Patent ID: 7401120
Filing Date: 2008-07-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer network gateway, comprising: an internal node database comprising information about nodes on a network; a protocol converter configured to allow the nodes on the computer network to communicate using one or more data protocols according to information in said node database, wherein said one or more data protocols are transmitted over a network medium using a medium protocol; an application programming interface to communicate with said nodes; a software module configured to provide an active mode and a standby mode, said active mode configured to maintain said internal node database and to provide access to said node database, said standby mode configured to maintain said internal node database as a mirror copy of an external node database, said software module configure to transition to an active mode when an unacknowledged client node request for access to said network medium is detected, in said active mode, said gateway configured to translate packets from a first network protocol to a second network protocol.