Method and apparatus for forming and maintaining a network of devices

• US 20060080410A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Fry, Michael, Maclarty, Glen M
• Granted Patent: US 8,806,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network of enabled devices, the enabled devices being arranged to permit computer programs to be dynamically downloaded onto and executed on the devices, and the devices being connected to one or more general computer networks containing a plurality of non-enabled devices not arranged to permit computer programs to be dynamically downloaded onto and executed on the devices, each enabled device having a list of the addresses of a sub-set of said enabled devices; and each device consecutively attempting to contact each of the devices in the sub-set of devices until either one of the sub-set of devices is contacted or the device determines that the next device in the subset of devices which it is to contact itself.

Claims

1. A method of forming and maintaining a network of devices arranged to permit computer programs to be dynamically downloaded onto and executed on the devices, the devices being connected to one or more general computer networks, the method including the steps of transmitting to each device a list of the addresses of a sub-set of said devices;

and

consecutively attempting to contact each of the devices in the sub-set of devices until either one of the sub-set of devices is contacted or the device determines that the next device in the subset of devices which it is to contact is itself.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of registering the devices with one another to form a multi-rooted tree structure.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the multiple roots comprise members of the sub-set of devices.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the multiples roots elect an acting master root node with which the other root nodes register themselves.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the devices are server computers operable to permit computer programs to be dynamically downloaded and run to provide services to computers connected to said one or more general computer networks.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including forming an overlay network, the overlay network being a tree shaped network formed of a subset of the devices for use in performing a particular type of service.

7. A computer program for downloading onto a device to cause it to become a device operable to carry out the steps of claim 1.

8. A device for use in the method of claim 1 including:

means for receiving a list of the addresses of a sub-set of enabled devices; and

means for consecutively attempting to contact each of the devices in the sub-set of devices until either one of the sub-set of devices is contacted or the device determines that the next device in the subset of devices which it is to contact is itself.