Service discovery and automatic configuration
First Claim
1. In a computer network, a method comprising:
- publishing one or more points of service directories for clients to query;
receiving a request for services from a client;
returning a list of services in response to the request;
receiving information corresponding to a selected service from among the services in the list and configuration information for the selected service;
evaluating the configuration information to determine whether the client is compatible with the service, including reconfiguring the configuration information with data as necessary to make the client compatible with the selected service; and
returning the configuration information including any reconfigured data to the client such that the client is capable of hosting the selected service.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a technology by which a client discovers services (e.g., Internet services) via a service listing server, and upon selecting a service, the client and/or service are automatically configured to couple to one another such that the client may host the service. In one example, a client includes or is associated with a mechanism that couples to the server listing server that maintains information regarding services, and communicates with that server to request available services. The service listing server returns a list, from which the client selects a service and returns configuration information needed by the service to be hosted. The service listing server evaluates and may modify the client configuration information as necessary to make the client compatible with the selected service. The client applies the modified configuration information to at least one client application or resource to configure the client for hosting the service.
93 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. In a computer network, a method comprising:
-
publishing one or more points of service directories for clients to query; receiving a request for services from a client; returning a list of services in response to the request; receiving information corresponding to a selected service from among the services in the list and configuration information for the selected service; evaluating the configuration information to determine whether the client is compatible with the service, including reconfiguring the configuration information with data as necessary to make the client compatible with the selected service; and returning the configuration information including any reconfigured data to the client such that the client is capable of hosting the selected service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. In a computer network, a method comprising:
-
requesting services for a client via a communication with a service listing server; receiving a list of services in response to the request; receiving needed configuration information for at least one service; collecting configuration information corresponding to the needed configuration information at the client for a selected service; sending the collected configuration information to the service listing server; receiving modified configuration information from the service listing server; and applying the modified configuration information to at least one application or resource to configure the client for hosting the service. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. In a computer network, a system comprising:
-
a service listing server that maintains information regarding services; a mechanism that couples to the server listing server to request available services for a client, and to return a selected service to the service listing server; means associated with the service listing server for evaluating whether the client is compatible with the selected service based on client configuration information, including modifying the client configuration information into modified client configuration information to make the client compatible with the selected service; and means associated with the client for applying the modified configuration information to at least one client application or resource to configure the client for hosting the service. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification