Mechanisms for transparently converting client-server software agents to peer-to-peer software agents

• US 20110167165A1
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Inventors: Bryan, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,332,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A method of converting client-server software agents to peer-to-peer software agents coupling a client to an adaptor software module is provided. The method includes directly coupling a client in software to an adaptor software module, wherein said adaptor software services underlying traffic from an unmodified agent and relays it on behalf of said unmodified agent, wherein all traffic generated by said unmodified agent is relayed directly to said adaptor software module.

Claims

1. A method for translating between client-server and peer-to-peer protocols, the method comprising:

receiving a network message conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the network message is an application-level message and does not trigger an application-level event, updating a local protocol state with information in the application-level message;

if the network message is an application-level message and triggers an application-level event, sending to an application layer a translated message in a client-server protocol to trigger an appropriate application-level event;

performing peer-to-peer protocol-level operations in response to the network message;

receiving a call from an application-layer, wherein the call conforms to a client-server protocol;

if the call is a library initialization call, creating a local stack to handle subsequent calls and to process incoming network messages conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the call is not a library initialization call but the call implies library initialization, creating a local stack to handle subsequent calls and to process incoming network messages conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol; and

if the call is a request to send information using a client-server protocol, then translating the request to at least one network message conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call received from the application layer is awaiting a response, waiting for a response network message in a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the response network message is received, sending the application layer a translated response in client-server protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call received from the application layer is awaiting a response, waiting for a response network message in a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the response network message is later received, sending the application layer an event trigger in the client-server protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call received from the application layer is not awaiting a response, registering an appropriate event trigger;

if the response network message is later received, sending the application layer a translated response in client-server protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call received from the application layer is not awaiting a response, registering an appropriate event trigger;

if the response network message is later received, sending the application layer an event trigger in client-server protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented by a network edge device performing deep packet inspection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented by software executing on a machine shared with application-level software generating the application-level message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented by an adapter software module that transparently translates client-server application level network messages to and from peer-to-peer network messages.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter software module is software selected from the group consisting of a protocol stack, state machine, protocol library, dialog manager, application driver, software firewall, modified socket library, and system service.

10. A method of converting a client-server software agent to a peer-to-peer software agent, the method comprising:

directly coupling in software a client agent to an adaptor software module without any network connection between the client agent and the adaptor software module, wherein the client agent operates using a client-server protocol;

receiving at the adaptor software module from the client agent application-level network traffic in a client-server protocol;

converting at the adaptor software module the received traffic into a peer-to-peer protocol;

relaying by the adaptor software module the converted traffic over a network on behalf of the client agent.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the converting is performed only when the client-server protocol is selected by a configuration setting for translation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the client-server protocol is selected for translation when an intended server is unreachable.

13. A method of transparently converting between peer-to-peer protocols, the method comprising:

directly coupling in software a peer agent to an adaptor software module without any network connection between the peer agent and the adaptor software module, wherein the peer agent operates using a first peer-to-peer protocol;

receiving at the adaptor software module from the peer agent application-level network traffic in the first peer-to-peer protocol;

converting at the adaptor software module the received traffic into a second peer-to-peer protocol;

relaying by the adaptor software module the converted traffic over a network on behalf of the peer agent.

14. A method for translating between peer-to-peer protocols, the method comprising:

positioning between a peer agent and a network edge an adaptor software module that intercepts packets traversing a network connection between the peer agent and a network edge between a local area network and a wide area network;

receiving at the adaptor software module from the peer agent network traffic in a first peer-to-peer protocol;

converting at the adaptor software module the received traffic into a second peer-to-peer protocol;

relaying by the adaptor software module the converted traffic over a network on behalf of the peer agent.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the adaptor software module is implemented as part of a firewall.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the adaptor software module is implemented as part of a network edge device.