Method and apparatus for providing simple secure management of remote servers

• US 5,671,414 A
• Filed: 02/27/1996
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Nicolet, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/607,599
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 395/188.01, 395/187.01, 395/186, 395/653, 395/200.1, 395/684, 380/23
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A set of secure remote procedure calls are implemented in a network using the terms of the native communications protocol of the local and remote computers. The remote procedure calls allow a system administrator working from a client computer to directly interact and to manage the network operating system. One or more remote procedure calls are incorporated into the network client computer operating system and corresponding remote procedure calls are incorporated into the server computer operating system. As a result, developers may develop client software with the ability to load, unload or otherwise configure remote server applications using a network client computer to instruct the server computer operating system that supports the calls.

Claims

1. A method in a computer network that includes (a) a network client computer configured to request and receive network services through the use of digital message packets, the client computer comprising a first processor for executing computer programs, and user input and output hardware, said client computer being characterized by a unique user access password having a first level of security associated therewith;

(b) a network server computer configured to request and receive network services through the use of digital message packets, the server computer comprising a processor for executing computer programs, a hard drive for storing a plurality of software modules, and a RAM, said server computer being characterized by an administrator access password having a second level of security associated therewith, which second level of security is greater than said first level of security; and

(c) a server operating system, including a native communications protocol, resident in said server computer;

the method of remotely reconfiguring said server operating system from said client computer comprising the steps of;

entering said user access password into said user input hardware to thereby establish a user session at said client computer;

transmitting a server process from said client computer to said server computer;

storing said server process at a first address on said hard drive of said server computer;

transmitting from said server computer to said client computer indicia of said first address;

constructing, by said client computer, a first digital message packet comprising a first field indicative of a request to load a software module, and a second field indicative of said first address;

transmitting said first packet from said client computer to said server computer;

processing said first and second fields by said server operating system;

retrieving said server process from said first address on said hard drive;

loading said server process into said RAM to thereby dynamically reconfigure said server operating system without using said administrator access password; and

constructing a response message, by said server computer, and transmitting said response message to said client computer after said loading step, said response message indicating that said server process is loaded into said RAM, wherein said constructing step comprises building a message packet including an IPX header together with said first and second fields.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of loading a client application onto said client computer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of running said client application on said client computer interactively with said server process.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

transmitting data packets between said client computer and said server computer using said reconfigured server operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said server process comprises a network operating system module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first field comprises indicia of a predetermined remote procedure call.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said remote procedure call comprises one of:

RPC load an NLM;

RPC unload an NLM;

RPC mount a volume;

RPC dismount a volume;

RPC add name space to volume;

RPC set command value; and

RPC execute NCF file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said second field comprises indicia of a logical address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said second field comprises indicia of a filename.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

loading a client application onto said client computer and running said application; and

accessing, by said application program, said server process during operation of said application program.

11. A method in a computer network that includes (a) a network client computer configured to request and receive network services through the use of digital message packets, the client computer comprising a first processor for executing computer programs, and user input and output hardware, said client computer being characterized by a unique user access password having a first level of security associated therewith;

(b) a network server computer configured to request and receive network services through the use of digital message packets, the server computer comprising a processor for executing computer programs, a hard drive for storing a plurality of software modules, and a RAM, said server computer being characterized by an administrator access password having a second level of security associated therewith, which second level of security is greater than said first level of security; and

(c) a server operating system, including a native communications protocol, resident in said server computer;

the method of remotely reconfiguring said server operating system from said client computer comprising the steps of;

entering said user access password into said user input hardware to thereby establish a user session at said client computer;

transmitting a server process from said client computer to said server computer;

storing said server process at a first address on said hard drive of said server computer;

transmitting from said server computer to said client computer indicia of said first address;

constructing, by said client computer, a first digital message packet comprising a first field indicative of a request to load a software module, and a second field indicative of said first address;

transmitting said first packet from said client computer to said server computer;

processing said first and second fields by said server operating system;

retrieving said server process from said first address on said hard drive;

loading said server process into said RAM to thereby dynamically reconfigure said server operating system without using said administrator access password; and

constructing a response message, by said server computer, and transmitting said response message to said client computer after said loading step, said response message indicating that said server process is loaded into said RAM, wherein said constructing step comprises the steps of;

retrieving a partially constructed digital message packet from a look-up table in said client computer; and

manipulating said first and second fields in accordance with user requests received from said input hardware.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of loading a client application onto said client computer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of running said client application on said client computer interactively with said server process.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

transmitting data packets between said client computer and said server computer using said reconfigured server operating system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said server process comprises a network operating system module.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said first field comprises indicia of a predetermined remote procedure call.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said remote procedure call comprises one of:

RPC load an NLM;

RPC unload an NLM;

RPC mount a volume;

RPC dismount a volume;

RPC add name space to volume;

RPC set command value; and

RPC execute NCF file.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said second field comprises indicia of a logical address.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said second field comprises indicia of a filename.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

loading a client application onto said client computer and running said application; and

accessing, by said application program, said server process during operation of said application program.

21. A method in a computer network that includes (a) a network client computer configured to request and receive network services through the use of digital message packets, the clients computer comprising a first processor for executing computer programs, and user input and output hardware, said client computer being characterized by a unique user access password having a first level of security associated therewith;

(b) a network server computer configured to request and receive network services through the use of digital message packets, the server computer comprising a processor for executing computer programs, a hard drive for storing a plurality of software modules, and a RAM, said server computer being characterized by an administrator access password having a second level of security associated therewith, which second level of security is greater than said first level of security; and

(c) a server operating system, including a native communications protocol, resident in said server computer;

the method of remotely reconfiguring said server operating system from said client computer comprising the steps of;

entering said user access password into said user input hardware to thereby establish a user session at said client computer;

transmitting a server process from said client computer to said server computer;

storing said server process at a first address on said hard drive of said server computer;

transmitting from said server computer to said client computer indicia of said first address;

constructing, by said client computer, a first digital message packet comprising a first field indicative of a request to load a software module, and a second field indicative of said first address;

transmitting said first packet from said client computer to said server computer;

processing said first and second fields by said server operating system;

retrieving said server process from said first address on said hard drive;

loading said server process into said RAM to thereby dynamically reconfigure said server operating system without using said administrator access password; and

constructing a response message, by said server computer, and transmitting said response message to said client computer after said loading step, said response message indicating that said server process is leaded into said RAM, wherein said constructing step further comprises adding a plurality of navigational fields to said first digital message packet in addition to said first and second fields, and wherein said processing step comprises stripping off said plurality of fields such that said server operating system process only said first and second fields.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of loading a client application onto said client computer.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of running said client application on said client computer interactively with said server process.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

transmitting data packets between said client computer and said server computer using said reconfigured server operating system.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said server process comprises a network operating system module.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said first field comprises indicia of a predetermined remote procedure call.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said remote procedure call comprises one of:

RPC load an NLM;

RPC unload an NLM;

RPC mount a volume;

RPC dismount a volume;

RPC add name space to volume;

RPC set command value; and

RPC execute NCF file.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein said second field comprises indicia of a logical address.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said second field comprises indicia of a filename.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

loading a client application onto said client computer and running said application; and

accessing, by said application program, said server process during operation of said application program.