Peer-to-peer object distribution

• US 20090210484A1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, James P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Methods and systems for distributing objects over a network. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one primary network device, and multiple secondary network devices coupled to the primary network device via a network. The primary network device may receive, from a server, objects for the devices managed by the server. The secondary network devices may receive an identifier of the primary network device from the server and may request updates for objects deployed at individual secondary network devices from the primary network device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a primary client device, the method comprising:

sending, to a server, a request for updates of objects deployed at the primary client device;

receiving, from the server, objects to be deployed at a plurality of client devices, the plurality of client devices comprising the primary client device and a set of secondary client devices; and

upon receiving a request for object updates from a secondary client device from the set, determining a difference between objects deployed at the secondary client device and objects received from the server for the secondary client device, and sending the difference to the secondary client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically requesting updates for the objects to be deployed at the plurality of client devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects comprise at least one of policy objects and configuration objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a difference between objects deployed at the secondary client device and objects received from the server for the secondary client device comprises:

determining whether fingerprints of the objects deployed at the secondary client device match fingerprints of the objects received from the server for the secondary client device receiving; and

if a match is not found, identifying objects that have different fingerprints.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary network device is further to periodically request updates for the objects to be deployed at the plurality of secondary network devices, and to determine a difference between objects deployed at a secondary client device and objects received from the server for the secondary client device.

5. A computer-implemented method for a secondary client device, the method comprising:

sending, to a server, a request for updates of objects deployed at the secondary client device;

receiving, from the server, an identifier of a primary client device;

sending, to the primary client device, a request for updates of objects deployed at the secondary client device; and

receiving a difference between objects deployed at the secondary client device and objects provided by the server for the secondary client device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the primary client device is not available; and

sending, to the server, a request for updates of objects deployed at the secondary client device, the request indicating that the primary client device is not available.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, from the server, an identifier of another primary client device;

sending, to the other primary client device, a request for updates of objects deployed at the secondary client device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the server, objects to be deployed at a plurality of client devices, the plurality of client devices comprising the secondary client device; and

acting as a primary client devices for other devices from the plurality of client devices.

9. A computer-implemented method for a server, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a request for updates of objects deployed at the client device;

determining whether the client device is a primary client device;

if the client device is a primary client device, sending, to the primary client device, objects to be deployed at a plurality of client devices, the plurality of client devices comprising the primary secondary client device; and

if the client device is not a primary client device, directing the client device to the primary client device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after directing the client device to the primary client device, receiving a next request from the client device, the request indicating that the primary client device is unavailable;

determining whether any other client device has been designated as a primary client device;

if another client device has been designated as a primary client device, directing the requesting client device to another primary client device; and

if no other client device has been designated as a primary client device, designating the requesting client device as a primary client device, and sending objects to be deployed at the plurality of client devices to the requesting client device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the primary client device has been silent for a predefined time period; and

removing the primary client device from a list of primary client devices.

12. A system comprising:

at least one primary network device; and

a plurality of secondary network devices coupled to the primary network device via a network,

wherein the primary network device is to receive objects for the plurality of secondary network devices from a server, and the plurality of secondary network devices are to receive an identifier of the primary network device from the server and to request updates for objects deployed at individual secondary network devices from the primary network device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the objects comprise at least one of policy objects and configuration objects.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein one of the plurality of secondary network devices is to determine that the primary network device is not available, to send, to the server, a request for updates of objects deployed at the secondary network device, the request indicating that the primary network device is not available, to receive, from the server, an identifier of another primary network device, and to send to the other primary network device, a request for updates of objects deployed at the secondary network device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein one of the plurality of secondary network devices is to receive, from the server, objects to be deployed at a plurality of network devices, and to act as a primary network device for other devices from the plurality of network devices.

17. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

sending, to a server, a request for updates of objects deployed at a primary client device;

receiving, from the server, objects to be deployed at a plurality of client devices, the plurality of client devices comprising the primary client device and a set of secondary client devices; and

upon receiving a request for object updates from a secondary client device from the set, determining a difference between objects deployed at the secondary client device and objects received from the server for the secondary client device, and sending the difference to the secondary client device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

periodically requesting updates for the objects to be deployed at the plurality of client devices.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the objects comprise at least one of policy objects and configuration objects.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein determining a difference between objects deployed at the secondary client device and objects received from the server for the secondary client device comprises:

determining whether fingerprints of the objects deployed at the secondary client device match fingerprints of the objects received from the server for the secondary client device receiving; and

if a match is not found, identifying objects that have different fingerprints.