predefined values includes a plurality of no indications and wherein said second predefined value includes a yes indication.

Claim 6

The method of claim 2, wherein said traversing comprises: comparing said mask to a vector associated with a node of said data structure; refining said mask when said comparing indicates refinement; proceeding to another node of said data structure, when said mask is to be further refined; and repeating said comparing, refining and proceeding until said mask needs no further refinement.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5, wherein said proceeding comprises using said data content to determine the another node.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, wherein said mask comprises a plurality of values the positions of which correspond to a plurality of links of a router that received said message, and wherein said refining comprises updating at least one of said plurality of values in said mask based on at least one value of at least one corresponding position in said vector.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7, wherein said updating comprises changing at least one value of the mask from a maybe indication to a yes indication or a no indication, depending on the value in the corresponding position of the vector.

Claim 10

The method of claim 5, further comprising annotating a plurality of nodes of said data structure with a plurality of vectors, each of said plurality of vectors indicating at its corresponding node whether any links may be used to reach one or more clients interested in said message.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of subscriptions received from a plurality of clients.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving and said determining are by a router of a network.

Claim 15

At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of determining zero or more links to be used in routing a message, said method comprising: receiving a message; and determining zero or more links over which said message is to be sent, said determining comprising searching a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said zero or more links, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said searching comprises following one or more paths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said zero or more links to be used in routing said message.

Claim 16

At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of determining zero or more links to be used in routing a message, said method comprising: receiving a message; and determining zero or more links over which said message is to be sent, said determining comprising searching a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said zero or more links, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said searching comprises following one or more paths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said zero or more links to be used in routing said message.

Claim 17

The at least one program storage device of claim 13, wherein said searching comprises traversing said data structure until a mask provides an indication of said zero or more links.

Claim 18

The at least one program storage device of claim 14, wherein said mask comprises a plurality of values the positions of which correspond to a plurality of links, and wherein said indication indicates: zero links when said plurality of values includes a plurality of first predefined values; and one or more links when one or more of said plurality of values includes a second predefined value.

Claim 19

The at least one program storage device of claim 15, wherein said plurality of first predefined values includes a plurality of no indications and wherein said second predefined value includes a yes indication.

Claim 20

The at least one program storage device of claim 14, wherein said traversing comprises: comparing said mask to a vector associated with a node of said data structure; refining said mask when said comparing indicates refinement; proceeding to another node of said data structure, when said mask is to be further refined; and repeating said comparing, refining and proceeding until said mask needs no further refinement.

Claim 21

The at least one program storage device of claim 17, wherein said proceeding comprises using said data content to determine the another node.

Claim 22

The at least one program storage device of claim 17, wherein said mask comprises a plurality of values the positions of which correspond to a plurality of links of a router that received said message, and wherein said refining comprises updating at least one of said plurality of values in said mask based on at least one value of at least one corresponding position in said vector.

Claim 23

The at least one program storage device of claim 19, wherein said updating comprises changing at least one value of the mask from a maybe indication to a yes indication or a no indication, depending on the value in the corresponding position of the vector.

Claim 24

The at least one program storage device of claim 17, wherein said method further comprises annotating a plurality of nodes of said data structure with a plurality of vectors, each of said plurality of vectors indicating at its corresponding node whether any links may be used to reach one or more clients interested in said message.

Claim 25

The at least one program storage device of claim 13, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of subscriptions received from a plurality of clients.

Claim 26

At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of routing messages within a network, said method comprising: receiving a message; and routing said message to a subset of clients of said network, said subset comprising less than all of said clients of said network, wherein said routing is irrespective of any destination information that may be within said message, and wherein said routing comprises searching a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said subset of clients, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said searching comprises following one or more paths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said subset of clients to be routed said message.

Claim 27

At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of routing messages within a network, said method comprising: receiving a message; and routing said message to a subset of clients of said network, said subset comprising less than all of said clients of said network, wherein said routing is irrespective of any destination information that may be within said message, and wherein said routing comprises searching a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said subset of clients, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said searching comprises following one or more paths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said subset of clients to be routed said message.

Claim 28

An article of manufacture, comprising: at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the determining of zero or more links to be used in routing a message, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a message; and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to determine zero or more links over which said message is to be sent, said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to determine comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said zero or more links, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to follow one or more oaths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said zero or more links to be used in routing said message.

Claim 29

An article of manufacture, comprising: at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the determining of zero or more links to be used in routing a message, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a message; and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to determine zero or more links over which said message is to be sent, said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to determine comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said zero or more links, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to follow one or more oaths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said zero or more links to be used in routing said message.

Claim 30

The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to traverse said data structure until a mask provides an indication of said zero or more links.

Claim 31

The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to traverse comprises: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to compare said mask to a vector associated with a node of said data structure; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to refine said mask when said comparing indicates refinement; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to proceed to another node of said data structure, when said mask is to be further refined; and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to repeat comparing, refining and proceeding until said mask needs no further refinement.

Claim 32

The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein said mask comprises a plurality of values the positions of which correspond to a plurality of links of a router that received said message, and wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to refine comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to update at least one of said plurality of values in said mask based on at least one value of at least one corresponding position in said vector.

Claim 33

An article of manufacture, comprising: at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the routing of messages within a network, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a message; and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to route said message to a subset of clients of said network, said subset comprising less than all of said clients of said network, wherein routing is irrespective of any destination information that may be within said message, and wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to route comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said subset of clients, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to follow one or more paths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said subset of clients to be routed said message.

Claim 34

An article of manufacture, comprising: at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the routing of messages within a network, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a message; and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to route said message to a subset of clients of said network, said subset comprising less than all of said clients of said network, wherein routing is irrespective of any destination information that may be within said message, and wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to route comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search a data structure using at least a portion of a data content of said message to determine said subset of clients, wherein said data structure comprises a plurality of tests performable on said at least a portion of said data content, and said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to search comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to follow one or more paths of said data structure, but less than all paths of said data structure, based upon results of one or more tests of said plurality of tests performed to determine said subset of clients to be routed said message.

Claim 37

The system of claim 29, wherein said router is further adapted to traverse said data structure until a mask provides an indication of said zero or more links.

Claim 38

The system of claim 30, wherein said router is further adapted to: compare said mask to a vector associated with a node of said data structure; refine said mask when the comparing indicates refinement; proceed to another node of said data structure, when said mask is to be further refined; and repeat the comparing, refining and proceeding until said mask needs no further refinement.