SERVER-SIDE PROTOCOL CONFIGURATION OF ACCESSING CLIENTS

• US 20090234961A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fontes, Stephen M., Burckart, Erik J., Lanzen, Craig A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/322 Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention is a method, system and apparatus for configuring a client-side communications protocol stack. In a method of the invention, a mapping can be consulted to determine a set of client-side protocol stack components which correspond to a set of protocol stack components in a server side protocol stack instance. Subsequently, a listing can be created of the determined set of client-side protocol stack components. Finally, the listing can be published for access by externally disposed client computing processes. Preferably, the listing can be reversed. Also, the consulting step further can include determining at least one attribute to be applied to at least one of the client-side protocol stack components when enabling a client-side protocol stack to interoperate with the server-side protocol stack instance.

Claims

1. A inter-process communications protocol configuration computer hardware system comprising:

a mapping of server-side protocol stack components to client-side protocol stack components in a server-side protocol stack;

a listing of dependent ones of said server-side protocol stack components in said server-side protocol stack based upon said mapping; and

,

a publishable interface to said listing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said mapping comprises:

a set of linkages between protocol stack components of said server-side protocol stack and corresponding protocol stack components required to exist in an associated client-side protocol stack; and

,

a set of attributes for selected ones of said corresponding protocol stack components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said listing is a reverse listing comprising a reverse ordered list of said dependent ones of said server-side protocol stack components in said server-side protocol stack based upon said mapping.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said publishable interface is a native directory interface to at least one object incorporating said listing.

5. A computer-implemented method for configuring a client-side communications protocol stack, the method comprising the steps of:

consulting a mapping to determine a set of client-side protocol stack components which correspond to a set of protocol stack components in a server side protocol stack instance;

creating a listing of said determined set of client-side protocol stack components; and

,

publishing said listing for access by externally disposed client computing processes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said consulting step further comprises the step of determining at least one attribute to be applied to at least one of said client-side protocol stack components when enabling a client-side protocol stack to interoperate with said server-side protocol stack instance.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said creating step further comprises the step of reversing an order of said created listing.

8. A computer-implemented for configuring a client-side communications protocol stack, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a listing of required client-side protocol stack components which correspond to protocol stack components aggregated in a server-side protocol stack instance;

determining from said listing whether a client-side protocol stack instance already exists which includes said required client-side protocol stack components; and

,

if said client-side protocol stack instance already exists, re-using said client-side protocol stack instance to communicate with said server-side protocol stack, and otherwise creating a new instance of a client-side protocol stack using said required client-side protocol stack components.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said accessing step comprises the step of accessing said listing through a native directory interface.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

identifying attributes to be applied to said required client-side protocol stack components; and

,

applying said identified attributes to said client-side protocol stack components in said new instance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said re-using step comprises the steps of:

re-using said client-side protocol stack instance to communicate with said server-side protocol stack only if said client-side protocol stack instance includes said identified attributes; and

,

otherwise creating a new instance of a client-side protocol stack using said required client-side protocol stack components and including said identified attributes.

12. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon a computer program for configuring a client-side communications protocol stack, the computer program comprising a set of computer-readable instructions which when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to perform the steps of:

consulting a mapping to determine a set of client-side protocol stack components which correspond to a set of protocol stack components in a server side protocol stack instance;

creating a listing of said determined set of client-side protocol stack components; and

,

publishing said listing for access by externally disposed client computing processes.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein said consulting step further comprises the step of determining at least one attribute to be applied to at least one of said client-side protocol stack components when enabling a client-side protocol stack to interoperate with said server-side protocol stack instance.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein said creating step further comprises the step of reversing an order of said created listing.

15. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon a computer program for configuring a client-side communications protocol stack, the computer program comprising a set of computer-readable instructions which when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to perform the steps of:

accessing a listing of required client-side protocol stack components which correspond to protocol stack components aggregated in a server-side protocol stack instance;

determining from said listing whether a client-side protocol stack instance already exists which includes said required client-side protocol stack components; and

,

if said client-side protocol stack instance already exists, re-using said client-side protocol stack instance to communicate with said server-side protocol stack, and otherwise creating a new instance of a client-side protocol stack using said required client-side protocol stack components.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein said accessing step comprises the step of accessing said listing through a native directory interface.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

identifying attributes to be applied to said required client-side protocol stack components; and

,

applying said identified attributes to said client-side protocol stack components in said new instance.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein said re-using step comprises the steps of:

re-using said client-side protocol stack instance to communicate with said server-side protocol stack only if said client-side protocol stack instance includes said identified attributes; and

,

otherwise creating a new instance of a client-side protocol stack using said required client-side protocol stack components and including said identified attributes.