Universal naming scheme for peer-to-peer resources

• US 20050195839A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• 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 7,734,817 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:

identifying a locator service name for a locator service that tracks where a peer resource is expected to be available among a plurality of peer devices in a networking environment;

identifying a master publisher name for a peer device among the plurality of peer devices that is a master publisher of the peer resource;

identifying a path name for a master copy of the peer resource within the master publisher; and

configuring the locator service name, the master publisher name, and the path name into an address for the peer resource, said address to uniquely name the peer resource in the networking environment to enable the locator service to return a plurality of peer device locations where the peer resource is expected to be available, said plurality of peer device locations to enable access to the peer resource at any one or more corresponding peer devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the address for the peer resource further comprises an access protocol name for an access protocol used in the networking environment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the address is equivalent to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) comprising <

the access protocol>

;

//<

the locator service name>

/<

the master publisher name>

/<

the path name>

.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the address is compatible with any of a plurality of network-enabled applications.

5. The method of claim 4 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.

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

identifying a locator service name for a locator service that tracks where a peer resource is expected to be available among a plurality of peer devices in a networking environment;

identifying a master publisher name for a peer device among the plurality of peer devices that is a master publisher of the peer resource;

identifying a path name for a master copy of the peer resource within the master publisher; and

configuring the locator service name, the master publisher name, and the path name into an address for the peer resource, said address to uniquely name the peer resource in the networking environment to enable the locator service to return a plurality of peer device locations where the peer resource is expected to be available, said plurality of peer device locations to enable access to the peer resource at any one or more corresponding peer devices.

7. The machine readable medium of claim 6 wherein the address for the peer resource further comprises an access protocol name for an access protocol used in the networking environment.

8. The machine readable medium of claim 7 wherein the address is equivalent to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) comprising <

the access protocol>

;

//<

the locator service name>

/<

the master publisher name>

/<

the path name>

.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 6 wherein the address is compatible with any of a plurality of network-enabled applications.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9 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.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an element in a peer-to-peer realm in a networking environment, said element to identify a locator service name for a locator service that tracks where a peer resource is expected to be available among a plurality of peer devices in the networking environment;

said element to identify a master publisher name for a peer device among the plurality of peer devices that is a master publisher of the peer resource;

said element to identify a path name for a master copy of the peer resource within the master publisher; and

said element to configure the locator service name, the master publisher name, and the path name into an address for the peer resource, said address to uniquely name the peer resource in the networking environment to enable the locator service to return a plurality of peer device locations where the peer resource is expected to be available, said plurality of peer device locations to enable access to the peer resource at any one or more corresponding peer devices.