Publication network control system using domain and client side communications resource locator lists for managing information communications between the domain server and publication servers

• US 5,867,667 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: Butman, Ronald A., Ramachandran, Raja, Burns, Thomas A., Malone, Thomas J., Kmiec, Michael D., Dougherty, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US08/822,898
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.79, 395/200.57, 395/200.55, 395/200.59, 395/200.49, 395/200.53, 395/200.48
• US Class Current: 709/249
• 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 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• 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 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 publication control system for networks inside a client having several publication computers networked together, each of the publication computers having disks for storing a dynamic group registry and resource locators containing function names, a web server which, when executed by the publication computer, causes the publication computer to respond to resource locators by calling the function indicated, a database management program for organizing the dynamic group registry; and a client side communications server, which responds to resource locators directed to it and directs the database management program in organizing the dynamic group registry; the system also has a domain computer having a disk for storing a dynamic client registry and resource locators containing function names; a web server which, when executed by the domain computer, causes the domain computer to respond to the resource locators by calling the function name indicated, a database management program for organizing the dynamic client registry; a domain communications server which, when loaded by the web server, is executed by the domain computer, to respond to resource locators directed to it and to direct the database management program in organizing the dynamic client registry; a domain communications resource locator list in all computers that causes functions to be executed in the domain communications server; a client side communications resource locator list in all computers that causes functions to be executed in each client side communications server so that communications between the domain computer and the publication computers cause the selected functions to control internal publications.

Claims

1. A publication control system for networks inside the same client entity comprising:

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

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

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

a domain communications server program which, when loaded by the web server program responding to the appropriate resource locator therefore, is executed by the domain computer, and is further responsive to resource locators directed to the domain communications server program and directs the database management program in organizing the dynamic client registry;

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

a client side communications resource locator list stored in the domain computer and each publication computer that causes predetermined functions to be selected for execution in the client side communications server in each publication computer so that communications between the domain computer and each publication computer cause the selected predetermined functions to be executed dynamically in order to manage information communications between the domain computer and each publication computer.

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

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected predetermined functions further comprise one to one communications functions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected predetermined functions further comprise group to group communications functions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected predetermined functions further comprise site to site communications functions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected predetermined functions further comprise publication distribution functions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected predetermined functions further comprise publication editing functions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected predetermined functions further comprise publication classification functions.

9. A computer implemented publication control method for networks inside the same client entity comprising the steps of:

establishing a plurality of publication computers in communications relationship with each other inside the client entity, each of said publication computers having electronic storage media for storing a dynamic group registry thereon and for storing resource locators containing function names thereon, each publication computer further comprising a web server program which, when executed by the publication computer, causes the publication computer to respond to resource locators by calling the function name indicated therein into the publication computer, each publication computer further comprising a database management program for organizing the dynamic group registry;

loading a client side communications server program in each publication computer in response to the appropriate resource locator therefor for responding to resource locators directed to the client side communications server program and for directing the database management program in organizing the dynamic group registry;

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

loading a domain communications server program in response to the appropriate resource locator therefore for execution by the domain computer for responding to resource locators directed to the domain communications server program and directing the database management program in organizing the dynamic client registry;

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

storing a client side communications resource locator list in the domain computer and each publication computer for causing predetermined functions to be selected for execution in the client side communications server in each publication computer so that communications between the domain computer and each publication computer cause the selected predetermined functions to be executed dynamically in order to manage information communications between the domain computer and each publication computer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of storing a domain communications resource locator list further comprises the step of storing a register domain communications resource locator for causing the domain communications server program to direct the database management program to register a client side communications server program in the dynamic client registry.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting predetermined functions further comprises the step of selecting one to one communications functions.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting predetermined functions further comprises the step of selecting group to group communications functions.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting predetermined functions further comprises the step of selecting site to site communications functions.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting predetermined functions further comprises the step of selecting publication distribution functions.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting predetermined functions further comprises the step of selecting publication editing functions.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting predetermined functions further comprises the step of selecting publication classification functions.