Domain communications server

• US 5,867,665 A
• Filed: 03/24/1997
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PFN, Inc.
• Inventors: Burns, Thomas A., Malone, Thomas J., Kmiec, Michael D., Dougherty, Joseph C., Butman, Ronald A., Ramachandran, Raja
• Primary Examiner(s): GECKIL, MEHMET B
• Application Number:
  US08/823,428
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.68, 395/200.74, 395/200.53, 395/200.47
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A domain communications server having a first computer with a disk for storing a dynamic client registry and resource locators containing function names; a web server to respond to resource locators by calling the function name; a database management program for organizing the dynamic client registry; a domain communications server which, when loaded by the web server is executed to respond to resource locators directed to it and to direct the database management program in organizing the dynamic client registry; secondary computers communicating with the first computer, the secondary computers each having a disk for storing a dynamic group registry and for storing resource locators containing function names; each secondary computer executing a web server which causes it to respond to resource locators by calling the function indicated, each secondary computer also having a database management program for organizing its dynamic group registry; a client side communications server executing in each secondary computer responding to resource locators directed to it and directing the database management program in organizing its dynamic group registry; a domain communications resource locator list stored in the computers that causes functions to be selected for execution in the domain communications server in the first computer; and a client side communications resource locator list stored in the computers that causes functions to be selected for execution in the client side communications server in the secondary computers so communications between the computers cause selected functions to be executed to manage information flow between them.

Claims

1. A universal domain routing system comprising:

a plurality of first computers each having electronic storage media for storing a dynamic client registry thereon and for storing resource locators containing function names thereon, each first computer further comprising a web server program which, when executed by each first computer, causes each first computer to respond to the resource locators by loading the function name indicated therein into a first computer, each first computer further comprising a database management program for organizing each dynamic client registry;

a plurality of domain communications server programs which, when loaded by the web server program responding to the appropriate resource locator therefore, are executed by each first computer, and are further responsive to resource locators directed to each domain communications server program which directs each database management program in organizing the dynamic client registries to map inter-client and intra-client communications;

a plurality of secondary computers in communications relationship with each first computer, each of said secondary computers having electronic storage media coupled thereto for storing a dynamic group registry thereon and for storing resource locators containing function names thereon, each secondary computer further comprising a web server program which, when executed by the secondary computer, causes the secondary computer to respond to resource locators by loading the function name indicated therein into the secondary computer, each secondary computer further comprising a database management program for organizing the dynamic group registries;

a client side communications server program stored in each secondary computer, which, when loaded by the web server program responding to the appropriate resource locator therefor, is executed by each secondary computer, and is further responsive to resource locators directed to the client side communications server program which directs the database management program in organizing the dynamic group registries to map inter-group and intra-group communications;

a domain communications resource locator list stored in each first computer and each secondary computer that causes predetermined functions to be selected for execution in the domain communications server in each first computer;

a client side communications resource locator list stored in each first computer and each secondary computer that causes predetermined functions to be selected for execution in the client side communications server in each secondary computer so that commurucations between a first computer and each secondary computer cause the selected functions to be executed dynamically to create an infrastructure for routing data using the maps contained in the dynamic client registries and dyamic group registries in order to manage information communications between the first and each secondary computer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the domain communications resource locator list includes a register domain communications resource locator that causes the domain communications server program to direct the database management program to dynamically register a client side communications server program in the dynamic client registry.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the domain communications server program dynamically maps a plurality of other domain communications server programs so that they can selectively communicate with each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the domain communications server program dynamically reconfigures the communications between the secondary computers in communication with it in response to resource locators requesting such reconfiguration.

5. A computer implemented method for universal domain routing comprising the steps of:

storing a dynamic client registry in each of a plurality of first computers having electronic storage, and storing resource locators containing function names therein, each first computer further comprising a web server program which, when executed by each first computer, causes each first computer to respond to the resource locators by loading the function name indicated therein into a first computer, the first computer further comprising a database management program for organizing each dynamic client registry;

executing a plurality of domain communications server programs when loaded by the web server program responding to the appropriate resource locator therefor, for responding to resource locators directed to the domain communications server programs for directing the database management program in organizing the dynamic client registries to map inter-client and intra-client commurications;

communicating with a plurality of secondary computers from the first computer, each of said secondary computers having electronic storage media for storing a dynamic group registry thereon and for storing resource locators containing function names thereon, each secondary computer further comprising a web server program which, when executed by the secondary computer, causes the secondary computer to respond to resource locators by loading the function name indicated therein into the secondary computer, each secondary computer further comprising a database mnanagement program for organizing the dynamic group registry;

executing a client side communications server program stored in each secondary computer, when loaded by the web server program responding to the appropriate resource locator therefor, in each secondary computer, for responding to resource locators directed to the client side communications server program for directing the database management program in organizing the dynamic group registries to map inter-group and intra-group communications;

storing a domain communications resource locator list in each first computer and each secondary computer for causing predetermined functions to be selected for execution in the domain communications server in each first computer;

storing a client side communications resource locator list in each first and each secondary computer for causing predetermined functions to be selected for execution in the client side communications server in each secondary computer so that communications between the first computer and each secondary computer cause the selected functions to be executed dynamically to create an infrastructure for routing data using the maps contained in the dynamic client registries and dynamic group registries in order to manage information communications between the first and each secondary computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of storing a domain communications resource locator list further comprises the step of storing a register domain communications resource locator that causes the domain communications server program to direct the database management program to dynamically register a client side communications server program in the dynamic client registry.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of executing a domain communications server program further comprises the step of dynamically mapping a plurality of other domain communications server programs so that they can selectively communicate with each other.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of executing the domain communications server program further comprises the step of dynamically reconfiguring communications between the secondary computers in communication with the first computer in response to resource locators requesting such reconfiguration.