Method of combining architecturally dissimilar computing networks into a single logical network
First Claim
1. In a network system comprising at least two independent computing networks (102, 104) connected by at least one interface node (120, 122), which independent networks use different resource search methods and message formats, a method of extending a search for the location of a network system resource across a said interface node, in which a first one of the networks (102) comprises a plurality of network nodes (106-M) and end nodes (106-M-M), wherein the network nodes are interconnected nonhierarchically as peer nodes, each providing network services to a separate group of end nodes, and each network node dynamically maintains a directory (211) of resources in the first network as it becomes aware of such resources, and the second network comprises one or more interconnected subarea domains (108), each internally structured as a plurality of hierarchically connected nodes with a domain host node having a directory of all resources contained in the respective domain (212,213), the interface node being divided into a first section (202) associated with the first network, and a second section (204) associated with the second network, said second section being configured as a host node of a respective domain, the method comprising the steps at the interface node ofinitiating a search of the first and second networks for the resource according to steps a) through h), andterminating the search and returning a positive indication to the source of a search request if the resource is located, andreturning a negative response if the resource is not located said method further comprisingresponsive to the arrival of a first search request at the first section of the interface node from the first network (FIG. 3),a) searching (406, 404;
- 510) the resource directory of the first section to determine if the location of the resource in the network system is known to the first section,b) if the resource is not listed in the directory of the first section, transforming (222) the first search request into a format required by the second section, said format requesting a search only of the directory of the second section of the interface node and transmitting (409;
516) the transformed first search request to the second section, andc) waiting (410;
518) for a response to the transformed first search request from the second section before proceeding with the search, andin response to the arrival of a second search request at the second section from the second network (FIG.
9),d) searching (904) the resource directory of the second section to determine if the location of the resource in the network system is known to the second section,e) if the resource is not listed in the directory of the second section, transforming (222) the second search request into a format required by the first section and transmitting the transformed second search request to the first section,in the first section in response to the transformed second search request,f) determining (910,
912) if the transformed second search request derives from another search request propagated from the first network into the second network, and if so,g) transmitting (914) a negative response to the second section, andh) otherwise, searching (916) the resource directory of the first section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and arrangement is disclosed for extending a resource search across a gateway node connecting a peer-to-peer network with a subarea network. An interface node is divided into a first section associated with the peer network and a second section associated with the subarea network. In response to a resource search request arriving at one of the sections from the network with which the section is associated, a directory of resources known by the respective section is first searched. If the resource is not found in the directory of the section, the search request is translated into a format compatible with the other network, and the translated search request is transmitted to the other section of the interface node. If the resource is not found among the resources known to the interface node, the resources known by the end nodes served by the interface node in the peer network are next searched. If the resource is not found within these end nodes, the resources known by each of the remaining network and end nodes in the peer network are next searched. If the resource is still not found, a search of the subarea nodes of the second network is initiated.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a network system comprising at least two independent computing networks (102, 104) connected by at least one interface node (120, 122), which independent networks use different resource search methods and message formats, a method of extending a search for the location of a network system resource across a said interface node, in which a first one of the networks (102) comprises a plurality of network nodes (106-M) and end nodes (106-M-M), wherein the network nodes are interconnected nonhierarchically as peer nodes, each providing network services to a separate group of end nodes, and each network node dynamically maintains a directory (211) of resources in the first network as it becomes aware of such resources, and the second network comprises one or more interconnected subarea domains (108), each internally structured as a plurality of hierarchically connected nodes with a domain host node having a directory of all resources contained in the respective domain (212,213), the interface node being divided into a first section (202) associated with the first network, and a second section (204) associated with the second network, said second section being configured as a host node of a respective domain, the method comprising the steps at the interface node of
initiating a search of the first and second networks for the resource according to steps a) through h), and terminating the search and returning a positive indication to the source of a search request if the resource is located, and returning a negative response if the resource is not located said method further comprising responsive to the arrival of a first search request at the first section of the interface node from the first network (FIG. 3), a) searching (406, 404; - 510) the resource directory of the first section to determine if the location of the resource in the network system is known to the first section,
b) if the resource is not listed in the directory of the first section, transforming (222) the first search request into a format required by the second section, said format requesting a search only of the directory of the second section of the interface node and transmitting (409;
516) the transformed first search request to the second section, andc) waiting (410;
518) for a response to the transformed first search request from the second section before proceeding with the search, andin response to the arrival of a second search request at the second section from the second network (FIG.
9),d) searching (904) the resource directory of the second section to determine if the location of the resource in the network system is known to the second section, e) if the resource is not listed in the directory of the second section, transforming (222) the second search request into a format required by the first section and transmitting the transformed second search request to the first section, in the first section in response to the transformed second search request, f) determining (910,
912) if the transformed second search request derives from another search request propagated from the first network into the second network, and if so,g) transmitting (914) a negative response to the second section, and h) otherwise, searching (916) the resource directory of the first section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- 510) the resource directory of the first section to determine if the location of the resource in the network system is known to the first section,
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12. In a network system comprising at least two independent computing networks connected by at least one interface node, which independent networks use different resource search methods and message formats, apparatus for extending a search for the location of a network system resource across a said interface node, in which a first one of the networks comprises a plurality of network nodes and end nodes, wherein the network nodes are interconnected nonhierarchically as peer nodes, each providing network services to a separate group of end nodes, and each network node dynamically maintains a directory of resources in the first network as it becomes aware of such resources, and the second network comprises one or more interconnected subarea domains, each internally structured as a plurality of hierarchically connected nodes with a domain host node having a directory of all resources contained in the respective domain, the interface node being divided into a first section associated with the first network, and a second section associated with the second network, said second section being configured as a host node of a respective domain, said apparatus comprising
means in each section for initiating a search of the first and second networks for the resource in response to a search request, and means for terminating the search and returning a positive indication to the source of the search request when the resource is located, said means for initiating a search further comprising first means responsive to the arrival of a first search request at the first section of the interface node from the first network for searching the resource directory of the first section to determine if the location of the resource in the network system is known to the first section, second means responsive to a negative result from the first means for transforming the first search request into a format required by the second section requesting a search only of the directory of the second section of the interface node and transmitting the transformed first search request to the second section, and third means for waiting for a response to the transformed first search request from the second section before proceeding with the search, and fourth means responsive to the arrival of a second search request at the second section from the second network for searching the resource directory of the second section to determine if the location of the resource in the network system is known to the second section, fifth means responsive to a negative result from the fourth means for transforming the second search request into a format required by the first section and transmitting the transformed second search request to the first section, sixth means in the first section responsive to the transformed second search request for determining if the transformed second search request derives from another search request propagated from the first network into the second network, seventh means responsive to a determination by the sixth means that the transformed second request derives from another search request for transmitting a negative response to the second section indicating that the resource was not found, and eight means responsive to a determination by the sixth means that the transformed second search request does not derive from another search request for searching the resource directory of the first section.
Specification