KERRY A HANNIGAN
Occupational Therapy in Boston, MA

6360269, Mar 19, 2002

Nov 2, 1998

09/185056

Shawn Mamros - Arlington MA
Kerry M. Hannigan - Boston MA

Nortel Networks Limited - St. Laurent

G06F 1516

709228, 709225, 709229, 709250

A method and apparatus for determining the reachability of a remote computer from a local computer through a secured communications link through the Internet. In one embodiment, the secured ISAKMP/Oakley communications link is established between a remote computer and a local computer through the Internet. A protected keepalive message is transmitted by the local computer to the remote computer in the event that the communications link has been idle for a period of time. The protected keepalive message is not a re-key request by the local computer to renegotiate the policy/key(s) of the secured communications link to the Internet. In one embodiment, the protected keepalive message is a protected ISAKMP/Oakley command to which a protected acknowledgement must be supplied. If a protected acknowledgement is received from the remote box by the local box in response to the protected keepalive message, then it is assumed that the remote box is still reachable. However, if the protected acknowledgement is not received from the remote box in response to the protected keepalive message, then it is assumed that their remote box is no longer reachable.

6788692, Sep 7, 2004

Jun 1, 1999

09/323676

Daniel Boudreau - Westford MA
J. Martin Borden - Littleton MA
James A. Philippou - Nashua NH
Shawn Mamros - Arlington MA
Kerry M. Hannigan - Boston MA
John T. OHara - Andover MA
Bernard Farrell - Littleton MA

Nortel Networks Limited - St. Laurent

H04L 1226

370400, 370228, 370404, 370465, 709226, 709243

The present invention is a method and apparatus to balance load in a cluster of switches in a network. The switches include a local switch and one or more remote switches. Messages containing load information of the switches are exchanged among the switches. One of the switches is selected to respond to a connection request to the local switch based on a metric.

6385648, May 7, 2002

Nov 2, 1998

09/184522

James A. Philippou - Nashua NH
Kerry M. Hannigan - Boston MA
Gary W. Hoglund - Groton MA

Nortel Networks Limited - St. Laurent

G06F 1300

709222

Methods for initializing an uninitialized box in a data communications network. In one embodiment, the Internet protocol (IP) address, subnet mask and default gateway of a network switch or box is remotely initialized over a data communications network from a configuration utility on a host computer. In one embodiment, the configuration utility broadcasts a service announcement over the network indicating that it is available to initialize uninitialized boxes. An uninitialized box on the network replies to the service announcement. In one embodiment, the reply from the uninitialized box includes the serial number of the uninitialized box. In one embodiment, after the configuration utility receives the reply from the uninitialized box, the configuration utility prompts a network administrator to enter an IP address, subnet mask and default gateway to assign to the uninitialized box. In one embodiment, the configuration utility broadcasts an initialization message over network including the serial number of the uninitialized box and the entered IP address, subnet mask and default gateway. In one embodiment, after the uninitialized box receives the initialization message, the uninitialized box acknowledges their receipt indicating that the uninitialized box has been initialized using the entered IP address, subnet mask and default gateway.