Protocol and method for peer network device discovery
US6269099A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 1, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jul 31, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 1, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/326
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A protocol and methods for peer network device discovery is presented. The peer discovery protocol includes a peer discovery marker than can be used with an existing networking protocol such as Transmission Control Protocol ("TCP") to discover peer network devices. The peer discovery protocol also includes a peer discovery table to record network addresses of peer network devices and their associated host network devices. The peer discovery method allows a first peer network device such as an edge router, to send out a peer discovery request with the peer discovery protocol to other peer network devices as the peer network device is sending data packets for a host network device. Once a second peer network device receives a peer discovery request, the second peer network device attempts to establish a two-way, peer-to-peer data-flow to the first peer network device that sent the peer discovery requests. The peer discovery protocol and methods allow error correction, encryption, compression and other "intelligent" services to be added to peer network devices such as edge routers. The peer discovery protocol and peer discovery methods may enhance performance, reliability and security…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.