Peer-to-peer networking framework application programming interfaces

• US 20040148611A1
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Manion, Todd R., Donner, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1042 using topology management mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A managed class peer networking framework and associated object-oriented application programming interfaces are presented. An application uses the framework API to communicate with the various peer networking subsystem interfaces. These subsystems utilize lower level Win32 interfaces and services to provide access to the group database, security, and data transfer to other machines. Managed classes are provided for the peer name, identity, cloud, invitation, group, policy, data store, peer and record collections, peer, and record classes. Peer name resolution objects and record search objects are also provided. The peer networking framework of the present invention is particularly applicable to Microsoft'"'"'s NET Framework.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer networking infrastructure, comprising:

a first layer in which exists at least one application;

a second, logically lower layer in which exists a peer networking framework application programming interface (API);

a third layer logically below the second layer in which exist at least one managed class interface;

a fourth layer logically below the third layer in which exist Win32 interfaces and exposed services; and

a fifth layer logically below the fourth layer in which exist a group database.

2. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the application uses the peer networking framework API to communicate with at least one managed class interface to perform certain functions, the managed class interface utilizing the Win32 interfaces and services to execute the functions desired by the application.

3. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the third layer includes an identity managed class interface, discovery managed class interfaces, and group managed class interfaces.

4. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 3, wherein the identity managed class interface provides methods to create, import, export, delete, and enumerate identities, and to create a peer name.

5. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 3, wherein the discovery managed class interfaces provides methods to enumerate peer clouds, resolve peer names registered within a cloud, enumerate peer groups, enumerate peers within a group, enumerate records within a group, and search for group records.

6. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 5, wherein the discovery managed class interfaces further provides notifications through the peer networking framework API to the application of changes in a cloud, changes in a group state, changes in a peer, and changes in a group record.

7. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 3, wherein the group managed class interface provides methods to initialize a group, connect to a group, disconnect from a group, delete membership in a group, create an invitation to allow another to join a group.

8. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 7, wherein the group managed class interface controls a state of the group, the state of the group selected from one of an uninitialized state, a creating state, a disconnected state, a connected state, a connecting state, and an invalid state.

9. The peer-to-peer networking infrastructure of claim 7, wherein the group managed class interface further provides a data store managed class that provides functionality to add records to the group database, update records, and delete records.

10. A method of managing by an application a peer-to-peer identity in a managed framework, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating with a managed peer-to-peer networking identity interface object, the managed peer-to-peer networking identity interface object exposing methods for creating, importing, deleting, and enumerating managed peer identities through a managed identity class object;

selecting one of the methods;

passing to the managed peer-to-peer networking identity interface object parameters required by the method selected; and

initiating the method.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method selected in the step of selecting provides an identity collection object exposing an item method, the method further comprising the steps of selecting the item method, passing to the identity collection object a parameter identifying a particular identity, initiating the item method, and receiving the identity class object identified by the parameter.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method selected in the step of selecting provides an identity class object exposing an export method, the method further comprising the steps of selecting the export method to export the identity class object, passing the identity class object export parameters, and initiating the export method.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method selected in the step of selecting provides an identity class object exposing a create peer name method, the method further comprising the steps of selecting the create peer name method to create a new peer name class object, passing the identity class object new peer name parameters, and initiating the create peer name method to create a new peer name to associate with the identity class object.

15. A method of enumerating by an application peer-to-peer clouds in a managed framework, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating with a managed peer-to-peer networking cloud interface object, the managed peer-to-peer networking cloud interface object exposing a method for enumerating managed peer cloud class objects;

passing to the managed peer-to-peer networking cloud interface object parameters required by the method; and

initiating the method, the method providing a managed cloud collection class object, the cloud collection class object exposing an item method to select a particular cloud.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of initiating a cloud watcher object to notify the application upon a change in the cloud.

17. A method of managing by an application discoverability of a peer name in a managed framework, the method comprising the steps of:

passing peer name parameters to a peer name registrar managed object; and

initiating a register method exposed by the peer name registrar managed object, the peer name registrar managed object creating a discoverable peer name managed class object in response thereto.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of passing peer name parameters to the peer name registrar managed object to identify a discoverable peer name, and initiating an unregister method exposed by the peer name registrar managed object, the peer name registrar managed object deleting the discoverable peer name class object identified by the peer name parameters.

19. A method of resolving by an application a peer name in a managed framework, the method comprising the steps of:

passing peer name parameters to a peer name resolver managed object; and

initiating a start resolution method exposed by the peer name resolver managed object, the peer name resolver managed object returning a discoverable peer name managed class object in response thereto.

20. A method of discovering by an application peer groups in a managed framework, the method comprising the steps of:

passing identity information for which a group enumeration is desired to a group managed object;

initiating a get groups method exposed by the group managed object; and

receiving a group collection managed class object.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of passing a parameter to the group collection managed class object to select a particular group associated with the identity information, initiating an item method exposed by the group collection managed class object, and receiving a group managed class object.

22. A method of retrieving by an application a peer group in a managed framework, the method comprising the steps of:

passing group identity information to a group managed object to identify a group managed class object;

initiating a get group method exposed by the group managed object; and

receiving the group managed class object.

23. A method of managing by an application a group managed class object, comprising the steps of:

retrieving the group managed class object;

selecting one of an initialize method, a connect method, a disconnect method, a delete membership method, a create invitation method, a get peer collection method, and a get peer method exposed by the group managed class object;

providing parameter information required by the selected method; and

initiating the selected method.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of selecting comprises the step of selecting the get peer collection method, further comprising the steps of receiving a peer collection managed object, selecting an item method exposed by the peer collection managed object, and receiving a peer managed class object.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of initiating a revoke membership method exposed by the peer managed class object.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of retrieving a group policy managed object, setting at least one policy parameter, and initiating an update method exposed by the policy managed object.

27. A method of managing by an application group records in a group database, comprising the steps of:

retrieving a store managed class object;

selecting one of a get records method, a get record method, an add record method, an update record method, a delete record method, and a purge method;

providing information required by the selected method; and

initiating the selected method.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising the steps of retrieving a record watch list managed object, selecting one of an item method, an add record to the watch list method, and a remove record from the watch list method, providing information required by the selected method, and initiating the selected method.

29. A method of searching by an application for a record in a managed peer framework, comprising the steps of:

retrieving a search managed class object;

selecting one of a start method, a cancel method, and an add attribute to a search method; and

receiving at least one indication of a record found and of the search complete.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of providing at least one attribute to limit the search.

31. A peer name managed class, comprising an authority property field, a classifier property field, and wherein the peer name managed class exposes a ToSting static method.

32. An identity managed class, comprising a peer name property field, a friendly name property field, and a key property field, and wherein the identity managed class exposes an export method and a create peer name method.

33. A cloud managed class, comprising a scope property field, a scope ID property field, a state property field, and an address family property field.

34. An invitation managed class, comprising a group name property field, a group peer name property field, a creator name property field, a creator peer name property field, an expiration time property field, and a scope property field.

35. A group managed class, comprising an ID property field, a name property field, a policy property field, a state property field, and a store property field, and wherein the group managed class exposes an initialize method, a connect method, a disconnect method, a delete membership method, a create invitation method, a get peers method, and a get peer method.

36. A policy managed class, comprising a maximum record size property field, a search engine property field, and a scope property field, and wherein the policy managed class exposes an update method.

37. A peer collection managed class, comprising a count property field, and wherein the peer collection managed class exposes an item method.

38. A peer managed class, comprising a peer name property field, a name property field, and an address property field, and wherein the peer managed class exposes a revoke membership method.

39. A store managed class, comprising a record watch list property field, and wherein the store managed class exposes a get record method, a get records method, an add record method, an update record method, and a delete record method.

40. A record collection managed class, comprising a count property field, and wherein the record collection managed class exposes an item method.

41. A record managed class, comprising an ID property field, a creator peer name property field, a type property field, a creation time property field, a last modified time property field, an expired property field, and expiration time property field, an attributes property field, and a data field.