Installation of network services in an embedded network server

• US 20030191824A1
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nijdam, Marc, Rao, Raghav, Pisupati, Ravikumar
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for maintaining an embedded network server. In one embodiment, one method includes the steps of providing a dynamic service loader in the embedded network server, receiving a service request to install a dynamic service in the embedded network server, and installing the dynamic service in the embedded network server with the dynamic service loader. The dynamic service may be installed in the embedded network server dynamically, thereby allowing other aspects of the embedded network server to operate without disruption.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining an embedded network server, comprising:

providing a dynamic service loader in the embedded network server;

receiving a service request to install a dynamic service in the embedded network server; and

installing the dynamic service in the embedded network server with the dynamic service loader.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the service request to install the dynamic service in the embedded network server further comprises receiving a network address associated with the dynamic service in the request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the installing of the dynamic service in the embedded network server with the dynamic service loader further comprises downloading the dynamic service from a network location indicated by the network address.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a dynamic engine loader in the embedded network server;

receiving an engine request to install a dynamic engine in the embedded network server; and

installing the dynamic engine in the embedded network server with the dynamic engine loader, wherein the dynamic engine provides an interface between the dynamic service and a server core of the embedded network server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiving of the engine request to install the dynamic engine in the embedded network server further comprises receiving a network address associated with the dynamic engine in the engine request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the installing of the dynamic engine in the embedded network server with the dynamic service loader further comprises downloading the dynamic engine from a network location indicated by the network address.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising hooking the dynamic engine with the server core, whereby the server core can query the service engine with at least one dynamic service request.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising hooking the dynamic service with the dynamic service engine, whereby the dynamic service engine can query the service engine with at least one dynamic service request.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising controlling an operation of the dynamic service engine in response to a control request received by the embedded network server.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the controlling of the operation of the dynamic service engine in response to the control request received by the embedded network server further comprises halting an operation of the dynamic service engine.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the controlling of the operation of the dynamic service engine in response to the control request received by the embedded network server further comprises initiating an operation of the dynamic service engine.

12. A program embodied in a computer readable medium for network server maintenance, comprising:

a dynamic service loader; and

code that initiates the dynamic service loader to install a dynamic service in the embedded network server in response to a service request to install the dynamic service in the embedded network server.

13. The program embodied in a computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the code that initiates the dynamic service loader to install the dynamic service in the embedded network server further comprises code that applies a network address obtained from the service request to the dynamic service loader, the network address being associated with the dynamic service.

14. The program embodied in a computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the dynamic service loader further comprises code that downloads the dynamic service from a network location indicated by the network address.

15. The program embodied in a computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

a dynamic engine loader; and

code that initiates the dynamic engine loader to install a dynamic engine in the embedded network server in response to an engine request to install the dynamic engine in the embedded network server, wherein the dynamic engine provides an interface between the dynamic service and a server core of the embedded network server.

16. The program embodied in a computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the code that initiates the dynamic engine loader to install the dynamic engine in the embedded network server further comprises code that applies a network address obtained from the engine request to the dynamic engine loader, the network address being associated with the dynamic engine.

17. The program embodied in a computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the dynamic engine loader further comprises code that downloads the dynamic engine from a network location indicated by the network address.

18. The program embodied in a computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the dynamic engine loader further comprises code that hooks the dynamic engine with the server core, whereby the server core can query the service engine with at least one dynamic service request.

19. A network server system, comprising:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory; and

an embedded network server stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the embedded network server comprising;

a network core including a dynamic engine loader;

a dynamic service loader;

logic that initiates the dynamic service loader to install a dynamic service in the embedded network server in response to a service request to install the dynamic service in the embedded network server; and

logic that initiates the dynamic engine loader to install a dynamic engine in the embedded network server in response to an engine request to install the dynamic engine in the embedded network server, wherein the dynamic engine provides an interface between the dynamic service and a server core of the embedded network server.

20. The network server system of claim 19, wherein the logic that initiates the dynamic service loader to install the dynamic service in the embedded network server further comprises logic that applies a network address obtained from the service request to the dynamic service loader, the network address being associated with the dynamic service.

21. The network server system of claim 20, wherein the dynamic service loader further comprises logic that downloads the dynamic service from a network location indicated by the network address.

22. A network server system, comprising:

an embedded network server having a server core;

means in the embedded network server for downloading and installing a dynamic engine in the embedded network server in response to an engine request; and

means in the embedded network server for downloading and installing a dynamic service in the embedded network server in response to a service request.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for downloading and installing the dynamic engine in the embedded network server in response to the engine request further comprises means for downloading the dynamic engine from a network address obtained from the engine request.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein means in the embedded network server for downloading and installing the dynamic service in the embedded network server in response to the service request further comprises means for downloading the dynamic service from a network address obtained from the service request.