Method and system for delayed allocation of resources

• US 20040172474A1
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kakurin, Dmitry M., Markaryan, Mark, Olson, Sean C., Shoroff, Srikanth, Ionescu, Radu
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

The present invention allows a server to delay allocating resources to a client'"'"'s request. When the client requests a feature that requires server resources, the server accepts and acknowledges the client'"'"'s request, but the client is prohibited from using the requested feature until further notice from the server. For example, during an authorization process, the server allocates only the minimum resources required to maintain the session and to authorize the client. Thereafter, the server allocates the resources necessary to support the client'"'"'s request only when the resources become available. Until then, the server maintains the communications session without supporting the request. Thus, the server shepherds its resources rather than committing them at the whim of a client. Also, a client need not repeat its request if the server cannot immediately satisfy it; instead, the server accepts the request and then later begins to support it when adequate resources become available.

Claims

1. In a communications environment comprising a server computing device and a client computing device, a method for the server to delay supporting a feature for the client, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the feature;

indicating to the client that the request has been granted;

indicating to the client that the requested feature is not yet supported;

after indicating to the client that the requested feature is not yet supported, indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported; and

supporting the requested feature for the client.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the requested feature is a feature of communications between the client and the server selected from the group consisting of:

compression, a quality of service, bandwidth, a response time guarantee, immunity to error, integrity of message sequence and lack of duplication, and a maximum permissible loss rate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request for the feature comprises receiving from the client an explicit request for the feature.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request for the feature comprises receiving from the client an implicit request for the feature.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the implicit request for the feature is specified by a communications protocol used by the client and by the server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request for the feature comprises receiving a request for a first level of support of the requested feature, and wherein indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported comprises indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported at a second level of support of the requested feature.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the second level of support of the requested feature is less than the first level of support of the requested feature.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein supporting the requested feature for the client comprises supporting the requested feature at the second level of support of the requested feature.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

after indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported at the second level of support of the requested feature, indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported at the first level of support of the requested feature.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein one indication comprises indicating to the client that the request has been granted and indicating to the client that the requested feature is not yet supported.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein indicating to the client that the requested feature is not yet supported comprises not using the requested feature in communications with the client.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported comprises using the requested feature in communications with the client.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein supporting the requested feature for the client comprises allocating resources.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein allocating resources comprises allocating resources provided by a computing device other than the server.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

checking for an availability of resources for supporting the requested feature; and

delaying the indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported until resources for supporting the requested feature are available.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

maintaining information about resources used and about not-yet-supported feature requests.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the server supports a plurality of clients and wherein resources become available for supporting the requested feature as they are relinquished by other clients.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

before indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported, authenticating an identity of the client.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported occurs in association with successful authentication of the client'"'"'s identity to the server.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

logging statuses of feature requests as rejected, accepted but not yet supported, or accepted and supported.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

logging levels of support of feature requests; and

logging resources allocated to support of feature requests.

22. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for a server computing device to delay supporting a feature for a client computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the feature;

indicating to the client that the request has been granted;

indicating to the client that the requested feature is not yet supported;

after indicating to the client that the requested feature is not yet supported, indicating to the client that the requested feature is supported; and

supporting the requested feature for the client.

23. In a communications environment comprising a server computing device and a client computing device, a method for the client to obtain support from the server for a feature, the method comprising:

requesting the feature from the server;

receiving an indication that the request has been granted;

receiving an indication that the requested feature is not yet supported;

refraining from using the requested feature;

after receiving the indication that the requested feature is not yet supported, receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported; and

using the requested feature.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the requested feature is a feature of communications between the client and the server selected from the group consisting of:

compression, a quality of service, bandwidth, a response time guarantee, immunity to error, integrity of message sequence and lack of duplication, and a maximum permissible loss rate.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein requesting the feature comprises sending an explicit request for the feature to the server.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein requesting the feature comprises implicitly requesting the feature.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the implicit request for the feature is specified by a communications protocol used by the client and by the server.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein requesting the feature comprises requesting a first level of support of the requested feature, and wherein receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported comprises receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported at a second level of support of the requested feature.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the second level of support of the requested feature is less than the first level of support of the requested feature.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein using the requested feature comprises using the requested feature at the second level of support of the requested feature.

31. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

after receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported at the second level of support of the requested feature, receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported at the first level of support of the requested feature.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein receiving one indication comprises receiving an indication that the request has been granted and receiving an indication that the requested feature is not yet supported.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein receiving an indication that the requested feature is not yet supported comprises receiving communications from the server that do not use the requested feature.

34. The method of claim 23 wherein receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported comprises receiving communications from the server that use the requested feature.

35. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

before receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported, authenticating an identity of the client to the server.

36. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

displaying to a user of the client a status of the feature request as rejected, accepted but not yet supported, or accepted and supported.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

displaying to a user of the client a level of support of the feature request.

38. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for a client computing device to obtain support from a server computing device for a feature, the method comprising:

requesting the feature from the server;

receiving an indication that the request has been granted;

receiving an indication that the requested feature is not yet supported;

refraining from using the requested feature;

after receiving the indication that the requested feature is not yet supported, receiving an indication that the requested feature is supported; and

using the requested feature.

39. In a communications environment comprising a server computing device and a client computing device, a method for the server to delay supporting a feature for the client and for the client to obtain support from the server for the feature, the method comprising:

requesting, by the client, the feature from the server;

receiving, by the server, the request for the feature;

indicating, by the server and to the client, that the request has been granted;

receiving, by the client, the indication that the request has been granted;

indicating, by the server and to the client, that the requested feature is not yet supported;

receiving, by the client, the indication that the requested feature is not yet supported;

refraining, by the client, from using the requested feature;

after indicating, by the server and to the client, that the requested feature is not yet supported, indicating, by the server and to the client, that the requested feature is supported;

after receiving, by the client, the indication that the requested feature is not yet supported, receiving, by the client, the indication that the requested feature is supported;

supporting, by the server, the requested feature for the client; and

using, by the client, the requested feature.

40. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for a server computing device to delay supporting a feature for a client computing device and for the client to obtain support from the server for the feature, the method comprising:

requesting, by the client, the feature from the server;

receiving, by the server, the request for the feature;

indicating, by the server and to the client, that the request has been granted;

receiving, by the client, the indication that the request has been granted;

indicating, by the server and to the client, that the requested feature is not yet supported;

receiving, by the client, the indication that the requested feature is not yet supported;

refraining, by the client, from using the requested feature;

after indicating, by the server and to the client, that the requested feature is not yet supported, indicating, by the server and to the client, that the requested feature is supported;

after receiving, by the client, the indication that the requested feature is not yet supported, receiving, by the client, the indication that the requested feature is supported;

supporting, by the server, the requested feature for the client; and

using, by the client, the requested feature.

41. A computer-readable medium containing a resource allocation data structure, the resource allocation data structure comprising:

a first data field containing data representing an identity of a client computing device;

a second data field containing data representing a feature requested by the client;

a third data field containing data representing a requested level of support of the feature;

a fourth data field containing data representing a current level of support of the feature; and

a fifth data field containing data representing an amount of resources currently allocated to supporting the feature.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 wherein the requested feature is a feature of communications between the client and a server computing device.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 wherein the fourth data field and the fifth data field are the same data field.