System for interconnecting applications across different networks of data processing systems by mapping protocols across different network domains

• US 5,142,622 A
• Filed: 01/31/1989
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Owens, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coleman, Eric
• Application Number:
  US07/304,696
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/700, 395/500, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass networks security protocols H04L9/40; wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

The system and method of this invention automatically routes a connection between data processing systems in different network domains. As an example, an application running on a data processing system utilizing a network domain such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), can automatically make a connection to another data processing system utilizing a different network domain such as SNA (Systems Network Architecture). The connection is automatically performed in the layer containing the communication end point objects. In a preferred embodiment, the connection is automatically performed in the socket layer of the AIX operating system, or in the socket layer of other operating systems based upon the Berkeley version of the UNIX operating system.

Claims

1. A system for communicating between a first data processing system in a first network domain and a second data processing system in a second network domain, wherein said first network domain has a network protocol architecture different from said second network domain, said system comprising:

at least one communication end point object in a layer of said first data processing system in said first network domain and at least one communication end point object in a layer of said second data processing system in said second network domain;

means, independently of an application running on either of said data processing systems, for automatically establishing, in said layer of said first data processing system and in said layer of said second data processing system, a connection between said first processing system and said second processing system and comprising means for mapping protocols between said first and second network domain; and

means for communicating over said connection between said first data processing system and said second data processing.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first network domain is a Transmission Control Protocol and the second network domain is a Systems Network Architecture.

3. A system for communicating between a first data processing system in a first network domain and a second data processing system in a second network domain, wherein said first network domain has a network protocol architecture different from said second network domain, said system comprising:

at least one communication end point object in a layer of said first data processing system;

an intermediate data processing system having at least one communication end point object in a layer of said intermediate data processing system;

at least one communication end point object in a layer of said second data processing system;

means, in said intermediate data processing system, for establishing automatically routed connections in said layer of said first data processing system, said layer of said second data processing system and said intermediate data processing system and comprising means for mapping protocols between said first and second network domain, said first and second processing systems each including means for executing respective application programs; and

means for communicating through said automatically routed connections between said first data processing system in said first network domain and said second data processing system in said second network domain.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said means for communication immediately sends any data received from one end of said routed connection to said other end of said routed connection.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said first data processing system includes a socket layer of socket code in said first data processing system;

said at least one communication end point object in a layer of said first data processing system is a socket in said socket layer of said first data processing system;

said intermediate data processing system includes a socket layer of socket code in said intermediate data processing system;

said at least one communication end point object in a layer of said intermediate data processing system is a socket in said socket layer of said intermediate data processing system;

said second data processing system includes a socket layer of socket code in said second data processing system;

said at least one communication end point object in a layer of said second data processing system is a socket in said socket layer of said second data processing system.

6. A system for communicating between a first data processing system in a first network domain and a second data processing system in a second network domain, wherein said first network domain has a network protocol architecture different from said second network domain, said system comprising:

at least one socket in a socket layer of said first data processing system in said first network domain;

at least one socket in a socket layer of said second data processing system in said second network domain;

means, independently of an application running on either of said data processing systems, for establishing in said socket layer of said first data processing system and in said socket layer of said second data processing system an automatically routed socket connection between said first data processing system and said second data processing system and comprising means for mapping addresses between said first and second network domain; and

means for communicating through said socket connection between said first data processing system and said second data processing system.

7. A method for communicating between a first data processing system in a first network domain having a socket and a second data processing system in a second network domain, wherein said first network domain has a network protocol architecture different from said second network domain, said method comprising:

establishing, by said first data processing system, a socket in said second data processing system in said second network domain; and

invoking a routing facility to automatically establish a socket connection between said socket in said first data processing system and said socket in said second data processing system when said socket in said second data processing system is established and comprising means for mapping protocols between said first and second network domain;

communicating over said socket connection between said socket in said first data processing system in said first domain and said socket in said second data processing in said second domain; and

executing an application program on each of said first and second processing systems.

8. An operating system for use with a plurality of data processing systems for communicating between a first data processing system in a first network domain and a second data processing system in a second network domain, wherein said first network domain has a network protocol architecture different from said second network domain, said operating system comprising:

at least one socket in a socket layer of said first data processing system in said first network domain;

at least one socket in a socket layer of said second data processing system in said second network domain;

means, independently of an application running on either of said data processing systems, for automatically routing, in said socket layer of said first data processing system and in said socket layer of said second data processing system, a socket connection between said first data processing system and said second data processing system and comprising means for mapping addresses between said first and second network domain;

means for establishing said socket connection; and

means for communicating through said socket connection between said first data processing system and said second data processing system, wherein said data first and second processing systems each include means for executing respective application programs.