Zero-configuration networking automatically creates a usable computer network between networked devices (e.g., computers, printers, peripherals, etc.) based on the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Zero-configuration networking includes service discovery, address assignment and hostname resolution. The networked devices can be automatically connected using multicast Domain Name Systems.
However, there are several configurations where zero-configuration networking cannot operate. For example, discovery of networked devices is bound to a simple VLAN, Multicast DNS frames cannot cross single subnet, can only operate over a single gateway solution, limited in scale and performance in large scale networked environments and further there is no heterogeneous solution for communication between different protocols (e.g., wireless, wired, etc).
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds