Patent ID: 7194544
Filing Date: 2007-03-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for selecting one protocol from among a plurality of protocols to establish one or more communications sessions between a first computer and a second computer, where the first computer has an object and the second computer has an object-handle associated with the object, and where the object-handle identifies the plurality of protocols, the method comprising the steps of: a) defining a plurality of ranges so that each of the ranges represents a priority rule; b) determining the priority rule that applies to each of the plurality of protocols respectively identified in the object-handle based on a configuration for the second computer; c) upon invocation on the second computer of the object handle for each of said one or more communication sessions, generating bids having bid values for one or more protocols among the plurality of protocols identified by the object-handle, wherein each of the bid values is in one of the ranges that represents the priority rule; d) dynamically arranging the bid values in a sequence corresponding to their relative values so as to indicate a relative preference among the plurality of protocols for each of said one or more communications sessions; and e) parsing the arranged bid values to select a highest protocol that is the highest preference according to the sequence and is effective in establishing each of said one or more communications sessions.