Enhanced directory services in compound wide/local area networks

• US 6,032,175 A
• Filed: 10/17/1996
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fletcher, James Corvin, Shin, John Hoon, Peters, Marcia Lambert
• Primary Examiner(s): Asta, Frank J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US08/731,718
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/200.02, 395/200.13, 395/831, 395/650, 709/200, 370/110.1, 370/60.1
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming

Abstract

Enhanced directory services for large and complex compound WAN/LAN networks includes the use of resource triplet identifications including the resource identification, the identification of the domain in which the resource resides, and the identification of the access node connecting the resource to the compound network. The creation and storage of these identification triplets are automatically initiated as new resources are added to the compound network. Features include the deliberate corruption or modification of triplet identifications to allow prior art directory services to access resources in foreign networks, and the use of these corrupted vectors (as well as the contents of the WAN network topology data base) to allow route selection regardless of the size or complexity of the WAN/LAN network.

Claims

1. In a first network of native nodes and links, said first network having central directory services capable of serving directly connected user resources in said first network but not capable of serving user resources connected to said first network by way of other foreign networks, each of said foreign networks characterized by having a different network identifier than said native nodes of said first network, a system for providing said directory services for said other foreign networks within said first network, comprising:

means for connecting any selected one of said foreign networks to said first network through a particular attaching node of said foreign network and a particular network node of said first network; and

means for automatically registering each of one or more new user resources added to said selected one of said other foreign networks in a centralized directory data base in said first network, using said particular attaching node as a single access point from said first network for said new resource in said other foreign network, wherein said means for automatically registering uses pre-existing registration messages and further comprises;

means for using a pre-existing three-part identifier in said pre-existing messages to identify each of said new resources being registered, wherein a pre-existing format of said three-part identifier comprises;

(i) a first part comprising an identifier of a selected one of a plurality of network nodes of said first network, said selected one being said particular network node through which said foreign network containing said new resource is connected to said first network;

(ii) a second part comprising an identifier of an owning node containing or directly attached to said new resource; and

(iii) a third part comprising an identifier of said new resource.

2. The system for providing directory services according to claim 1, wherein said foreign network comprises an Advanced Peer-to Peer Networking network.

3. The system for providing directory services according to claim 1, wherein said first part, said second part, and said third part are formatted in a Generalized Data Stream (GDS) format.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means in said particular attaching node for routing messages directed to a destination resource located in said foreign network, comprising:

means for receiving a message directed to said destination resource located in said foreign network;

means for determining said owning node of said destination resource; and

means for forwarding said message to said owning node for delivery to said destination resource.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said means for automatically registering further comprises:

means for launching said registration message from said owning node when said new resource is added to said foreign network, wherein said owning node inserts said second part and said third part;

means in said particular attaching node for corrupting said three-part identifier of said new resource when said launched registration message is received at said attaching node, wherein said corruption comprises replacing said second part with an identifier of said particular attaching node, creating a modified registration message;

means in said particular attaching node for launching said modified registration message to said particular network node;

means in said particular network node, responsive to receiving said modified registration message, for inserting said identifier of said particular network node in said first part of said three-part identifier, creating a completed three-part identifier;

means in said particular network node, responsive to said means for inserting, for storing said completed three-part identifier in a local directory database of said particular network node

means in said particular network node, responsive to said means for inserting, for forwarding said modified registration message with said completed three-part identifier to a central directory server of said first network; and

means in said central directory server, responsive to receiving said forwarded message, for storing said completed three-part identifier from said forwarded message as a central directory identifier of said new resource.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

means for using said stored completed three-part identifier as a destination address for sending data to a destination resource in said foreign network; and

means for determining, within said attaching node, an actual path to use for routing said sent data to said destination resource.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein a result of said means for storing said completed three-part identifier in said central directory server is to make said new resource appear to be directly attached to, or located within, said particular attaching node.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for using pre-existing registration mechanisms for creating said three-part identifier for said new resource, wherein said owning node and said new resource are identified by said second and third parts; and

means for corrupting said second part of said created said three-part identifier, substituting an identifier of said particular attaching node for said identifier of said owning node.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein said means for automatically registering further comprises the steps of:

launching said registration message from said owning node when said new resource is added to said foreign network, wherein said owning node inserts said second part and said third part;

corrupting, in said particular attaching node, said three-part identifier of said new resource when said launched registration message is received at said attaching node, wherein said corrupting step comprises replacing said second part with an identifier of said particular attaching node, creating a modified registration message;

launching said modified registration message from said particular attaching node to said particular network node;

inserting, by said particular network node, responsive to receiving said modified registration message, said identifier of said particular network node in said first part of said three-part identifier, creating a completed three-part identifier;

storing in said particular network node, responsive to said inserting step, said completed three-part identifier in a local directory database of said particular network node

forwarding from said particular network node, responsive to said inserting step, said modified registration message with said completed three-part identifier to a central directory server of said first network; and

storing in said central directory server, responsive to receiving said forwarded message, said completed three-part identifier from said forwarded message as a central directory identifier of said new resource.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

using said stored completed three-part identifier as a destination address for sending data to a destination resource in said foreign network; and

determining, within said attaching node, an actual path to use for routing said sent data to said destination resource.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein a result of said storing of said completed three-part identifier in said local directory database and said storing in said central directory server is to make said new resource appear to be directly attached to, or contained within, said particular attaching node.

22. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of;

utilizing pre-existing resource registration mechanisms of said compound network to store each of said corrupted versions; and

using said stored corrupted versions as destination addresses for said added new resources.

9. In a first network of native nodes and links, said first network having central directory services capable of serving directly connected user resources in said first network but not capable of serving user resources connected to said first network by way of other foreign networks, each of said foreign networks characterized by having a different network identifier than said native nodes of said first network, a method for providing said directory services for said other foreign networks within said first network, comprising the steps of:

connecting any selected one of said foreign networks to said first network through a particular attaching node of said foreign network and a particular network node of said first network; and

automatically registering each of one or more new user resources added to said selected one of said other foreign networks in a centralized directory data base in said first network, using said particular attaching node as a single access point in said first network to access said new resource in said other foreign network, wherein said automatically registering step uses pre-existing registration messages and further comprises the step of;

using a pre-existing three-part identifier in said pre-existing messages to identify each of said new resources being registered, wherein a pre-existing format of said three-part identifier comprises;

(i) a first part comprising an identifier of a selected one of a plurality of network nodes of said first network, said selected one being said particular network node through which said foreign network containing said new resource is connected to said first network;

(ii) a second part comprising an identifier of an owning node containing or directly attached to said new resource; and

(iii) a third part comprising an identifier of said new resource.

10. The method for providing directory services according to claim 9, wherein said foreign network comprises an Advanced Peer-to Peer Networking network.

11. The method for providing directory services according to claim 9, wherein said first part, said second part, and said third part are formatted in a Generalized Data Stream (GDS) format.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of routing, in said particular attaching node, messages directed to a destination resource located in to said foreign network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a message directed to said specific destination resource located in said foreign network;

determining said owning node of said destination resource; and

forwarding said message to said owning node for delivery to said destination resource.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

using pre-existing registration mechanisms for creating said three-part identifier for said new resource, wherein said owning node and said new resource are identified by said second and third parts; and

corrupting said second part of said created said three-part identifier, subtituting an identifier of said particular attaching node for said identifier of said owning node.

17. A system for providing enhanced directory services in a compound network comprised of one or more wide-area networks and one or more local-area networks, said system comprising;

centralized means in said compound network for storing three part identifications of a plurality of resources in said compound network, wherein said three parts comprise, for a particular one of said resources;

(i) a third part comprising an identification of said particular resource;

(ii) a second part comprising an identification of an owning node to which said particular resource is connected; and

(iii) a first part comprising an identification of a network node through which said owning node is reachable; and

means for automatically and deliberately registering, in said centralized means for storing, a corrupted version of said three part identifications for each new resource added to said compound network, further comprising;

means for creating said corrupted version by substituting an identification of an attaching node for said second part, wherein said attaching node is connected to said network node identified by said first part, thereby causing said new resource to be reachable through, and to appear to be directly connected to, said attaching node.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for utilizing pre-existing resource registration mechanisms of said compound network to store each of said corrupted versions; and

means for using said stored corrupted versions as destination addresses for said added new resources.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said compound network comprises an Advanced Peer-to Peer Networking network.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein each of said first part, second part, and third part of said three part identifications is formatted in a Generalized Data Stream format.

25. The system according to claim 17, wherein said new resource may be an end node resource or a user resource.

21. A method for providing enhanced directory services in a compound network comprised of one or more wide-area networks and one or more local-area networks, said method comprising the steps of;

storing three part identifications of a plurality of resources in said compound network in a centralized store, wherein said three parts comprise, for a particular one of said resources;

(i) a third part comprising an identification of said particular resource;

(ii) a second part comprising an identification of an owning node to which said particular resource is connected; and

(iii) a first part comprising an identification of a network node through which said owning node is reachable; and

automatically and deliberately registering, in said centralized store, a corrupted version of said three part identifications for each new resource added to said compound network, further comprising;

creating said corrupted version by substituting an identification of an attaching node for said second part, wherein said attaching node is connected to said network node identified by said first part, thereby causing said new resource to be reachable through, and to appear to be directly connected to, said attaching node.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said compound network comprises an Advanced Peer-to Peer Networking network.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein each of said first part, second part, and third part of said three part identifications is formatted in a Generalized Data Stream format.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein said new resource may be an end node resource or a user resource.