Method and system for connecting network hosts having different communication protocols

A system for communicating between a plurality of network hosts in which each of the hosts has a different communication protocol capability, comprising:

• means for initiating a first reachability test from a first host to at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable multicast communications are possible;
• means for selecting unreliable multicast communications as a communications type for communications between the first host and the at least one second host, if possible;
• means, responsive to said means for initiating a first reachability test, for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible;
• means, responsive to said means for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible, for initiating a second reachability test from said first host to said at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable unicast communications are possible;
• means for selecting unreliable unicast communications as a communication type for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host, if unreliable unicast communications are possible;
• and
• means for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host utilizing communications of the selected communications type.

A computer program product recorded on computer readable medium for communicating between a plurality of network hosts in which each of the hosts has a different communication protocol capability, comprising:

• computer readable means for initiating a first reachability test from a first host to at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable multicast communications are possible;
• computer readable means for selecting unreliable multicast communications as a communications type for communications between the first host and the at least one second host, if possible;
• computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for initiating a first reachability test, for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible;
• computer readable means, responsive to said computer readable means for determining if unreliable multicast communications are not possible, for initiating a second reachability test from said first host to said at least one second host to determine whether or not unreliable unicast communications are possible;
• computer readable means for selecting unreliable unicast communications as a communications type for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host, if unreliable unicast communications are possible;
• and
• computer readable means for communicating between the first host and the at least one second host utilizing the selected communications type.