Patent ID: 8200971

Claim:
A method for the provision of a network service, the method being implemented using: (a) a network processing service comprising: i. a service network comprising one or more service devices, each of which can provide a service over a network, ii. a client network comprising one or more client devices, one or more of which is a client of the service network, and (b) information available to the client network, but not the service network, which is necessary for the functioning of the network processing service provided by the service devices of the service network, wherein a client device comprising a data propagation agent acts to: i. retrieve the information from the client network necessary for the service network to fulfill a request from the client network, ii. create a UID, which uniquely identifies the client device on the client network, iii. aggregate UID and associated information into a key-value bundle, and issue said bundle to the service network, iv. amend one or more network communication agents on the client device such that every network communication issued by the network communication agent contains the UID, and wherein the service device: v. on receipt of a new key-value bundle, acts to store the key-value bundle in a local data-store, and propagate that key-value bundle to all other service devices on the service network, and vi. on receipt of a network communication from the network communication agent located on a client device acts to: A. extract the UID from the request issued by the network communication agent, B. interrogate the data-store for information associated with the UID, such information being essential to the provision of the network processing service, and C. perform the requested service described in the network communication and issue a network communication in turn to the client device with a response that corresponds with the requested service.