System having a library of protocol independent reentrant network interface functions for providing common calling interface for communication and application protocols
First Claim
1. A computer readable medium having stored therein a library of protocol-independent reentrant network interface functions providing a common calling interface for networking application protocols including at least one application protocol selected from the group consisting of HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and Gopher, such functions callable simultaneously by client applications on a client computer, and such functions using one or more network connections based upon a network communication protocol from the group of network communication protocols consisting of TCP/IP, UDP/IP, NetBIOS, NetBUEI, IPX/SPX, DECnet, and OSI/TP-4, the client computer networked with a server network computer with a server application, the computer readable medium comprising:
- a protocol-independent reentrant networking function, having an address input for receiving a destination address, for establishing an application connection that utilizes an application protocol from said group of application protocols between a selected client application on the client computer and the server application on the server network computer, the destination address identifying one of said group of application protocols for exchanging data with the server application;
a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for exchanging information, according to the identified application protocol, between the selected client application on the client computer and the server application on the server network computer;
wherein at least one of the reentrant networking functions imposes file system semantics on application protocols not otherwise organized according to file system semantics, at least one such reentrant function utilizes an application protocol from said group of application protocols, and at least one reentrant function using a network connection based upon a network communication protocol from said group of network communication protocols.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A library of reentrant networking functions organized with file system semantics is provided to allow a client application on a client computer connected to a computer network to establish communications with and exchange information with a server application on a server network computer. The library of reentrant networking functions are organized with file system semantics and parallel the function, structure and organization of a file system. Individual reentrant networking functions provide multiple networking features. The reentrant networking functions also provide asynchronous operations and security features. The library of reentrant networking functions can be included in, and called from multiple client applications. This library of reentrant networking function simplifies the creation of client applications such as network browsers that communicate with the Internet or an intranet computer network.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A computer readable medium having stored therein a library of protocol-independent reentrant network interface functions providing a common calling interface for networking application protocols including at least one application protocol selected from the group consisting of HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and Gopher, such functions callable simultaneously by client applications on a client computer, and such functions using one or more network connections based upon a network communication protocol from the group of network communication protocols consisting of TCP/IP, UDP/IP, NetBIOS, NetBUEI, IPX/SPX, DECnet, and OSI/TP-4, the client computer networked with a server network computer with a server application, the computer readable medium comprising:
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a protocol-independent reentrant networking function, having an address input for receiving a destination address, for establishing an application connection that utilizes an application protocol from said group of application protocols between a selected client application on the client computer and the server application on the server network computer, the destination address identifying one of said group of application protocols for exchanging data with the server application; a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for exchanging information, according to the identified application protocol, between the selected client application on the client computer and the server application on the server network computer; wherein at least one of the reentrant networking functions imposes file system semantics on application protocols not otherwise organized according to file system semantics, at least one such reentrant function utilizes an application protocol from said group of application protocols, and at least one reentrant function using a network connection based upon a network communication protocol from said group of network communication protocols. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A programming tool kit providing a library of reentrant network interface functions providing a common calling interface for networking application protocols including at least one application protocol selected from the group consisting of HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and Gopher, such functions generally available to, and callable simultaneously by, a plurality of client applications on a client computer, and such functions using one or more network connections based upon a network communication protocol from the group of network communication protocols consisting of TCP/IP, UDP/IP, NetBIOS, NetBUEI, IPX/SPX, DECnet, and OSI/TP-4, the client computer having access to a computer network including a server network computer with a server application, the computer readable medium comprising:
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a reentrant networking function for providing a plurality of individual selectable application protocols to connect a selected client application to a server application; a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for establishing an application protocol session between the selected client application and the server application with a selected one of the application protocols; a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for providing a common interface for sending requests, according to the selected application protocol, between the selected client application and the server application; and a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for receiving at the selected client application protocol-dependent responses to the requests sent to the server application according to a selected application protocol; wherein the networking functions for sending requests and receiving responses thereto are organized with file system semantics, such semantics being imposed on at least one selectable application protocols not so organized, at least one such reentrant function utilizes an application protocol from said group of application protocols, and at least one reentrant function utilizes a network connection based upon a network communication protocol from said group of network communication protocols. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27)
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25. A computer readable medium having stored therein a library of network interface functions generally available to, and callable simultaneously by, a plurality of client applications on a client computer, the client computer having access to a computer network including a server network computer with a server application, the computer readable medium comprising:
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a protocol-independent networking function having a destination-address input, for establishing an application connection utilizing an application protocol selected from a group of application protocals between a selected client application on the client computer and the server application on the server network computer, the destination address identifying one of a plurality of application protocols selected from a group of application protocols for exchanging data with the server application; and a protocol-independent networking function for exchanging information, according to the identified application protocol, between the selected client application on the client computer and the server application on the server network computer; wherein each protocol-independent function provides a common calling interface that abstracts calling requirements for each of the plurality of application protocols into a common generic calling interface, and at least one reentrant function utilizes an application protocol selected from the group consisting of HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and Gopher, such functions using one or more network connections based upon a network communication protocol selected from the group of network communication protocols consisting of TCP/IP, UDP/IP, NetBIOS, NetBUEI, IPX/SPX, DECnet, and OSI/TP-4.
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26. A computer readable medium having stored therein a library of reentrant network interface functions generally available to, and callable simultaneously by, a plurality of client applications on a client computer, the client computer having access to a computer network including a server network computer with a server application, the computer readable medium comprising:
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a reentrant networking function for providing a plurality of individually selectable application protocols from a group consisting of HTTP, FTP, SMPT, and Gopher to connect a selected client application to a server application; a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for establishing an application protocol session between the selected client application and the server application with a selected one of the application protocols; a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for providing a common interface for sending requests, according to the selected application protocol, from the selected client application to the server application; and a protocol-independent reentrant networking function for receiving at the selected client application protocol-dependent responses to the requests sent to the server application according to the selected application protocol; wherein at least one of the reentrant networking functions is organized is organized with file system semantics, and at least one reentrant function utilizes an application protocol selected from the group consisting of HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and Gopher such functions using one or more network connections based upon a network communication protocol selected from the group of network communication protocols consisting of TCP/IP, UDP/IP, NetBIOS, NetBUEI, IPX/SPX, DECnet, and OSI/TP-4. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification