Module for building a query on a database 3, comprising a client-side module part 1 and a server-side module part 4, creating an abstract query object 8 given user-defined query criteria, whereby the user-defined query criteria comprises alias names for elements of data tables 11 contained in the database, sending 5a the abstract query object 8 to a parse and validate entity 4a, the server-side module part comprises means for extracting mapping information between the alias names and real names of the elements of the data tables 11 from a private configuration table 10, the said private configuration table 10 storing the mapping information according to a valid internal structure of the database at the time of extraction, creating a query on the database 3 by extracting a query configuration from the abstract query object and resolving the alias names contained in the said query configuration by searching the mapping information of the private configuration table, performing the query on the data tables 11, adapting the query results to changes made in said internal structure of the database, extracting 5c a list of available alias names from the mapping information, forwarding the list of the available alias names to the client-side module part, forwarding 5b query results to the client-side module part 1.

The present invention provides a method and system for assuring H.323 alias address portability to an H.323 user in real-time H.323 multimedia communications where the H.323 user is registered with a home gatekeeper for the home zone of the H.323 user. Alias address portability may be obtained using a central database that is known to the administrative zones and is used for alias address mapping, or alternatively, may be obtained by using a distributed database. The method may be implemented by: sending, by the H.323 user, a message with a called H.323 entity's alias address, to the home gatekeeper to originate a call to the called H.323 entity; confirming that the alias address, services, and service providers are portable; converting the alias address to a called routable alias address for the called H.323 entity and sending the alias address to the H.323 user; and placing the call to the called H.323 entity.

The present invention provides a method and system for assuring H.323 alias address portability to an H.323 user in real-time H.323 multimedia communications where the H.323 user is registered with a home gatekeeper for the home zone of the H.323 user. Alias address portability may be obtained using a central database that is known to the administrative zones and is used for alias address mapping, or alternatively, may be obtained by using a distributed database. The method may be implemented by: sending, by the H.323 user, a message with a called H.323 entity's alias address, to the home gatekeeper to originate a call to the called H.323 entity; confirming that the alias address, services, and service providers are portable; converting the alias address to a called routable alias address for the called H.323 entity and sending the alias address to the H.323 user; and placing the call to the called H.323 entity.

The invention provides a polling process software module operating on a host computer which polls a network interface by examining a virtual or "alias" register (602) that mirrors the network interface's status register (502). Such an alias register serves as an alternative path (e.g. address) by which to read the status register. Therefore, when an indicator (504-508) changes state to indicate a specific event or condition in the network interface, the corresponding indicator (604-608) in the alias register also changes. When the network interface is polled, if an indicator in the alias register is set to a state indicating the transfer of a packet, the polling module processes the waiting packet(s). Because the polling module reads the alias register instead of the status register, the alias register is cleared each time the polling module reads the network interface. When the alias register is cleared, one or more indicators in the status register may also be cleared, as determined by a programmable mask (610). The value in each mask entry determines whether an associated status register indicator is cleared when a corresponding alias register indicator is cleared.