System and method for identifying and locating services on multiple heterogeneous networks using a query by type

A computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions that cause a computer to perform the steps of:

• receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service;
• selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed;
• and
• forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager's network access components configured to search for providers of said type of network service by querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks.

A method of locating network services, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request for a type of service;
• searching a plurality of reserved fields in DNS records for said type of service;
• and
• creating at least one identifier that identifies a provider of said type of service based on a DNS record having a reserved field that matches said type of service.

A computer system comprising:

• processor;
• memory having instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to perform the steps of:
• receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service,
• selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed, and
• forwarding said request to a service manager including at least one network access component configured to query the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks for providers of said type of network service.

A computer system comprising:

• means for receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service;
• means for selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed;
• means for issuing queries over the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks seeking providers of said type of network service;
• means for receiving data from providers of said type of network service responsive to said queries;
• and
• means for responding to said request by communicating said data to said application program.

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving a request from an application program for a type of network service;
• selecting which of multiple heterogeneous networks will be accessed;
• forwarding said request to at least one of a service manager program's network access components;
• querying the selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks for said type of network service by causing the records of service directories on said selected one of said multiple heterogeneous networks to be searched;
• receiving data related to said query from providers of said type of network service;
• processing said data;
• and
• forwarding said data to said application program.