Data communications system using e-mail tunnelling
First Claim
1. A method of communicating data through a firewall, from a first software process on a first machine to a second software process on a second machine, the method comprising:
- receiving data for communication at said first software process;
encoding said received data as an e-mail message;
sending said e-mail message including said encoded data from said first software process to said second software process through said firewall;
receiving said e-mail message including said encoded data at said second software process;
decoding said encoded data in said e-mail message using said second software process; and
outputting said decoded data from said second software process;
and wherein said receiving at said first software process, said encoding and said sending are implemented by said first software process without user intervention;
and wherein said receiving at said second software process, said decoding and said outputting are implemented by said second software process without user intervention.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention is generally concerned with data communications systems, more particularly systems for communicating between two software processes through an intervening firewall. A method of communicating data through a firewall, from a first software process on a first machine to a second software process on a second machine, the method comprising receiving data for communication at said first software process; encoding said received data as an e-mail message; sending said email message including said encoded data from said first software process to said second software process through said firewall; receiving said e-mail message including said encoded data at said second software process; decoding said encoded data in said e-mail message using said second software process; and outputting said decoded data from said second software process; and wherein said receiving at said first software process, said encoding and said sending are implemented by said first software process without user intervention; and wherein said receiving at said second software process, said decoding and said outputting are implemented bar said second software process without user intervention.
158 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method of communicating data through a firewall, from a first software process on a first machine to a second software process on a second machine, the method comprising:
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receiving data for communication at said first software process;
encoding said received data as an e-mail message;
sending said e-mail message including said encoded data from said first software process to said second software process through said firewall;
receiving said e-mail message including said encoded data at said second software process;
decoding said encoded data in said e-mail message using said second software process; and
outputting said decoded data from said second software process;
and wherein said receiving at said first software process, said encoding and said sending are implemented by said first software process without user intervention;
and wherein said receiving at said second software process, said decoding and said outputting are implemented by said second software process without user intervention. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of establishing a data communication link through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, without requiring a modification to said firewall, the method comprising:
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establishing a first software process on a first machine;
establishing a second software process on a second machine; and
establishing said data communication link by communicating data from said first to said second software process by a methods comprising;
receiving data for communication at said first software process;
encoding said received data as an e-mail message;
sending said e-mail message including said encoded data from said first software process to said second software process through said firewall;
receiving said e-mail message including said encoded data at said second software process;
decoding said encoded data in said e-mail message using said second software process; and
outputting said decoded data from said second software process; and
wherein said receiving at said first software process, said encoding and said sending are implemented by said first software process without user intervention; and
wherein said receiving at said second software process, said decoding and said outputting are implemented by said second software process without user intervention.
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18. A processor control code stored in computer readable memory, comprising code configured to, when running:
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implement a first software process to establish a data communication link with a second software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, the code comprising code to, without user intervention;
receive data for communication at said first software process;
encode said received data as an e-mail message; and
pass said e-mail message to an email handling process to send said e-mail message including said encoded data from said first software process to said second software process through said firewall. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. Data communication apparatus for implementing a first software process to establish a data communication link with a second software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, the apparatus comprising:
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program memory storing processor control code configured to implement a first software process to establish a data communication link with a second software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, the code comprising code to, without user intervention;
receive data for communication at said first software process;
encode said received data as an e-mail message;
and pass said e-mail message to an email handling process to send said e-mail message including said encoded data from said first software process to said second software process through said firewall;
a processor coupled to said program memory for operating in accordance with processor control code; and
a communications interface for communicating said e-mail message.
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30. A method of implementing a first software process to establish a data communication link with a second software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, the method comprising:
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receiving data for communication at said first software process;
encoding said received data as an e-mail message;
and passing said e-mail message to an e-mail handling process to send said e-mail message including said encoded data from said first software process to said second software process to said second software process through said firewall; and
wherein said receiving at said first software process, said encoding and said sending are implemented by said first software process without user intervention.
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31. A processor control code stored in computer readable memory configured to, when running, implement a second software process to establish a data communication link with a first software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, the code comprising code to, without user intervention:
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receive an e-mail message, including encoded data, from said first software process;
decode said encoded data in said e-mail message; and
output said decoded data. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Processor control code as claimed in 31, wherein a carrier carries the processor control code.
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41. Data communicating apparatus for implementing a second software process to establish a data communication link with a first software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, the apparatus comprising:
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program memory storing processor control code configured to, when running, implement the second software process and, without user intervention;
receive an e-mail message, including encoded data, from said first software process;
decode said encoded data in said e-mail message; and
output said decoded data;
a processor coupled to said program memory for operating in accordance with said processor control code; and
a communications interface for receiving said e-mail message including encoding data.
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42. A method of implementing a second software process to establish a data communication link with a first software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, the method comprising:
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receiving an e-mail message, including encoded data, from said first software process;
decoding said decoded data in said e-mail message; and
outputting said decoded data.
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43. (canceled)
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44. Processor control code stored in computer readable memory configured to, when running, implement a third software process to establish a data communications link, via an intermediary second software process, with a first software process through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, said firewall being located between said first and second software processes, the code comprising code to:
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send an identifier to said second software process;
receive data from said second software process, said received data comprising data defining an e-mail header and at least partial e-mail message data;
reconstruct an e-mail comprising said at least partial e-mail message from said received data; and
notify an e-mail user interface of the availability of said reconstructed e-mail. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of implementing a third software process to establish a data communications link, via an intermediary second software process, with a first software process, through a firewall which would otherwise block the link, said firewall being located between said first and second software processes the method comprising:
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sending an identifier to said second software process;
receiving data from said second software process, said received data comprising data defining an e-mail header and at least partial e-mail message data;
reconstructing an e-mail comprising said at least partial e-mail message from said received data; and
notifying an e-mail user interface of the availability of said reconstructed e-mail.
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Specification