Patent ID: 7215777

Claim:
In a network system including a server system, a client system and a firewall wherein the server system monitors the occurrence of events, sends notification through the firewall to the client system after one of the monitored events occurs, a method for efficiently notifying the client system of the occurrence of a monitored event, so as to provide notification in a manner preserving the processing capacity of the server system and the client system, and preserving bandwidth on the network system, the method comprising: an act of the client system sending a request to the server system, wherein the request is that the server system transmit a packet of data containing notification of the occurrence of an event to the client system using a connectionless protocol, wherein the connectionless protocol does not require a session be established between the client system and the server system in order for communication to occur between the client system and the server system; an act of the client system attempting to receive the packet of data containing notification of the occurrence of an event from the server system, wherein the packet of data is sent using the connectionless protocol; an act of the client system determining, based on the act of attempting to receive the packet of data from the server system, whether or not the client system can receive notifications, generated as the result of the happening of a monitored event, from the server system using a connectionless protocol, an act of the client system requesting that server system initiated notifications be sent using the connectionless protocol, if the attempt to receive the packet of data is successful; an act of the client system requesting that server system initiated notifications be sent using a connection-oriented protocol, if the attempt to receive the packet of data is not successful, wherein the connection-oriented protocol establishes a session between the client system and the server system in order for communication to occur between the client system and the server system; an act of the client system detecting changes in firewall configuration including changes indicating that data packets sent via a connectionless protocol are being allowed through the firewall; and upon determining that data packets sent via a connectionless protocol are being allowed through the firewall, an act of the client system automatically shifting to receiving data packets containing event notifications via the connectionless protocol even though a connection-oriented protocol is available.