Patent ID: 7644160

Claim:
A method of mapping remote ports so that they appear as local ports, comprising: providing a plurality of computers, wherein the plurality of computers include a first computer and a separate second computer; assigning each user to a user account, wherein assigning each user includes assigning a first user to a first user account and assigning a second user to a second user account; assigning a plurality of first user ports to the first user account, wherein the plurality of first user ports include a first port and a second port; assigning a plurality of second user ports to the second user account, wherein the plurality of second user ports include a third port and a fourth port; logging the first user into the first computer; and while the first user is logged into the first computer, mapping the first port to a local port on the first computer and mapping, as a function of the first user account, the second port to a remote port such that the remote port appears as a local port on the first computer; logging the first user into the second computer; and while the first user is logged into the second computer, mapping the second port to the remote port as a function of first user account information such that the remote port appears as a local port on the second computer.