Controlling access to network resources
First Claim
1. A network, comprising:
- a plurality of computing devices;
a plurality of resources;
storage means containing data defining an access log;
a communications channel permitting each computing device to access each of the resources and the storage means for data transfer;
each computing device being adapted to access a required one of the resources according to a resource accessing procedure comprising;
a. recording an entry in the access log identifying the required resource prior to any accessing of the required resource;
b. scanning the access log prior to any accessing of the required resource to locate any conflicting entry identifying the required resource;
c. terminating the resource accessing procedure in response to any conflicting entry located during the scanning of the access log;
d. accessing the required resource in response to the absence of any conflicting entry in the access log;
e. deleting the recorded entry when any accessing of the required resource by the computing device is finished.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network includes digital computers, resources such as disk drives, printers and modems or disk files, file records or tasks, and a communications channel permitting data transfer between each digital computer and the resources. The function of mediating conflicting demands for network resources is distributed among the digital computers. A file server or other storage device connected to the communications channel contains an access log. Each digital computer accesses a required resource by first recording an entry in the access log identifying the required resource and then scanning the access log to locate any conflicting entry identifying the same resource. The access procedure is terminated if the conflicting entry is located and the recorded entry is then deleted. The digital computer otherwise accesses the required resource and deletes the recorded entry once use of the resource has terminated. Access to resources is restricted according to priority levels assigned to the various computers and by a virtual use log within the access log. A system operator can create records in the virtual use log indicating a non-existent use of network resources. Depending upon its assigned priority, each computer may scan portions of the virtual use log and locate conflicting entries which effectively prohibit the computer from accessing the identified resource.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A network, comprising:
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a plurality of computing devices; a plurality of resources; storage means containing data defining an access log; a communications channel permitting each computing device to access each of the resources and the storage means for data transfer; each computing device being adapted to access a required one of the resources according to a resource accessing procedure comprising; a. recording an entry in the access log identifying the required resource prior to any accessing of the required resource; b. scanning the access log prior to any accessing of the required resource to locate any conflicting entry identifying the required resource; c. terminating the resource accessing procedure in response to any conflicting entry located during the scanning of the access log; d. accessing the required resource in response to the absence of any conflicting entry in the access log; e. deleting the recorded entry when any accessing of the required resource by the computing device is finished. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A network, comprising:
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a plurality of computing devices; a plurality of resources; storage means storing data defining an access log; a communications channel permitting each computing device to access each of the resources and the storage means for data transfer; each computing device being adapted to access a required one of the resources according to a resource accessing procedure comprising; a. recording an entry in the access log identifying the required resource; b. scanning the access log subsequent to recording the entry to locate any conflicting entry identifying the required resource; c. terminating the resource accessing procedure without accessing the required resource in the event that a conflicting entry is located, the terminating including deleting the recorded entry; d. accessing the required resource in the event that a conflicting entry is not located and deleting the recorded entry when the computing device discontinues the accessing of the required resource. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A network, comprising:
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a plurality of computing devices; a plurality of peripherals; storage means containing data defining an access log; a communications channel permitting each computing device to access each of the peripherals and the storage means for data transfer; each computing device having an input device permitting a user to select a peripheral for data transfer between the computing device and the selected peripheral and being adapted to respond to selection of the selected peripheral according to a peripheral accessing procedure comprising; a. recording an entry in the access log identifying the selected peripheral prior to any accessing of the selected peripheral; b. scanning the access log prior to any accessing of the selected peripheral to locate any conflicting entry identifying the selected peripheral; c. terminating the peripheral accessing procedure in response to any conflicting entry located during the scanning of the access log; d. accessing the selected peripheral in response to the absence of any conflicting entry in the access log; e. deleting the recorded entry when any accessing of the selected peripheral by the computing device is finished. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A network:
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a plurality of computing devices, each computing device being operably coupled to a different one of a plurality of storage units, each storage unit containing data defining a copy of an access log which copy is associated with the computing device coupled to the storage unit; a communications channel permitting each computing device to access each of the resources and each of the other computing devices for data transfer; each computing device being adapted to access a required one of the resources according to a resource accessing procedure comprising; a. scanning the associated copy of the access log prior to any accessing of the required resource to locate any conflicting entry identifying the required resource; b. terminating the resource accessing procedure in response to any conflicting entry located during the scanning of the associated copy of the access log; c. accessing the required resource in response to the absence of any conflicting entry in the associated copy of the access log; d. recording an entry identifying the required resource in the associated copy of the access log prior to any accessing of the required resource and transmitting a message corresponding to the recorded entry along the communications channel to each of the other computing devices; e. deleting the recorded entry from the associated copy of the access log when any accessing of the required resource by the computing device is finished and transmitting a message along the communications channel to each of the other computing devices indicating deletion of the recorded entry; each of the computing devices being adapted to respond to each message received from each of the other computing devices by recording and deleting entries in the associated copy of the access log according to the message received such that the copies of the access log associated with the computing devices remain substantially identical.
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Specification