Universal naming scheme for peer-to-peer resources

• US 20050141532A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bjorner, Nikolaj S., Teodosiu, Dan, Breunig, Markus M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities

Abstract

Peer devices register with a resource locator service so that the peer devices can be uniquely identified in a networking environment. An addressing scheme addresses a peer resource in the networking environment based on the unique identifier of a peer device that is a master publisher of the resource. Based on the addressing scheme, the resource locator service can track the location of the master publisher of the resource as well as additional locations of peer devices that have cached the resource and made it available. In various embodiments, the resource locator service can service requests for peer resources by providing a list of locations where the resource is expected to be available or, in the case of non-compatible requester, provide access to the resource itself.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a resource request at a gate server to a resource locator service from a requester device through a networking environment, said resource request to request access to a peer resource associated with the resource locator service;

determining if the requester is a peer device; and

if the requester is a peer device, returning one or more locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible to the peer device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining comprises:

determining if the requester has a peer platform that is communicatively compatible with peer platforms at the locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the requester is not a peer device, accessing the peer resource from at least one of the locations within the networking environment, and

serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the resource locator service further comprises:

a registrar; and

a plurality of resource naming service (RNS) servers, said registrar to track peer devices registered with the resource locator service and to assign each registered peer device to a particular RNS server, each of said RNS servers to track peer resources published by peer devices assigned to the respective RNS server and to service requests from the peer devices assigned to the respective RNS server for peer resources published by registered peer devices, and said gate server to service requests for peer resources that are published by registered peer devices but received from requesters that are not registered devices.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein returning the locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible comprises:

determining that a location of an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource was previously cached by the gate server;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher based on the cached location; and

providing the locations for the peer resource received from the RNS server.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein returning the locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible comprises:

requesting and receiving a location for an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource from the registrar;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher; and

providing the locations for the peer resource received from the RNS server.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy comprises:

determining that the locations for the peer resources were previously cached by the gate server;

requesting and receiving access to the peer resource from one or more of the locations; and

providing access to the peer resource for the requester from the gate server.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy comprises:

determining that a location of an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource was previously cached by the gate server;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher based on the cached location;

requesting and receiving access to the peer resource from one or more of the locations; and

providing access to the peer resource for the requester from the gate server.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy comprises:

requesting and receiving a location for an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource from the registrar;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher;

requesting and receiving access to the peer resource from one or more of the locations; and

providing access to the peer resource for the requester from the gate server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource request is received from any one of a plurality of network-enabled applications.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of network-enabled applications comprise at least one of Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and a Microsoft .NET compatible application or web service.

12. A machine readable medium having stored thereon machine executable instructions to implement a method comprising:

receiving a resource request at a gate server to a resource locator service from a requester device through a networking environment, said resource request to request access to a peer resource associated with the resource locator service;

determining if the requester is a peer device; and

if the requester is a peer device, returning one or more locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible to the peer device.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12 wherein determining comprises:

determining if the requester has a peer platform that is communicatively compatible with peer platforms at the locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising:

if the requester is not a peer device, accessing the peer resource from at least one of the locations within the networking environment, and serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein the resource locator service further comprises:

a registrar; and

a plurality of resource naming service (RNS) servers,

said registrar to track peer devices registered with the resource locator service and to assign each registered peer device to a particular RNS server,

each of said RNS servers to track peer resources published by peer devices assigned to the respective RNS server and to service requests from the peer devices assigned to the respective RNS server for peer resources published by registered peer devices, and

said gate server to service requests for peer resources that are published by registered peer devices but received from requesters that are not registered devices.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein returning the locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible comprises:

determining that a location of an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource was previously cached by the gate server;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher based on the cached location; and

providing the locations for the peer resource received from the RNS server.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein returning the locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible comprises:

requesting and receiving a location for an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource from the registrar;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher; and

providing the locations for the peer resource received from the RNS server.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy comprises:

determining that the locations for the peer resources were previously cached by the gate server;

requesting and receiving access to the peer resource from one or more of the locations; and

providing access to the peer resource for the requester from the gate server.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy comprises:

determining that a location of an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource was previously cached by the gate server;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher based on the cached location;

requesting and receiving access to the peer resource from one or more of the locations; and

providing access to the peer resource for the requester from the gate server.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein serving the peer resource to the requester as a proxy comprises:

requesting and receiving a location for an RNS server for a master publisher of the peer resource from the registrar;

requesting and receiving the locations for the peer resource from the RNS server for the master publisher;

requesting and receiving access to the peer resource from one or more of the locations; and

providing access to the peer resource for the requester from the gate server.

21. The machine readable medium of claim 12 wherein the resource request is received from any one of a plurality of network-enabled applications.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 21 wherein the plurality of network-enabled applications comprise at least one of Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and a Microsoft .NET compatible application or web service.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a gate server to a resource locator service to receive a resource request from a requester device through a networking environment, said resource request to request access to a peer resource associated with the resource locator service;

said gate server to determine if the requester is a peer device; and

if the requester is a peer device, said gate server to return one or more locations within the networking environment where the peer resource is expected to be accessible to the peer device.