Patent ID: 7486695

Claim:
A network computing system, comprising: a node in a networking environment on a network, wherein the node in the networking environment is configured to: obtain a description of a resource in the networking environment formatted according to a protocol of the networking environment; translate the description of the resource formatted according to the protocol of the networking environment into an advertisement in a uniform description format; and publish the advertisement for the resource on the network for discovery by other nodes in at least one different networking environment on the network; and a node in the different networking environment on the network, wherein the node in the different networking environment is configured to: discover the published advertisement for the resource on the network and obtain a translation of the discovered advertisement in a description of the resource formatted according to a protocol of the different networking environment; establish, according to information in the description of the resource, a tunnel socket on the network between the resource in the networking environment and the node in the different networking environment, wherein the tunnel socket provides a multiplexed communications channel; and communicate with the resource via the tunnel socket and in accordance with the description of the resource formatted according to the protocol of the different networking environment; wherein the tunnel socket is configured to: translate messages sent to the resource in the networking environment by the node in the different networking environment into the protocol of the networking environment; and translate messages sent by the resource to the node in the different networking environment into the protocol of the different networking environment.