Method and apparatus for communicating data between computer devices

• US 20070143481A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Roxburgh, Michael Hosking, Patrick Farley, Simon Beddus
• Original Assignee: David Roxburgh, Michael Hosking, Patrick Farley, Simon Beddus
• Inventors: Roxburgh, David, Beddus, Simon, Farley, Patrick, Hosking, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

A client server system (100, 200, 300) comprises a client subsystem (100), a server subsystem (200) and an interconnecting data network. The client subsystem includes a client application (110, 120, 130, 140, 150) operable to initiate a secure connection over the interconnecting network with the server subsystem (200). The server subsystem includes a server application (254, 255, 256, 257), which is operable to co-operate with the client application to complete the setting up of a secure connection with the client application upon initiation of the connection by the client application and which is further operable to transmit output data over such a connection in response to requests for service provided by the client application. The server subsystem further includes a notification server (220) and the server application is additionally operable to generate a notification, in response to detecting the occurrence of an event in the absence of a secure connection between the server application and the client application being currently established, and to transmit the notification to the notification server (220). The notification server (220) is also operable to forward the notification over the interconnecting network to the client application.

Claims

1. A method of providing digital services from a server application to a client application over an unsecure network in which the client application is able to initiate a secure client to server connection across the unsecure network in order to request a service or services and in order to receive resulting output data from the server application, the method including:

in response to the occurrence of an event detected by the server application at a time when there is no secure connection in place between the client application and the server application, generating a notification identifying the server application and addressed to the client application;

forwarding the notification to a notification server application;

forwarding the notification from the notification server application to the client application; and

, in response to receipt of the notification, the client application initiating a secure connection across the unsecure network between the client application and the server application.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the notification takes the form of a non-executable data file.

3. A method according to claim 2 in which the notification takes the form of a simple text file containing an extensible Markup Language, XML, document.

4. A method according to claim 1 further including running within the notification server application separate threads for controlling the forwarding of separate notifications to the client application.

5. A method according to claim 1 further including the server application specifying the number of times which the notification is to be retried in the event of failure to deliver the notification and further including the notification server retrying to deliver the notification up to the specified number of times in the event of failure to deliver the notification over the unsecure network.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein a single notification server receives notifications from plural server applications and forwards these to plural client applications.

14. A computer program or suite of computer programs for controlling one or more computer processors to carry out the steps of claim 1 during execution of the computer program or suite of programs.

15. Computer readable media carrying the computer program or suite of programs of claim 14.

7. A client server system comprising a client subsystem, a server subsystem and an interconnecting data network, the client subsystem including a client application operable to initiate a secure connection over the interconnecting network with the server subsystem, the server subsystem comprising a server application, which is operable to co-operate with the client application to complete the setting up of a secure connection with the client application upon initiation of the connection by the client application and which is further operable to transmit output data over such a connection in response to requests for service provided by the client application, wherein the server subsystem further includes a notification server and wherein the server application is additionally operable to generate a notification, in response to detecting the occurrence of an event in the absence of a secure connection between the server application and the client application being currently established, and to transmit the notification to the notification server and wherein the notification server is operable to forward the notification over the interconnecting network to the client application.

8. A client server system according to claim 7 further comprising a backend subsystem which provides services to the server subsystem, wherein the server subsystem acts as a trusted intermediary between the client subsystem and the backend subsystem.

9. A notification server for use in the system of claim 7 comprising means for receiving notifications from one or more server applications, means for processing the notifications to establish the destination address of the notifications and means for transmitting the notifications to respective client applications identified in the notifications.

10. A notification server for use in the system of claim 7 comprising a receiving module for receiving notifications from one or more server applications, a processor for processing the notifications to establish the destination address of the notifications and a transmitting module for transmitting the notifications to respective client applications identified in the notifications.

11. A server application for use in the system of claim 7 comprising means for generating a notification, in response to detecting the occurrence of an event in the absence of a secure connection between the server application and a client application being currently established, and for transmitting the notification to a notification server for onward forwarding of the notification to the client application.

12. A client application for use in the system of claim 7 comprising a listener module for receiving notifications from a server application via a notification server and for causing the client application to respond to the notification by initiating a secure connection to the server application.

13. A client server system comprising a client subsystem, a server subsystem and an interconnecting data network, the client subsystem including a client application having means for initiating a secure connection over the interconnecting network with the server subsystem, the server subsystem comprising a server application, which has means for co-operating with the client application to complete the setting up of a secure connection with the client application upon initiation of the connection by the client application and means for transmitting output data over such a connection in response to requests for service provided by the client application, wherein the server subsystem further includes a notification server and wherein the server application additionally includes means for generating a notification, in response to detecting the occurrence of an event in the absence of a secure connection between the server application and the client application being currently established, and means for transmitting the notification to the notification server and wherein the notification server includes means for forwarding the notification over the interconnecting network to the client application.