Locator and tracking service for peer-to-peer resources

• US 20050198109A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• 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 7,610,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• 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 67/1072 Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A resource naming service (RNS) server receives peer resource requests from peer platforms through a networking environment. The RNS server, possibly in cooperation with other RNS servers and peer registrars generates a response to the request to enable the peer platforms to access the requested peer resources. In one embodiment, a response includes a list of locations of peer devices in the networking environment where a resource is expected to be available. A requesting device can then choose to access the resource from one or more of the listed peer locations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a peer resource request at a first peer platform for a peer resource associated with the first peer platform, said peer resource request being received from a second peer platform through a networking environment, said second peer platform having located the peer resource through a resource locator service; and

providing the second peer platform access to the peer resource through the first peer platform.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer platform corresponds to a particular peer device, and wherein the particular peer device makes the peer resource available.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second peer platform corresponds to one of a particular peer device and a gate server for a peer-to-peer realm containing the first peer platform.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the peer device comprises one of a master publisher of the peer resource and a caching publisher of the peer resource.

4. The method of claim 4 wherein the gate server is acting as a proxy on behalf of a requester to make the peer resource available to a requester that is not compatible with the first peer platform.

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

receiving a peer resource request at a first peer platform for a peer resource associated with the first peer platform, said peer resource request being received from a second peer platform through a networking environment, said second peer platform having located the peer resource through a resource locator service; and

providing the second peer platform access to the peer resource through the first peer platform.

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

receiving a peer resource request at a first peer platform for a peer resource associated with the first peer platform, said peer resource request being received from a second peer platform through a networking environment, said second peer platform having located the peer resource through a resource locator service; and

providing the second peer platform access to the peer resource through the first peer platform.

8. The machine readable medium of claim 7 wherein the first peer platform corresponds to a particular peer device, and wherein the particular peer device makes the peer resource available.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 7 wherein the second peer platform corresponds to one of a particular peer device and a gate server for a peer-to-peer realm containing the first peer platform.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9 wherein the gate server is acting as a proxy on behalf of a requester to make the peer resource available to a requester that is not compatible with the first peer platform.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 7 wherein the peer device comprises one of a master publisher of the peer resource and a caching publisher of the peer resource.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a first peer platform to receive a peer resource request, said first peer platform being associated with a peer resource, said peer resource request being received from a second peer platform through a networking environment, said second peer platform having located the peer resource through a resource locator service; and

said first peer platform to provide the second peer platform access to the peer resource.