Tag echo discovery protocol to detect reachability of clients

摘要

A method for detecting reachability of client computers communicatively coupled in a computer network to a server computer. A plurality of identifier tags are resident in the memory of the server. The server generates a data packet comprising an I.C.M.P. echo packet and selects a first identifier tag from among the plurality of identifier tags resident in memory, the first identifier tag being chosen to correspond to a first client computer. The server inserts the first identifier tag into the proper data segment of the echo packet and forwards the packet to the first client. After a predetermined time awaiting a responsive ping from the client, the server determines if the client is tag-compliant or non tag-compliant.