Virtual port multiplexing

Abstract

To achieve the foregoing, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a method and apparatus is disclosed which provides communication between at least two applications. The communication is achieved by accepting a connection from a second application on a first port and allocating a second port to receive the communication from the second application. Once the second port has been allocated the second port translation is recorded. The communication is sent to the first port from the second application and received on the second port. The communication is then delivered to a first application from the second port. In one embodiment the first application requests the communication from the first port and the first port is translated to determine the second port such that the communication is delivered to the first application in the step of delivering the communication to the first application.

1 - 32 . (canceled)  
   
   
       33 . A method comprising: 
 executing a first application on a first computer system;    executing a second application on a second computer system;    the first application generating a first communication to the second application using a first port;    transmitting the first communication from the first application to the second application, the transmitting comprising translating the first port to a second port and translating the second port back to the first port; and    the second application receiving the first communication using the first port.    
   
   
       34 . The method as recited in  claim 33  further comprising: 
 the second application generating a second communication to the first application using the first port;    transmitting the second communication from the second application to the first application, the transmitting comprising translating the first port to the second port and translating the second port back to the first port; and    the first application receiving the second communication using the first port.    
   
   
       35 . The method as recited in  claim 33  further comprising: 
 executing a third application on the first computer system;    executing a fourth application on a third computer system;    the third application generating a third communication to the fourth application using the first port;    transmitting the third communication from the third application to the fourth application, the transmitting comprising translating the first port to a third port and translating the third port back to the first port; and    the fourth application receiving the third communication using the first port.    
   
   
       36 . The method as recited in  claim 35  further comprising: 
 the fourth application generating a fourth communication to the third application using the first port;    transmitting the fourth communication from the fourth application to the third application, the transmitting comprising translating the first port to the third port and translating the third port back to the first port; and    the third application receiving the fourth communication using the first port.    
   
   
       37 . The method as recited in  claim 33  wherein the translating the first port to the second port and the translating the second port back to the first port are both performed on the first computer system.  
   
   
       38 . The method as recited in  claim 33  wherein the translating the first port to the second port is performed on the first computer system and wherein the translating the second port back to the first port is performed on the second computer system.  
   
   
       39 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a first computer system configured to execute a first application;    a second computer system coupled to communicate with the first computer system, wherein the second computer system is configured to execute a second application;    wherein the first application is configured to generate a first communication to the second application using a first port;    wherein the first computer system and the second computer system are configured to transmit the first communication from the first application to the second application, wherein transmitting the first communication comprises translating the first port to a second port and translating the second port back to the first port; and    wherein the second application is configured to receive the first communication using the first port.    
   
   
       40 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 39  wherein: 
 the second application is configured to generate a second communication to the first application using the first port;    the first computer system and the second computer system are configured to transmit the second communication from the second application to the first application, wherein transmitting the second communication comprises translating the first port to the second port and translating the second port back to the first port; and    the first application is configured to receive the second communication using the first port.    
   
   
       41 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 39  further comprising: 
 a third computer system coupled to communicate with the first computer system, wherein the first computer system is configured to execute a third application, and wherein the third computer system is configured to execute a fourth application;    wherein the third application is configured to generate a third communication to the fourth application using the first port;    wherein the first computer system and the third computer system are configured to transmit the third communication from the third application to the fourth application, wherein transmitting the third communication comprises translating the first port to a third port and translating the third port back to the first port; and    wherein the fourth application is configured to receive the third communication using the first port.    
   
   
       42 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 41  wherein: 
 the fourth application is configured to generate a fourth communication to the third application using the first port;    the first computer system and the third computer system are configured to transmit the fourth communication from the fourth application to the third application, wherein transmitting the fourth communication comprises translating the first port to the third port and translating the third port back to the first port; and    the third application is configured to receive the fourth communication using the first port.    
   
   
       43 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 39  wherein the first computer system is configured to translate the first port to the second port and to translate the second port back to the first port are both performed on the first computer system.  
   
   
       44 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 39  wherein the first computer system is configured to translate the first port to the second port and wherein the second computer system is configured to translate the second port back to the first port.  
   
   
       45 . A computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed: 
 translate a first port in a first communication to a second port, wherein the first port is used by a first application executing on a first computer system in generating the first communication, and wherein the first communication is being transmitted to a second application executing on a second computer system; and    translate the second port back to the first port in the first communication, whereby the second application receives the first communication on the first port.    
   
   
       46 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 45  wherein the instructions, when executed: 
 translate a first port in a second communication to a second port, wherein the first port is used by the second application in generating the second communication, and wherein the second communication is being transmitted to the first application; and    translate the second port back to the first port in the second communication, whereby the first application receives the second communication on the first port.    
   
   
       47 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 45  wherein the instructions, when executed: 
 translate a first port in a third communication to a third port, wherein the first port is used by a third application executing on the first computer system in generating the third communication, and wherein the third communication is being transmitted to a fourth application executing on a third computer system; and    translate the third port back to the first port in the third communication, whereby the fourth application receives the third communication on the first port.    
   
   
       48 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 47  wherein the instructions, when executed: 
 translate a first port in a fourth communication to a second port, wherein the first port is used by the fourth application in generating the fourth communication, and wherein the fourth communication is being transmitted to the third application; and    translate the third port back to the first port in the fourth communication, whereby the third application receives the fourth communication on the first port.    
   
   
       49 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 45  wherein the instructions which translate the first port to the second port and the instructions which translate the second port back to the first port are both executed on the first computer system.  
   
   
       50 . The computer readable medium as recited in  claim 45  wherein the instructions which translate the first port to the second port are executed on the first computer system, and wherein the instructions which translate the second port back to the first port are executed on the second computer system.