Bi-directional process-to-process byte stream protocol

• US 20010056547A1
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Published: 12/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Placeware, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Dixon, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A client system stores messages and sends the messages to a server system. The messages are included in a request formatted according to a protocol that can traverse a firewall. Then the client system waits for a response from the server system. The response will also be formatted according to the protocol that can traverse the firewall. The response will include an indication of which messages the server system received from the client system in the last request. If a certain number of messages accumulate at the client system, or a certain amount of time passes before the response is received, the client system will send a second request. The server system also stores messages and sends the messages to the client system. The server system waits for a first request and a second request from the client system. If the first request has been received and a particular number of messages have accumulated at the server system, then the server system will send a response corresponding to the first request. If the second request is received, the server system will send the response corresponding to the first request even if no messages have accumulated. The response will include any accumulated messages. The next time the client system sends a request, the request will include an indication of which messages the client system received from the server system in the last response.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a first set of at least one message at a client system;

sending a first request to a server system, said first request including a copy of the first set of messages; and

waiting to receive a first response at the client system from the server system, said first response including a first indication of which messages of the first set of messages were received from the client system in the first request, wherein requests and responses are formatted according to a first protocol, said first protocol operative to traverse a firewall.

2. The method of

claim 1

further comprising:

storing from zero to N first additional messages at the client system;

sending a second request to the server system if a particular number of the first additional messages accumulate, said second request including a copy of the first additional messages stored at the client system;

sending the second request to the server system if a particular time passes before receiving the first response, said second request including a copy of the first set of messages and a copy of the first additional messages stored at the client system;

removing the first indicated messages from the client system if the first response is received; and

sending the second request to the server system if the first response is received, said second request including a copy of any messages stored at the client system.

3. The method of

claim 2

further comprising:

storing a second set of at least one message at the server system;

waiting to receive the first request and the second request from the client system;

sending the first response to the client system if the first request is received and if a particular number of the second set of messages accumulate at the server system, said first response further including a copy of the second set of messages; and

sending the first response to the client system if the second request is received, said first response further including a copy of the second set of messages, and said first response corresponding to the first request.

4. The method of

claim 3

further comprising:

sending a third request to the server system in response to receiving the first response, said third request including a second indication of which messages of the second set of messages were received from the server system.

5. The method of

claim 4

further comprising:

storing from zero to M second additional messages at the server system;

waiting to receive the third request from the client system;

removing the second indicated messages from the server system in response to receiving the third request; and

sending a second response to the client system in response to receiving the third request, said second response including a copy of any messages stored at the server system, and said second response corresponding to the second request.

6. The method of

claim 1

wherein the firewall prevents communications formatted according to a second protocol between the client system and the server system.

7. The method of

claim 6

wherein the first protocol is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the second protocol is a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

8. The method of

claim 6

wherein the storing, sending, and waiting are performed automatically in response to detection of the firewall.

9. A method comprising:

storing a first set of one or more messages at a server system;

waiting to receive a first request and a second request from a client system;

sending a first response to the client system if the first request is received and a particular number of messages accumulate at the server system, said first response including a copy of the first set of messages; and

sending the first response to the client system if the second request is received, said first response including a copy of the first set of messages, and said first response corresponding to the first request;

wherein requests and responses are formatted according to a protocol, said protocol operative to traverse a firewall.

10. The method of

claim 9

wherein the first request includes a copy of a second set of one or more messages stored at the client system, and the first response includes an indication of which messages of the second set of messages were received from the client system in the first request.

11. The method of

claim 9

further comprising:

storing additional messages at the server system;

waiting to receive a third request from the client system, said third request including an indication of which messages of the first set of messages were received by the client system;

removing the indicated messages from the server system in response to receiving the third request; and

sending a second response to the client system in response to receiving the third request, said second response including a copy of any messages stored at the server system, and said second response corresponding to the second request.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a client system to store messages, to send a request to a server system, said request including a copy of the messages, and to receive a response at the client system from the server system, said response including an indication of which messages of the included messages were received from the client system in the request, wherein the request and the response are formatted according a protocol, said protocol operative to traverse a firewall.

13. The apparatus of

claim 12

wherein the client system includes:

a buffer to store the messages; and

a client process to send the request and receive the response over a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) gateway.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a server system to store messages, to receive a first request and a second request from a client system, and to send a response corresponding to the first request to the client system in response to receiving the second request, said response including a copy of the first set of messages, wherein the first and second requests and the response are formatted according to a protocol, said protocol operative to traverse a firewall.

15. The apparatus of

claim 14

wherein the server system includes:

a buffer to store the messages; and

a server process to receive the first and second requests and to send the response over a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server.

16. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine executable instructions, the execution of said instructions implements a method comprising:

storing a set of at least one message at a client system;

sending a request to a server system, said request including a copy of the set of messages; and

waiting to receive a response at the client system from the server system, said response including an indication of which messages of the set of messages were received from the client system in the request, wherein the request and the response are formatted according to a protocol, said protocol operative to traverse a firewall.

17. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine executable instructions, the execution of said instructions implements a method comprising:

storing a set of one or more messages at a server system;

waiting to receive a first request and a second request from a client system;

sending a response to the client system if the first request is received and a particular number of messages accumulate at the server system, said response including a copy of the set of messages;

sending the response to the client system if the second request is received, said response including a copy of the set of messages, and said response corresponding to the first request;

wherein the first and second requests and the response are formatted according to a protocol, said protocol operative to traverse a firewall.