Transport System for Instant Messaging

Abstract

An exemplary method involves creating a master session over a first connection through a server; and creating a virtual channel over the connection, the virtual channel operable to communicate a feature session. The method may involve establishing a direct connection that bypasses the server, and switching communication of the feature session to the direct connection. A system for network communication includes a plurality of transport bridges, each transport bridge corresponding to an active network device configuration, and a switching module operable to choose one of the transport bridges to form a connection between two computing devices based on the active network device configuration.

1 . A system for network communication, the system comprising:
 a plurality of transport bridges, each transport bridge:
 corresponding to an active network device configuration; and 
 computing a score associated with communicating a feature session; and 
   a switching module executable within a transport protocol stack to:
 receive the score associated with each transport bridge; and 
 choose one of the transport bridges to form a connection between computing devices. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the switching module is executable to choose the one of the transport bridges based in part on at least one of:
 the score associated with each transport bridge;   the active network device configuration; or   a request for a type of the connection.   
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the request is included in a feature that requests the feature session. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the switching module is executable within a transport bridge layer of the transport protocol stack of a messenger application. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the switching module is further executable to switch from one transport bridge to another transport bridge of the plurality of transport bridges while communicating the feature session. 
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the active network device configuration comprises at least one firewall between a first computing device and a second computing device of the computing devices. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the active network device configuration comprises at least one network address translator between a first computing device and a second computing device of the computing devices. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transport bridges comprise at least one of:
 a reliable user datagram protocol bridge;   a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) bridge; or   a switchboard bridge.   
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a feature; and   a master session operable to create the feature session associated with the feature.   
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising a transport layer operable to multiplex feature data and master session data across, and communicate multiplexed data via, the chosen transport bridge. 
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the transport layer is operable to multiplex data from a plurality of sessions via the chosen transport bridge. 
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a detection module operable to detect the active network device configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an echo server. 
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a master session operable to create the feature session corresponding to a feature of an instant messaging application. 
     
     
         15 . The system as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the master session provides a request for a type of the connection specified by the feature to the switching module. 
     
     
         16 . The system as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the master session executes within a session layer of the transport protocol stack. 
     
     
         17 . One or more computer-readable storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for carrying out a method comprising:
 receiving, by a switching module executing within a transport protocol stack, a score associated with each of a plurality of transport bridges, each transport bridge corresponding to an active network device configuration; and   selecting, by the switching module, one of the transport bridges to form a connection between computing devices.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in  claim 17 , wherein the score is associated with a corresponding transport bridge ability to communicate a feature session between the computing devices. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer-readable storage devices recited in  claim 17 , wherein the selecting is based at least in part on at least one of:
 the score associated with each transport bridge;   the active network device configuration; or   a request for a type of the connection.   
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a switching module executing within a transport protocol stack, a score associated with each of a plurality of transport bridges, wherein the score is associated with a corresponding transport bridge ability to communicate a feature session between computing devices; and   selecting, by the switching module, one of the transport bridges to form a connection between the computing devices, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on:
 the score associated with each transport bridge; and 
 a request for a type of the connection, wherein the request is included in a feature that requests the feature session.