System and method for secure transactions over a network

1. A method of providing reliable transactions over a communication network comprising the steps of:

determining a need in a node in a transaction network to update a transmission path capacity indicator between the node and a designation node in the transaction network;

formulating an application layer transaction request message in the node as a probe packet for the purposes of updating the transmission path capacity indicator;

selecting one of a plurality of output ports on the node for transmitting the probe packet to the destination node;

transmitting the probe packet to an adjacent node;

receiving an application layer transaction response message from the adjacent node correlated with the probe packet using a message identifier number;

determining a time duration in the node based on a first time associated with the transmission of the probe packet and a second time associated with the receipt of the application layer transaction response message; and

updating the transmission path capacity indicator based on the time duration.

2. A method for providing reliable transactions over a communication network comprising the step of:

receiving a node in a transaction network an application layer transaction response message serving as a probe response from an adjacent node;

determining an associated probe request is enqued in a memory of the node;

determining that the node receiving the probe response generated the associated probe request;

updating a transmission path capacity indicator based in part on the probe response; and

de-enquing the probe request in the memory of the node.

3. A method for providing secure transactions over a network node comprising the steps of:

receiving an encrypted data packet comprising an application layer message at an input port on a first network node from a second network node, the encrypted data packet comprising a checksum, message identifier, and data;

determining that a message-received timer has not expired;

validating the encrypted data packet by processing the checksum and the data;

determining the message identifier is a currently active message identifier;

retrieving a first current encryption key from memory;

using the current first encryption key and the data packet to derive a first new encryption key;

decrypting the data using the first new encryption key to produce a second data;

replacing the first current encryption key with the first new encryption key;

selecting an output port based on a criteria;

formulating a second encrypted data packet using the second data and the first new encryption key;

transmitting the second encrypted data packet on the output port; and

sending a positive acknowledgement message to the second network node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the time duration is determined by calculating a time duration based on a first timestamp indicator stored in a memory of the node associated with the probe packet and a second timestamp indicator stored in the memory associated with the application layer transaction response message.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving an application layer transaction request at the node;

selecting an output port based on a transmission path capacity indicator; and

transmitting the application layer transaction request on the output port.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a need in a node in a transaction network to update the transmission path capacity indicator is based on the expiry of a timer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the application layer transaction request message is an electronic transaction request message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting of an output port based on a criteria comprises:

maintaining a plurality of path capacity indicators wherein each path capacity indicator is associated with an output port;

receiving a second application layer transaction message at an input port;

selecting the output port based in part on its associated path capacity indicator; and

transmitting the second application layer transaction on the output port.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the output port identifiers is associated with a destination node.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein the positive acknowledgement message includes the message identifier.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

deriving a second new encryption key from a second current encryption key;

replacing the second current encryption key with the second new encryption key;

encrypting the payload data using the second new encryption key; and

appending a second checksum and a second message identifier to the payload data to form the second message.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein the current key is selected from one from a set of restart keys.

13. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:

determining the timer associated with the output port has expired.

14. A method for providing secure transactions at a node in a communications network comprising:

receiving an application layer message from a second network node on an input port on the network node wherein the message comprises a message identifier, payload and checksum;

determining the integrity of the message by processing the checksum;

determining a current decryption key is defined;

deriving a new decryption key using the current decryption key;

attempting to decrypt the message;

determining the message has not been successfully decryption;

selecting one from a plurality of re-start keys as the new decryption key;

attempting to decrypt the message;

determining the message has not been successfully decrypted;

using one of the plurality of re-start keys to encrypt a negative response message; and

sending the negative response message to the second network node.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the negative response message includes the message identifier.

16. A method for providing reliable transactions over a communications network comprising the steps of:

receiving an application layer transaction request message functioning as a probe request message in a node of a transaction network;

determining that a corresponding application layer transaction response message functioning as a probe response message is enqued in a memory of the node;

determining that the node did not generate the corresponding probe request message;

de-enquing the probe request message from the memory of the node;

transmitting the probe response message to a second node from which the node receiving the probe request; and

enquing the probe response message in the memory of the node.