Patent ID: 8103797

Claim:
In a network of entities operable in accordance with a network protocol, a method of operation comprising: creating and terminating synchronized shared state between communicating entities to coordinate their behavior; establishing between the communicating entities, responsive to the shared state, a data transfer relationship using the shared state, wherein the data transfer relationship represents an interprocess communication service (IPC) between the communicating entities; generating a set of messages operable to be exchanged between the communicating entities to coordinate their behavior and control the transfer of data, wherein: (a) each function of the protocol is separated into a mechanism and at least one policy; (b) the policy comprises policy components, the policy components comprising at least a sending policy and a receiving policy; and (c) instances of policy components are determined for each function of the protocol upon initiation of shared state, and wherein: separating mechanism and at least one policy creates a single relaying and multiplexing protocol and a single error and flow control protocol, and the single relaying and multiplexing protocol and single error and flow control protocol, either alone or in a combination of a layered organization, are operable to provide the services of any data transfer service; and expanding the network of entities in a repeatable manner to establish a recursive layered structure, wherein each of the communication entities is substantially the same and provides IPC resources to an adjacent layer of the recursive layered structure.