Method and apparatus for providing mobile and other intermittent connectivity in a computing environment
First Claim
1. A mobile computing environment comprising:
- at least one mobile computing device including;
a transport driver interface, and a mobile interceptor coupled to said transport driver interface, said mobile interceptor intercepting requests for network services at said transport driver interface, generating Remote Procedure Calls responsive to said requests for network services, and forwarding said Remote Procedure Calls to at least one proxy server;
said proxy server including at least one work dispatcher that receives and handles said Remote Procedure Calls forwarded by said mobile interceptor, said proxy server including a proxy queue that proxies a virtual session on behalf of said mobile computing device when the mobile computing device becomes temporarily disconnected from said mobile computing environment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seamless solution transparently addresses the characteristics of nomadic systems, and enables existing network applications to run reliably in mobile environments. The solution extends the enterprise network, letting network managers provide mobile users with easy access to the same applications as stationary users without sacrificing reliability or centralized management. The solution combines advantages of existing wire-line network standards with emerging mobile standards to create a solution that works with existing network applications. A Mobility Management Server coupled to the mobile network maintains the state of each of any number of Mobile End Systems and handles the complex session management required to maintain persistent connections to the network and to other peer processes. If a Mobile End System becomes unreachable, suspends, or changes network address (e.g., due to roaming from one network interconnect to another), the Mobility Management Server maintains the connection to the associated peer task—allowing the Mobile End System to maintain a continuous connection even though it may temporarily lose contact with its network medium. In one example, Mobility Management Server communicates with Mobile End Systems using Remote Procedure Call and Internet Mobility Protocols.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A mobile computing environment comprising:
at least one mobile computing device including;
a transport driver interface, and a mobile interceptor coupled to said transport driver interface, said mobile interceptor intercepting requests for network services at said transport driver interface, generating Remote Procedure Calls responsive to said requests for network services, and forwarding said Remote Procedure Calls to at least one proxy server;
said proxy server including at least one work dispatcher that receives and handles said Remote Procedure Calls forwarded by said mobile interceptor, said proxy server including a proxy queue that proxies a virtual session on behalf of said mobile computing device when the mobile computing device becomes temporarily disconnected from said mobile computing environment.
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2. In a network of the type wherein devices acquire network addresses by transmitting discover messages and receiving responsive offer messages offering network addresses for use, among other parameters, said network including plural sub-networks wherein devices can move from one sub-network to another, a method of detecting when a device has moved between network point of attachments comprising:
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listening for said discover messages and/or said responsive offer messages; and
determining whether devices have changed their network point of attachment based at least in part on said listening. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a mobile end device of the type that communicates with a network having plural sub-networks associated therewith, a method of detecting movement between said sub-networks comprising:
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(a) transmitting a discover message seeking a network identifier;
(b) listening for offer messages responsive to discovery message; and
(c) detecting movement based on the occurrence of said steps (a) and/or (b). - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. In a computer network providing communication between plural devices, said network providing resources to said plural devices, a method of managing said resource consumption including:
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enforcing globally, per-device, per-device group, per-user group, and/or peruser policy management for managing consumption of said resources by said devices; and
distributing the task of managing of said resource consumption between said devices, and a plurality of proxy server(s) for proxying communications between peers and said devices. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In a network comprising plural sub-networks wherein devices can move between said sub-networks and receive different point of presence address assignments, an address management method that is essentially transparent to applications and peer computing systems and does not adversely affect and/or require modification to at least one of a plurality of network application communications session said method comprising:
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associating a virtual address with a device that, in use, uses a point of presence address;
mapping said associated virtual address with the point of presence address currently used by said device;
allowing communications sessions to continue, terminate, and/or be established at the said virtual address independently of the point of presence address the device is currently using even during periods when said device is unreachable; and
allowing the maintenance of a secure communications session as the said device migrates to different network points of attachment. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A network of the type wherein devices acquire network addresses by transmitting discover messages and receiving responsive offer messages offering network addresses for use, among other parameters, said network including plural sub-networks wherein devices can move from one sub-network to another, a system of detecting when a device has moved between network point of attachments comprising:
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a listener that listens for said discover messages and/or said responsive offer messages; and
a processor coupled to the listener, the processor determining whether devices have changed their network point of attachment based at least in part on said listening step. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. In a mobile end device of the type that communicates with a network having plural sub-networks associated therewith, a system of detecting movement between said sub-networks comprising:
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a transmitter that transmits a discover message seeking a network identifier;
a listener that listens for offer messages responsive to discovery message; and
a processor coupled to said transmitter and said listener that detects movement in said mobile end device. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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42. In a computer network providing communication between plural devices, said network providing resources to said plural devices, a system of managing said resource consumption including:
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means for globally, per-device, per-device group, per-user group, and/or per-user policy management for managing consumption of said resources by said devices; and
means for distributing the task of managing of said resource consumption between said devices, and a plurality of proxy server(s) for proxying communications between peers and said devices. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A network comprising plural sub-networks wherein devices can move between said sub-networks and receive different point of presence address assignments, an address management system that is transparent to applications and peer computing systems without adversely affecting and/or requiring modification to at least one of a plurality of network application communications sessions said system comprising:
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a mapper that associates a virtual address with a device and maps said associated virtual address with the point of presence address currently used by said device; and
a proxy server that allows communications sessions to continue, terminate, and/or be established at the said virtual address independently of the point of presence address the device is currently using even during periods when said device is unreachable, allows the maintenance of a secure communications session as the said device migrates to different network points of attachment. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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Specification