PROVIDING SERVER IDENTIFICATION TO A CLIENT

• US 20120137010A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Greenwave Reality, Pte Ltd. (Greenwave Reality, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diehl, William, Jonsson, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4505 using standardised directories; using standardised directory access protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A request for a server identifier is responded to with one of two different server identifiers. A remote server identifier is provided if the remote server is available and a local server identifier is provided if the remote server is not available. A networked device may provide the server identifier in a networked system.

Claims

1. A method for providing server identification to a client comprising:

receiving a request for a server identifier over a local network connection from a requesting device;

determining if a remote server is available;

selecting a server identifier of the remote server if the remote server is available and selecting a server identifier of a local server on the local area network if the remote server is not available; and

sending the selected server identifier over the local network connection to the requesting device in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected server identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the request is accomplished using NetBIOS services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the request is accomplished using Multicast Domain Name Services.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining if a connection to a remote server is available comprises:

sending a message to the remote server, wherein the message is routed over the local area network, through a gateway device, and over an internet connection to reach the remote server.

6. A networked device comprising:

a first network adapter capable of connecting to a local area network;

a processor communicatively coupled to the first network adapter;

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor and having processor readable program code suitable for execution by the processor embodied therewith, the processor readable program code comprising;

processor readable program code configured to receive a request for a server identifier over the local area network connection;

processor readable program code configured to determine if a remote server is available;

processor readable program code configured to select a server identifier of the remote server if the remote server is available and to select a server identifier of a local server on the local area network if the remote server is not available; and

processor readable program code configured to send the selected server identifier over the local area network connection in response to the request.

7. The networked device of claim 6, wherein the server identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string.

8. The networked device of claim 6, wherein the request for the server identifier is received using NetBIOS services.

9. The networked device of claim 6, wherein the request for the server identifier is received using Multicast Domain Name Services.

10. The networked device of claim 6, further comprising:

a second network adapter communicatively coupled to the processor and capable of connecting to a wireless mesh network.

11. The networked device of claim 6, wherein

the networked device is the local server and

the processor readable program code further comprises:

processor readable program code configured to respond to Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests;

12. The networked device of claim 6, wherein

the networked device is the local server and

the processor readable program code further comprises:

processor readable program code configured to respond to at least one remote procedure call (RPC);

13. A networked system comprising:

the networked device of claim 6;

a first server configured to communicate over the local area network and respond to an HTTP request if directed to the first server, wherein the first server is the local server; and

a second server configured to respond to said HTTP request if directed to the second server, wherein the second server is the remote server; and

a client networked device configured to;

communicate to the local area network;

send the request for the server identifier over the local area network connection;

receive the selected server identifier over the local area network connection; and

send said HTTP request to the selected server.

14. The networked system of claim 13, wherein the server identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string.

15. The networked system of claim 13, wherein the request for the server identifier is received using EasyID techniques.

16. The networked system of claim 13, wherein the networked device is the first server.

17. The networked system of claim 13, wherein

the first server is configured to respond to said HTTP request with a first response;

and

the second server is configured to respond to said HTTP request with a second response;

wherein

the second response is different than the first response.

18. The networked system of claim 13, wherein

the first server and the second server are both configured to respond to a first set of remote procedure calls;

and

the client networked device is configured to send at least a one of the first set of remote procedure calls to the selected server.

19. The networked system of claim 18, wherein

the second server is also configured to respond to a second set of remote procedure calls, and

the client networked device is also configured to send at least a one of the second set of remote procedure calls to the second server.