Proxy reply method and apparatus

A program embodied on a medium for causing a relay computer to communicate with a first computer and a second computer, said program comprising:

• receiving a packet from the first computer;
• specifying the second computer of a transfer destination from user identification information included in packet data;
• transmitting a first packet based on said packet data to the specified second computer of said transfer destination;
• and
• recording data concerning operating status of said second computer of said transfer destination based on whether or not a response is received from said second computer of said transfer destination:
• upon detecting that said response is not received from said second computer of said transfer destination within a predetermined period, performing each of:
• storing said packet data received from said first computer into a storage device of said relay computer, generating a response to make said first computer stop resending said packet, on behalf of said second computer,
• sending said response to said first computer to make said first computer stop resending said packet,
• reading out said packet data stored in said storage device at an arbitrary timing that is asynchronous with said storing, and specifying a second computer of a transfer destination from said user identification information included in the read packet data by using said user identification information included in the read packet data and said data concerning said operating status, and
• transmitting a second packet based on said read packet data to the specified second computer of said transfer destination;
• and
• upon detecting that said response is received from said second computer of said transfer destination within said predetermined period, discarding said response and said packet data that corresponds to said response and is stored in said storage device.

An apparatus for communicating with a first computer and a second computer, said apparatus comprising:

• a unit that specifies, if a packet is received from the first computer, the second computer of a transfer destination from user identification information included in packet data;
• a unit that transmits a first packet based on said packet data to the specified second computer of said transfer destination;
• a unit that records data concerning operating status of said second computer of said transfer destination based on whether or not a response is received from said second computer of said transfer destination;
• and
• a unit,
• upon detecting that said response is not received from said second computer of said transfer destination within a predetermined period, performs each of:
• storing said packet data received from said first computer into a storage device of said apparatus,
• generating a response to make said first computer stop resending said packet, on behalf of said second computer,
• sending said response to said first computer to make said first computer stop resending said packet, to said first computer;
• reading out said packet data stored in said storage device at an arbitrary timing that is asynchronous with said storing, and specifying a second computer of a transfer destination from said user identification information included in the read packet data by using said user identification information included in the read packet data and said data concerning said operating status, and
• transmitting a second packet based on said read packet data to the specified second computer of said transfer destination, and
• upon detecting that said response is received from said second computer of said transfer destination within said predetermined period, discarding said response and said packet data that corresponds to said response and is stored in said storage device.