A method and system for providing enhanced services for a network. The enhanced
services use information about the network which is available to a subnet of communicating
processors (such as a set of routers), collectively executing a common distributed
technique for disseminating that network information. The router subnet collects
network topology information and provides a service using that network topology
information, responsive to requests from non-routers coupled to the network (such
as a set of host processors). The router subnet also collects information advertised
by hosts coupled to the network, and disseminates that host information to substantially
all routers, using the common distributed technique for disseminating network topology
information. The host information may comprise information about server processes
available at the originating host (such as what services are available and to which
users those services are available), or may comprise information about client processes
operating at the originating host (such as which users are operating those client
processes and which services they desire).
