Enhanced network communication

Abstract

A communication system in which client and server communication systems are coupled over a data network. A request to communicate with one of the server communication systems is accepted and based on an identification of the server communication system in the request, one of a set of transport layer protocols is selected for communication between the client and server systems. The set of transport layer protocols can be determined by retrieving information from a directory service computer, such as an Internet Domain Name Server (DNS), where the address of the directory service computer is related to the identification of the server communication system. In addition, the server communication system can include an address translation table that associates a network address provided by a client communication system with local network addresses of server computers. The server communication system selects one of the server computers in response to a request from the client communication system and passes communication between the client system and the selected server computer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for communicating between a client communication system and a plurality of server communication systems over a data communication network comprising: 
 accepting a request to communicate with one of the server communication systems including receiving an identification of said server communication system;    using the identification of said server communication system, determining a set of one or more transport layer protocols for which the server communication system is configured to communicate and selecting one of the set of transport layer protocols for communicating with the server communication system; and    communicating with the server communication system over the data communication network using the selected transport layer protocol.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    wherein determining the set of transport layer protocols includes retrieving information related to the server communication system from a directory service computer over the data communication network, and wherein the address of the directory service computer is related to the identification of the server communication system.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 2    wherein the identification of the server communication system includes a network address of the server communication system, and determining the set of transport layer protocols includes determining the address of the directory service computer from the network address of the server communication system.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 3    wherein the network address of the server communication system includes an Internet Protocol address of said system, and the directory service computer provides an Internet Domain Name Service.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 3    wherein the network address of the server communication system includes a host name of said system, and the directory service computer provides an Internet Domain Name Service.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 1    wherein determining the set of protocols further includes monitoring prior communication with the server communication system and updating the set of transport layer protocols based on the monitored communication.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 6    wherein monitoring the prior communication includes detecting portions of application layer communication between an application and the server communication system.  
     
     
         8 . A method for communicating between a client communication system and a plurality of server communication systems over a data communication network comprising: 
 accepting a request to communicate with one of the server communication systems, including accepting a request to communicate with a server computer at a first network address over the data communication network;    selecting a second network address for communicating with the server communication system; and    communicating with the server communication system over the data communication network, including communicating with a computer at the second network address.    
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 8    wherein the second network address is different from the first network address.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 8    wherein selecting the second network address includes retrieving information related to the server communication system from a directory service computer over the data communication network, and wherein the address of the directory service computer is related to the first network address.  
     
     
         11 . A client communication system coupled to a data network for communicating with a plurality of server communication systems each configured to communicate with the client communication system using at least one of a plurality of transport layer protocols, comprising: 
 a transport layer module implementing the plurality of transport layer protocols for communicating with the server communication systems;    a layered communication module coupled to the transport layer module and including a protocol selector for receiving a request to communicate with a requested one of the plurality of server communication systems and, using the request to communicate, choosing one the plurality of transport layer protocols for communication with the requested server system;    a directory service module coupled to the layered communication module for accessing over the data network information related to the transport layer protocols with which the requested server communication system is configured to communicate.    
     
     
         12 . The communication system of    claim 11    wherein the directory service module includes a module for retrieving the information related to the transport layer protocols from a directory service computer over the data network.  
     
     
         13 . The communication system of    claim 12    wherein the directory service module is an Internet domain name resolution module, and the directory service computer is an Internet domain name server.  
     
     
         14 . A server communication system coupled over a data communication network to a plurality of client communication systems, comprising: 
 a transport layer module for communicating with the client communication systems and one or more server application modules;    a communication application module coupled to the transport layer module for maintaining a transport layer communication stream with each of a number of client communication systems, for accepting requests over the communication streams from client communication systems to communicate with the one or more server application modules, and for passing information between the client communication systems and the server application modules over the communication streams;    an address translation table for associating network addresses provided by client communication systems as identifiers of server application modules with local network addresses used for communicating between the communication application module and the server application modules, wherein the address translation table is configured to associate more than one local network address with each network address provided by a client communication system, and the server communication system further includes a server selection module for selecting one of the local addresses in response to a request to communicate from a client communication system.    
     
     
         15 . The communication system of    claim 14    wherein the server selection module includes a table for storing an association between a client communication system and a selected local network address.  
     
     
         16 . Software stored on a computer readable medium for causing a computer to perform the functions of: 
 accepting a request to communicate with one of a plurality of server communication systems, including receiving an identification of said server communication system;    using the identification of said server communication system, determining a set of one or more transport layer protocols for which the server communication system is configured to communicate and selecting one of the set of transport layer protocols for communicating with the server communication system; and    communicating with the server communication system over the data communication network using the selected transport layer protocol.    
     
     
         17 . The software of    claim 16    wherein determining the set of transport layer protocols includes retrieving information related to the server communication system from a directory service computer over the data communication network, and wherein the address of the directory service computer is related to the identification of the server communication system.  
     
     
         18 . Software stored on a computer readable medium for causing a computer to perform the functions of: 
 accepting a request to communicate with one of a plurality of server communication systems, including accepting a request to communicate with a server computer at a first network address over the data communication network;    selecting a second network address for communicating with the server communication system; and    communicating with the server communication system over the data communication network, including communicating with a computer at the second network address.    
     
     
         19 . The software of    claim 18    wherein selecting the second network address includes retrieving information related to the server communication system from a directory service computer over the data communication network, and wherein the address of the directory service computer is related to the first network address.