Patent ID: 8443094

Claim:
An emulation computer system for emulating a client computer on a network, said emulation computer system comprising: a communication device configured to exchange messages over the network, said messages being exchanged with a server according to a first protocol, wherein said first protocol is a network protocol; a discovery agent configured to send a first message to said server according to said first protocol with said communication device, wherein said first message includes (i) a selected identification data comprising a selected MAC address that identifies the client computer to be emulated on the network and (ii) a first message content satisfying a second protocol, and wherein said first message indicates a request that a response to said first message be sent from the server to the client computer to be emulated in accordance with said second protocol; an analysis agent configured to intercept a second message sent for receipt at the client computer to be emulated received in response to the first message, and to extract, from said second message, a second message content, wherein contents of said second message content is in accordance with said second protocol, wherein said second message content indicates a request for a response to said second message to be sent to said server, and wherein said second message includes said selected identification data; and a controller configured to operate said discovery agent and said analysis agent so as to emulate said client computer being emulated over a selected period of time, wherein said controller refrains the emulation computer system from sending a response to said second message.