Method and apparatus for remote management

• US 20060029036A1
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gassoway, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for remote management communication is provided. A bind message including a new protocol identifier is sent from a source node to a destination node. A response message is received by the source node from the destination node. The source node sends one or more additional messages to the destination node, using a protocol corresponding to the new protocol identifier, if the response message from the destination node is an acknowledgement message.

Claims

1. A method for remote management communication, comprising:

sending a bind message including a new protocol identifier from a source node to a destination node;

receiving a response message from the destination node; and

sending one or more additional messages from the source node to the destination node, using a protocol corresponding to the new protocol identifier, if the response message from the destination node is an acknowledgement message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional messages are transmitted from the source node to the destination node using a conventional protocol, if the response message from the destination node is not an acknowledgement message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection between the source node and the destination node before the source node sends the bind message including the new protocol identifier to the destination node.

4. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a program storage device readable by the computer system, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform the method claimed in claim 1.

5. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the method claimed in claim 1.

6. A computer data signal transmitted in one or more segments in a transmission medium which embodies instructions executable by a computer to perform the method claimed in claim 1.

7. A method for managing a remote system, comprising:

establishing a connection between a server and a client;

sending a first bind packet to the server;

receiving the first bind packet from the client;

sending a second bind packet to the client in response to the first bind packet;

receiving the second bind packet from the server;

sending information to the server depending on the second bind packet received by the client; and

receiving the information from the client.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first bind packet comprises a globally unique identifier (GUID) that identifies the interface that the connection is going to use.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a new client sends a first bind packet to a server specifying the globally unique identifier (GUID) for a new protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a new client is a client that can use a protocol other than standard remote procedure call (RPC).

11. The method of claim 7, wherein an old client sends a first bind packet to a server specifying the globally unique identifier (GUID) for an standard remote procedure call (RPC) interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein an old client is a client that uses the standard remote procedure call (RPC) protocol.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein an old server sends a second bind packet corresponding to a bind nack packet.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the bind nack packet alerts the client that it is communicating with an old server.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the old server is a server that uses the standard remote procedure call (RPC) protocol.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein a new server sends a second bind packet corresponding to a bind ack packet.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the bind ack packet alerts the client that it is communicating with a new server.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the new server is a server that can use a protocol other than standard remote procedure call (RPC).

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the information sent to the server by a client is a series of connection packets.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the series of connection packets are not encrypted.

21. The method of claim 7, wherein the information sent to the server by a new client is a first message appropriate for a new protocol, if the second bind packet is a bind ack packet.

22. The method of claim 7, wherein the information sent to the server by an old client is a request message appropriate for an old interface, if the second bind packet is a bind ack packet.

23. The method of claim 7, wherein the information sent to the server by a new client is a third bind packet specifying the globally unique identifier (GUID) of an old interface, if the second bind packet is a bind nack packet.

24. The method of claim 7, wherein a connection is authenticated and a key is derived for a client when the second bind packet is received by the client from the server.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the key is derived using the Secure Remote Password (SRP) methodology.

26. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the method claimed in claim 7.

27. A computer data signal transmitted in one or more segments in a transmission medium which embodies instructions executable by a computer to perform the method claimed in claim 7.

28. An apparatus for managing a remote system, comprising:

means for establishing a connection between a server and a client;

means for sending a first bind packet to the server;

means for receiving the first bind packet from the client;

means for sending a second bind packet to the client in response to the first bind packet;

means for receiving the second bind packet from the server;

means for sending information to the server depending on the second bind packet received by the client; and

means for receiving the information from the client.

29. A method for managing a remote system, comprising:

making a call to a client stub;

marshaling in data, wherein the client stub performs the marshaling in of the data;

transmitting marshaled data to a server;

unmarshaling the transmitted data, wherein the server stub performs the unmarshaling;

performing the call after all the data is unmarshaled;

marshaling out the data, wherein the server stub performs the marshaling out of the data;

transmitting the data to the client; and

unmarshaling the transmitted data, wherein the client stub performs the unmarshaling.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the marshaling in data step further comprises making calls to a library, giving a format of the data passed, having the library convert that data, and placing data into a buffer.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising entering a critical section by setting a sequence number, hashing the data, and encrypting the data after the data is placed into the buffer.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising exiting the critical section after the server marshals out the data.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the buffer is sent to the server in maximum transmission unit (MTU) chunks.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the server decrypts the data, places it into a buffer, and calls a server stub when the GUID and function calls are decrypted.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein buffers allocated for the call are freed after the server marshals out the data.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein any memory allocated by the client or server stubs is freed by the client or server.

37. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a program storage device readable by the computer system, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform the method claimed in claim 29.

38. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the method claimed in claim 29.

39. A computer data signal transmitted in one or more segments in a transmission medium which embodies instructions executable by a computer to perform the method claimed in claim 29.

40. An apparatus for managing a remote system, comprising:

means for making a call to a client stub;

means for marshaling in data, wherein the client stub performs the marshaling in of the data;

means for transmitting marshaled data to a server;

means for unmarshaling the transmitted data, wherein the server stub performs the unmarshaling;

means for performing the call after all the data is ummarshaled;

means for marshaling out the data, wherein the server stub performs the marshaling out of the data;

means for transmitting the data to the client; and

means for unmarshaling the transmitted data, wherein the client stub performs the unmarshaling.

41. An apparatus for remote management communication, comprising:

means for sending from a source node a bind message including a new protocol identifier to a destination node;

means for receiving a response message from the destination node; and

means for sending one or more additional messages from the source node to the destination node, using a protocol corresponding to the new protocol identifier, if the response message from the destination node is an acknowledgement message.