Scoped referral statements

• US 20030074357A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kaler, Christopher G., Levin, David E., Lucco, Steven E., Christensen, Erik B., Nielsen, Henrik F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and data structures for communicating object metadata are provided. A generic metadata container is presented that allows object metadata to be described in an extensible manner using protocol-neutral and platform-independent methodologies. A metadata scope refers to a dynamic universe of targets to which the included metadata statements correspond. Metadata properties provide a mechanism to describe the metadata itself, and metadata security can be used to ensure authentic metadata is sent and received. Mechanisms are also provided to allow refinement and replacement of metadata statements. The metadata container may be used to convey referral data to update routing tables in network nodes, and may also be used register referral statements and query a node for referral information.

Claims

1. A data structure for describing referral data, stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:

a first data field containing at least one referral statement; and

a second data field containing a referral scope that defines a range of messages subject to the routing information provided in the at least one referral statement.

2. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field containing at least one property corresponding to the at least one referral statement.

3. The data structure of claim 2, wherein the third data field comprises a message ID.

4. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field containing security data corresponding to the at least one referral statement.

5. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope encompasses a plurality of objects.

6. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope comprises a destination prefix.

7. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope comprises an exact destination.

8. The data structure of claim 7, wherein the referral scope encompasses a web service.

9. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope encompasses a network service.

10. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope encompasses a human user.

11. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope encompasses an automated user.

12. The data structure of claim 11, wherein the referral scope encompasses an application program.

13. The data structure of claim 10, wherein the referral scope comprises biometric information corresponding to the user.

14. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope encompasses messages having predetermined content.

15. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the referral scope comprises a uniform resource identifier (URI).

16. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field functioning to indicate that the data structure relates to a separately communicated referral statement.

17. The data structure of claim 16, wherein the third data field indicates that the data structure invalidates the separately communication referral statement.

18. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field containing a condition which must be met in order for the at least one referral statement to be applied.

19. The data structure of claim 18, wherein the condition comprises a maximum time to live (TTL) value.

20. The data structure of claim 1, wherein the data structure serves to delegate a portion of an address space of a web service.

21. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising a third data field functioning to request the at least one referral statement is registered by a recipient of the data structure.

22. The data structure of claim 1, expressed using simple object access protocol (SOAP).

23. A method for registering a referral statement at a network node, comprising:

(a) receiving a registration request message comprising a range of message destinations and a corresponding referral statement, wherein the referral statement functions to redirect messages originally intended for a first destination encompassed by the range of destinations to a second destination, and wherein the range is expressed as a uniform resource identifier (URI); and

(b) updating a router table based on the received referral statement.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the registration request message comprises simple object access protocol (SOAP) expressed information generated at an application layer.