Protocol For Anycast Based Discovery Of Local Resources

• US 20190230168A1
• Filed: 02/23/2018
• Published: 07/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: BECK, Jody Lee
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments disclosed herein may provide a protocol enabling anycast based discovery of local resources. Various embodiments may provide a lightweight decentralized directory system that pairs local demands with local resources in a network. Various embodiments may provide a routing (or bridging) protocol that brokers communication between endpoints in Internet Service Provider (ISP) networks. Various embodiments may broker any type services, such as virtual network services, physical services, etc. Various embodiments may pair local demands with local resources in a network without requiring any central network infrastructure and/or requiring a Domain Name System (DNS) server. Various embodiments may support low latency and high bandwidth applications through the pairing of local demands with local resources in a network.

Claims

1. A method for anycast resource discovery, comprising:

receiving, at an anycast resource discovery protocol (ARDP) node server, one or more anycast resource publication messages from one or more resource computing devices, each anycast resource publication message including an identifier, a type indication, a subtype indication, a delivery indication, an Internet Protocol (IP) address indication, and a port indication associated with the respective resource computing device sending that resource publication message;

storing, at the ARDP node server, a unique entry in a database of services for each received anycast resource publication message, each unique entry including the identifier, the type indication, the subtype indication, the delivery indication, the IP address indication, and the port indication of that respective received anycast resource publication message;

receiving, at the ARDP node server, an anycast service request message from a client computing device, the anycast service request message indicating at least a type request;

determining, by the ARDP node server, any type indications stored in the database of services matching the type request; and

sending, from the ARDP node server, a service response message to the client computing device, the service response message including the unique entries having type indications determined to match the type request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages further include location indications and geofence indications; and

the unique entries for the at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages include the location indications and the geofence indications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages further include keys; and

the unique entries for the at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages include the keys.

4. A method for anycast resource provisioning, comprising:

sending, from processor of a computing device, an anycast resource publication message to an anycast resource discovery protocol (ARDP) node server, the anycast resource publication message including an identifier, a type indication, a subtype indication, a delivery indication, an Internet Protocol (IP) address indication, and a port indication of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor of the computing device, a communication from a client computing device at a port corresponding to the port indication in the anycast resource publication message; and

sending, from the processor of the computing device, a response message to the client computing device in response to receiving the communication from the client computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the anycast resource publication message further includes a key;

the communication from the client computing device includes the key; and

sending, from the processor of the computing device, the response message to the client computing device in response to receiving the communication from the client computing device comprises sending, from the processor of the computing device, the response message to the client computing device in response to receiving the communication from the client computing device and the key being included in the communication from the client computing device.

7. A method for anycast resource discovery, comprising:

sending, from a processor of a computing device, an anycast service request message to an anycast resource discovery protocol (ARDP) node server, the anycast service request message indicating at least a type request; and

receiving, at the processor of the computing device, a service response message from the ARDP node server, the service response message including an identifier, a type indication, a subtype indication, a delivery indication, an Internet Protocol (IP) address indication, and a port indication of at least one resource computing device and the type indication matching the type request.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending, from the processor of the computing device, a communication to a port of the at least one resource computing device corresponding to the port indication in the service response message; and

receiving, at the processor of the computing device, a response message from the at least one resource computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the service response message further includes a key of the at least one resource computing device; and

the communication to the port of the at least one resource computing device includes the key.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the service response message further includes a location indication and a geofence indication of the at least one resource computing device; and

sending, from the processor of the computing device, the communication to the port of the at least one resource computing device corresponding to the port indication in the service response message comprises;

determining whether a current location of the computing device is within an area defined by the location indication and the geofence indication; and

sending, from the processor of the computing device, the communication to the port of the at least one resource computing device corresponding to the port indication in the service response message in response to determining the current location of the computing device is within the area defined by the location indication and the geofence indication.

11. A server, comprising:

a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving one or more anycast resource publication messages from one or more resource computing devices, each anycast resource publication message including an identifier, a type indication, a subtype indication, a delivery indication, an Internet Protocol (IP) address indication, and a port indication associated with the respective resource computing device sending that resource publication message;

storing a unique entry in a database of services for each received anycast resource publication message, each unique entry including the identifier, the type indication, the subtype indication, the delivery indication, the IP address indication, and the port indication of that respective received anycast resource publication message;

receiving an anycast service request message from a client computing device, the anycast service request message indicating at least a type request;

determining any type indications stored in the database of services matching the type request; and

sending a service response message to the client computing device, the service response message including the unique entries having type indications determined to match the type request.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:

at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages further include location indications and geofence indications; and

the unique entries for the at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages include the location indications and the geofence indications.

13. The server of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:

at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages further include keys; and

the unique entries for the at least a portion of the one or more anycast resource publication messages include the keys.

14. A device, comprising:

a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

sending an anycast resource publication message to an anycast resource discovery protocol (ARDP) node server, the anycast resource publication message including an identifier, a type indication, a subtype indication, a delivery indication, an Internet Protocol (IP) address indication, and a port indication of the computing device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a communication from a client computing device at a port corresponding to the port indication in the anycast resource publication message; and

sending a response message to the client computing device in response to receiving the communication from the client computing device.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:

the anycast resource publication message further includes a key;

the communication from the client computing device includes the key; and

sending the response message to the client computing device in response to receiving the communication from the client computing device comprises sending the response message to the client computing device in response to receiving the communication from the client computing device and the key being included in the communication from the client computing device.

17. A device, comprising:

a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

sending device, an anycast service request message to an anycast resource discovery protocol (ARDP) node server, the anycast service request message indicating at least a type request; and

receiving a service response message from the ARDP server, the service response message including an identifier, a type indication, a subtype indication, a delivery indication, an Internet Protocol (IP) address indication, and a port indication of at least one resource computing device and the type indication matching the type request.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

sending a communication to a port of the at least one resource computing device corresponding to the port indication in the service response message; and

receiving a response message from the at least one resource computing device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:

the service response message further includes a key of the at least one resource computing device; and

the communication to the port of the at least one resource computing device includes the key.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:

the service response message further includes a location indication and a geofence indication of the at least one resource computing device; and

sending the communication to the port of the at least one resource computing device corresponding to the port indication in the service response message comprises;

determining whether a current location of the computing device is within an area defined by the location indication and the geofence indication; and

sending the communication to the port of the at least one resource computing device corresponding to the port indication in the service response message in response to determining the current location of the computing device is within the area defined by the location indication and the geofence indication.