System and methods for announcing and locating services in a distributed peer-to-peer network

• US 20060067249A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya LLC (Avaya Incorporated), Avaya Management L.P. (Avaya Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Canada Corp. (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Poustchi, Behrouz, Cooper, Eric, Stelzig, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13242 Broadcast, diffusion, multicast, point-to-multipoint (1 : N)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13339 Ciphering, encryption, security
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

Systems and methods for announcing and locating services that are shared in a distributed manner within a peer-to-peer packet-based network are provided by embodiments of the invention. As opposed to every network device of the network requiring a copy of every desired service, one or more network devices maintain a copy of a particular service and the service is shared by any network device in the network that requires the service. Available services at a particular network device are registered with that network device and then service availability is announced to all other network devices on the network. Network devices maintain lists of what services are available on the network as well as where the services are located. When a particular service is desired, the network device consults the lists and is able to request acquisition of the service from any network device known to host the service, either locally or on a remote network device. Service location functionality is also capable of allocating resources and/or services in the network based on statistical information gathered and maintained regarding service use in the network.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer network comprising:

a plurality of interconnected peer-to-peer packet-based network devices; and

a plurality of services, each hosted by a respective at least one peer-to-peer packet-based network device;

each peer-to-peer packet-based network device that hosts at least one service of the plurality of services making the at least one service available to other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices;

wherein each peer-to-peer packet-based network device that hosts at least one service of the plurality of services announces availability of the at least one service to other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

2. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1 in which services include at least one of a group consisting of audio prompts, dialing service, conference mixer, billing collector, time synchronization master, multicast redirector, security administer, assigning and maintaining information pertaining to backup network devices, feature-key licensing, shared remote data storage, and external paging speaker.

3. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1, wherein at least one peer-to-peer packet-based network device of the plurality of interconnected peer-to-peer packet-based network devices is adapted to locate a particular service in the peer-to-peer network resulting from announcements received from other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices that hosts the particular services.

4. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1, wherein at least one peer-to-peer packet-based network device of the plurality of interconnected peer-to-peer packet-based network devices is adapted to request acquisition of a respective service in the peer-to-peer network subsequent to locating the respective service.

5. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1, wherein each peer-to-peer packet-based network device comprises:

at least one application adapted to request and use a service of the plurality of services supplied by a service module to perform a task;

for each service, a respective service module adapted to maintain a list of locations of the service in the peer-to-peer network and adapted to supply the service from either a local source or a remote source; and

a service manager adapted to manage interaction between the at least one application and at least one service module.

6. The peer-to-peer network of claim 5, wherein each service module comprises a client component adapted to request acquisition of a respective service, either locally or remotely, that is requested by the at least one application.

7. The peer-to-peer network of claim 5, wherein if a peer-to-peer packet-based network device of the plurality peer-to-peer packet-based network devices hosts a particular service, the service module comprises a hosting service provider component, the hosting service provider component adapted to supply the at least one application with the requested service.

8. The peer-to-peer network of claim 5, wherein each peer-to-peer packet-based network device comprises a client component for each service available to the peer-to-peer packet-based network device and a hosting service provider component for each service hosted by the peer-to-peer packet-based network device;

wherein the client component is adapted to request acquisition of a respective service, either locally or remotely, that is requested by the at least one application and the hosting service provider component is adapted to supply the at least one application with the requested service.

9. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1, wherein for a given service of said plurality of services, the given service is dynamically load balanced across more than one peer-to-peer packet-based network device hosting the given service.

10. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1, wherein each peer-to-peer packet-based network device maintains statistical information regarding the services in the peer-to-peer network.

11. The peer-to-peer network of claim 10, wherein services are allocated to particular peer-to-peer packet-based network devices as a function of the statistical information gathered regarding peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

12. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnected peer-to-peer packet-based network devices is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) terminal set.

13. The peer-to-peer network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnected peer-to-peer packet-based network devices is at least one of a group consisting of an interface for connecting peer-to-peer packet-based network devices to a public switched telephone network (PSTN), an interface for connecting peer-to-peer packet-based network devices to a packet-based network, and a network data storage device.

14. A method in a peer-to-peer network comprising a plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices for collectively implementing services in a distributed manner, the method comprising:

announcing an available service hosted by a peer-to-peer packet-based network device to other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices;

maintaining a list of services residing in the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices;

requesting acquisition of a respective service from one of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices, the selected peer-to-peer packet-based network device being selected based on the maintained list.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the peer-to-peer packet-based network device periodically updates an announcement of the available service to the other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein announcing an available service further comprises a step of registering the available service with the peer-to-peer packet-based network device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising a step of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device updating a list of services to include the registered available service.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein announcing an available service further comprises a step of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device sending an announcement of the available service to the other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising maintaining statistical information regarding the services in the peer-to-peer network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein maintaining statistical information regarding the services is statistical information regarding the services hosted by the particular peer-to-peer packet-based network device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein maintaining statistical information regarding the services is statistical information regarding the services requested by the peer-to-peer packet-based network device which must be acquired remotely.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of allocating services to particular peer-to-peer packet-based network devices as a function of the statistical information gathered regarding peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of load balancing across more than one peer-to-peer packet-based network device hosting the given service as a function of the statistical information gathered regarding peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein maintaining a list further comprises the steps of:

receiving an announcement of an available service from another peer-to-peer network device of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices;

maintaining an identification of the available service in a list of available services; and

forwarding identification and location information of the available service received in the announcement to a local service module, the service module maintaining the name and location of the available service in a list of names and locations of available services.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein requesting acquisition of a respective service comprises the steps of:

making a request for the respective service;

determining which one or more peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices are hosting the respective service based on the maintained list;

contacting a peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service;

receiving a response from the service hosting peer-to-peer packet-based network device as to whether the service hosting peer-to-peer packet-based network can supply the respective service;

requesting acquisition of the respective service if the service hosting peer-to-peer packet-based network device can supply the respective service; and

if the service hosting peer-to-peer packet-based network device can not supply the respective service, contacting a different peer-to-peer packet-based network device of other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices registered as hosting the respective service until the respective service can be found to be available.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein announcing an available service further comprises a step of a hosting service provider component of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device hosting a service registering the available service with a service manager of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising a step of the service manager updating a list of services to include the registered available service.

28. The method of claim 14, wherein announcing an available service further comprises a step of a service manager of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device hosting a service sending an announcement of the available service to the other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

29. The method of claim 14, wherein requesting acquisition of a respective service comprises the steps of:

an application of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device making a request of a service manager of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device for the respective service;

the service manager supplying a location of a service module of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device for the respective service to the application;

the application contacting the service module to request acquisition of the respective service;

a client component of the service module determining which peer-to-peer packet-based network device of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices is hosting the respective service based on the maintained list;

the client component contacting a hosting service provider component of a service module of a peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service;

the client component receiving a response from the hosting service provider component hosting the respective service as to whether the peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service can supply the respective service;

the client component acquiring the respective service if the peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service can supply the respective service; and

if the peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service can not supply the respective service, the client component contacting a hosting service provider component of other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices registered as hosting the respective service until the respective service can be found to be available for use by the application.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein during the step of the client component contacting a hosting service provider component of a service module for the first time, the client component and the hosting service provider component are in the same service module.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein during the step of the client component contacting a hosting service provider component of a service module, the client component and the hosting service provider component are in different service modules in different peer-to-peer packet-based network devices.

32. The method of claim 14, wherein requesting acquisition of a respective service comprises the steps of:

an application of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device making a request of a service manager of the peer-to-peer packet-based network device for the respective service;

the service manager contacting the service module to request acquisition of the respective service;

a client component of the service module determining which peer-to-peer packet-based network device of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices is hosting the respective service based on the maintained list;

the client component contacting a hosting service provider component of a service module of a peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service;

the client component receiving a response from the hosting service provider component hosting the respective service as to whether the peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service can supply the respective service;

the client component acquiring the service if the peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service can supply the respective service; and

if the peer-to-peer packet-based network device registered as hosting the respective service can not supply the respective service, the client component contacting a hosting service provider component of other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices registered as hosting the respective service until the respective service can be found to be available for use by the application.

33. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for collectively implementing services in a distributed manner, the computer usable medium residing in a peer-to-peer packet-based network device of a plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices used to collectively implement services, the computer readable program code means comprising:

code means for announcing an available service hosted by a peer-to-peer packet-based network device to other peer-to-peer packet-based network devices of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices;

code means for maintaining a list of services that reside in the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network devices;

code means for requesting acquisition of a respective service selected from one of the plurality of peer-to-peer packet-based network, the selected peer-to-peer packet-based network device being selected based on the maintained list.