Network communications management system and method

A system for managing communications in a packet switching network, the system comprising:

• a workstation computer including:
• a processor configured to associate a connection protocol and an application name with connection information from an IP datagram, said connection information including an IP address of said workstation computer, a port number in said workstation computer, an IP address of a remote computer, and a port number in said remote computer, and
• a file storage configured to store communication session data, said communication session data indicating said connection protocol, said application name, and said connection information;
• and
• a first packet transmission device of a plurality of packet transmission devices, said packet transmission device having been determined to handle the communication session and configured to receive said communication session data from said workstation computer, wherein a local registration table is updated with an IP address for each of said plurality if packet transmission devices said first packet transmission device including:
• a file storage configured to store said communication session data and a policy statement, said policy statement including a user-selected classification of a transmission traffic-type,
• a processor configured to identify a plurality of TCP/IP packets and apply said policy statement to said plurality of TCP/IP packets for communication management of said plurality of TCP/IP packets;
• wherein said communication management includes determining an inclusion of registration code in communication session data, in response to a determination that there is registration code in the communication session data, associating a connection protocol and an application name with connection information from an IP datagram, said connection information including an IP address of a computer originating said IP datagram, a port number in said computer originating said IP datagram, an IP address of a remote computer, and a port number in said remote computer, and in response to the determination that the application name and the connection protocol are registered, discarding the registration code in the communications session data;
• wherein said communication management includes a connection client of said workstation computer that indicates a permissible delay to a connection server of said first packet transmission device, said connection server determining whether one or more transmission delays are necessary in response to perform at least one of alleviating traffic on said packet switching network, meeting user policies, and meeting enterprise policies, wherein said connection client initiates a packet to said packet transmission device to notify said connection server that said packet transmission device can connect to said connection server, said connection server providing an acknowledgement and routing information to said connection client, and
• wherein said connection server reads said communication session data to compare said policy statement to said enterprise policies;
• and
• propagating said communication session data on said packet switching network to identify network traffic related to said communication session:
• wherein said connection client initiates said plurality of TCP/IP packets to said plurality of packet transmission devices stored in said local registration table to notify said connection server associated with said plurality of packet transmission devices that the remote computer can receive said communication data.

A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program instructions for managing communications in a packet switching network, the storage medium including instructions for causing a machine to implement a method comprising:

• determining an inclusion of registration code in communication session data;
• in response to a determination that there is registration code in the communication session data, associating a connection protocol and an application name with connection information from an IP datagram, said connection information including an IP address of a computer originating said IP datagram, a port number in said computer originating said IP datagram, an IP address of a remote computer, and a port number in said remote computer;
• in response to the determination that the application name and the connection protocol are registered, discarding the registration code in the communications session data;
• storing the communication session data in a file storage of said computer originating said IP datagram, said communication session data indicating said connection protocol, said application name, and said connection information;
• storing said communication session data in a file storage of a packet transmission device of a plurality of packet transmission devices, said packet transmission device having been determined to handle the communication session;
• updating a local registration table with an IP address for each of said plurality if packet transmission devices;
• storing a policy statement in said file storage of said packet transmission device, said policy statement including a user-selected classification of a transmission traftic-type;
• applying said policy statement to a plurality of TCP/IP packets for communication management of said plurality of TCP/IP packets;
• wherein said communication management includes a connection client of said computer originating said IP datagram that indicates a permissible delay to a connection server of said packet transmission device, said connection server determining whether one or more transmission delays are necessary in response to perform at least one of alleviating traffic on said packet switching network, meeting user policies, and meeting enterprise policies, wherein said connection client initiates a packet to said packet transmission device to notify said connection server that said packet transmission device can connect to said connection server, said connection server providing an acknowledgement and routing information to said connection client, and
• wherein said connection server reads said communication session data to compare said policy statement to said enterprise policies;
• and
• propagating said communication session data on said packet switching network to identify network traffic related to said communication sessions
• wherein said connection client initiates said plurality of TCP/IP packets to said plurality of packet transmission devices stored in said local registration table to notify said connection server associated with said plurality of packet transmission devices that the remote computer can receive said communication data.