Directory server for providing dynamically assigned network protocol addresses

A computer program product for use with a computer server operatively coupled to one or more client processes over a computer network, the server capable of responding to requests from the client processes, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having program code embodied therein comprising:

• program code for receiving notification from a client process that the client process is active;
• program code for determining that the client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received within a predetermined time interval;
• program code for monitoring a number of requests from a plurality of client processes operatively coupled to the server;
• and
• program code for modifying the predetermined time interval, if the number of requests from the plurality of client processes at least equals a predetermined threshold.

A computer program product for use with a computer system operatively coupled to a server process over a computer network, the computer system capable of executing one or more client processes, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having program code embodied therein comprising:

• program code for connecting to the server process over the computer network;
• program code for receiving from the server process data defining a predetermined time interval within which to notifying the server process that a client process is active;
• program code for notifying the server process within the predetermined time interval that a client process is active;
• and
• program code for subsequently notifying the server process at predetermined time intervals that the client process is still active;
• and program code for receiving a modified predetermined time interval from the server process.

A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

• program code for receiving notification from a client process that the client process is active;
• program code for determining that the client process is inactive if a subsequent notification is not received within a predetermined time interval;
• program code for monitoring a number of requests from a plurality of client processes operatively coupled to the server;
• and
• program code for modifying the predetermined time interval, if the number of requests from the plurality of client processes at least equals a predetermined threshold.