Single server access in a multiple TCP/IP instance environment

• US 6,058,425 A
• Filed: 07/21/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: White, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomson, William D.
• Application Number:
  US08/897,505
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided that access a single server application executing on a processing system having multiple TCP/IP instances. The single server application may be accessed by establishing a registration repository containing information sufficient to identify to both the single server application and a client application seeking to access the single server application, one of the multiple TCP/IP instances through which the single server application may be accessed by client applications. In such a case, the registration repository is accessible by the multiple TCP/IP instances and the single server application.

Claims

1. A method of accessing a single server application executing on a processing system having multiple TCP/IP instances and wherein the single server application is accessed through a first TCP/IP instance of the multiple TCP/IP instances, the method comprising:

establishing a registration repository containing information sufficient to identify to both the single server application and a client application seeking to access the single server application, the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed by client applications and wherein the registration repository is accessible by the multiple TCP/IP instances and the single server application; and

providing registration repository information to at least one of the single server application and the client application so as to allow direct communications between the single server application and the client application utilizing the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed and wherein the registration repository information is provided to the client application utilizing a second TCP/IP instance different from the first TCP/IP insurance.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a registration repository comprises the step of registering a TCP/IP instance with the registration repository if single server access is requested by a client application utilizing the TCP/IP instance.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said step of registering comprises the steps of:

storing an entry identifying an available TCP/IP instance; and

storing a time stamp associated with the entry identifying the available TCP/IP instance which identifies when the TCP/IP instance was registered with the registration repository.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the entry identifying the TCP/IP instance includes a TCP/IP instance identifier and protocol information sufficient to allow connection between the TCP/IP instance and the client.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of removing from the registration repository a TCP/IP instance which is no longer available for connection to the single server application or client access to the single server application.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said step of removing comprises the step of invalidating the registration of the TCP/IP instance in the registration repository.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the single server application carries out the step of selecting the TCP/IP instance from the registration repository to be used for connection to the single server application.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

storing an entry identifying an available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository and

storing a time stamp associated with the entry identifying the available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository; and

wherein said step of selecting a TCP/IP instance comprises the step of selecting the TCP/IP instance with the earliest time stamp.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the client application carries out the steps of:

accessing the registration repository to determine the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed; and

connecting to the single server application by connecting to the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the client application determines the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed utilizing the same procedure by which the single server application selects a TCP/IP instance.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

storing an entry identifying an available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository; and

storing a time stamp associated with the entry identifying the available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository; and

wherein said step of accessing the registration repository comprises the steps of;

accessing the registration repository to obtain the time stamp of entries in the registration repository and

selecting the TCP/IP instance with the earliest time stamp as the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the registration repository is stored in common storage and wherein said step of accessing the registration repository comprises the steps of:

accessing the common storage location of the registration repository; and

obtaining from the common storage location registration information to determine the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed; and

wherein said step of connecting to the single server application comprises the step of connecting to the determined TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said common storage is directly accessible by the client and wherein said step of accessing the common storage comprises the step of directly accessing the common storage.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein said step of accessing the common storage comprises the step of accessing the second TCP/IP instance to access the common storage location of the registration repository;

wherein said step of obtaining registration information comprises the step of obtaining registration information from the common storage location through the second TCP/IP instance; and

wherein said step of connecting to the single server application comprises the step of connecting to the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

15. A system for accessing a single server application executing on a processing system having multiple TCP/IP instances and wherein the single server application is accessed through a first of the multiple TCP/IP instances comprising:

a registration repository containing information sufficient to identify to both the single server application and a client application seeking to access the single server application, the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed by client applications and wherein the registration repository is accessible by the multiple TCP/IP instances and the single server application; and

means for accessing the registration repository to select a TCP/IP instance for connection to the server application so that the single server application and the client application seeking to access the single server application may both access the registration repository to allow direct communications between the single server application and the client application utilizing the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed and wherein the registration repository information is provided to the client application utilizing a second TCP/IP instance different from the first TCP/IP instance.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the means for establishing a registration repository comprises means for registering a TCP/IP instance with the registration repository if single server access is requested by a client application utilizing the TCP/IP instance.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said means for registering comprises:

means for storing an entry identifying an available TCP/IP instance; and

means for storing a time stamp associated with the entry identifying the available TCP/IP instance which identifies when the TCP/IP instance was registered with the registration repository.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the entry identifying the TCP/IP instance includes a TCP/IP instance identifier and protocol information sufficient to allow connection between the TCP/IP instance and the client.

20. A system according to claim 17, further comprising means for removing from the registration repository a TCP/IP instance which is no longer available for connection to the single server application or client access to the single server application.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the means for removing comprises means for invalidating the registration of the TCP/IP instance in the registration repository.

22. A system according to claim 15, wherein the single server application comprises means for selecting the TCP/IP instance from the registration repository to be used for connection to the single server application.

23. A system according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for storing an entry identifying an available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository; and

means for storing a time stamp associated with the entry identifying the available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository; and

wherein said means for selecting a TCP/IP instance comprises means for selecting the TCP/IP instance with the earliest time stamp.

24. A system according to claim 22, wherein the client application comprises:

means for accessing the registration repository to determine the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed; and

means for connecting to the single server application by connecting to the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

25. A system according to claim 22, wherein the client application determines the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed utilizing the same procedure by which the single server application selects a TCP/IP instance.

26. A system according to claim 24, wherein the registration repository is stored in common storage and wherein said means for accessing the registration repository comprises:

means for accessing the common storage location of the registration repository; and

means for obtaining from the common storage location registration information to determine the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed; and

wherein said means for connecting to the single server application comprises means for connecting to the determined TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein said common storage is directly accessible by the client and wherein said means for accessing the common storage comprises means for directly accessing the common storage.

28. A system according to claim 26, wherein said means for accessing the common storage comprises means for accessing the second TCP/IP instance to access the common storage location of the registration repository;

wherein said means for obtaining registration information comprises means for obtaining registration information from the common storage location through the second TCP/IP instance; and

wherein said means for connecting to the single server application comprises means for connecting to the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

16. A computer program product for accessing a single server application executing on a processing system having multiple TCP/IP instances and wherein the single server application is accessed through a first of the multiple TCP/IP instances, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for establishing a registration repository continuing information sufficient to identify to both the single server application and a client application seeking to access the single server application, the first TCP/IP instances through which the single server application may be accessed by client applications and wherein the registration repository is accessible by the multiple TCP/IP instances and the single server application; and

computer-readable program code means for accessing the registration repository to select a TCP/IP instance for connection to the server application so that the single server application and the client application seeking to access the single server application may both access the registration repository to allow direct communications between the single server application and the client application utilizing the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed and wherein the registration repository information is provided to the client application utilizing a second TCP/IP instance different from the first TCP/IP instance.

29. A computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code means for establishing a registration repository comprises computer readable program code means for registering a TCP/IP instance with the registration repository if single server access is requested by a client application utilizing the TCP/IP instance.

30. A computer program product according to claim 29, wherein said computer readable program code means for registering comprises:

computer readable program code means for storing an entry identifying an available TCP/IP instance; and

computer readable program code means for storing a time stamp associated with the entry identifying the available TCP/IP instance which identifies when the TCP/IP instance was registered with the registration repository.

31. A computer program product according to claim 30, wherein the entry identifying the TCP/IP instance includes a TCP/IP instance identifier and protocol information sufficient to allow connection between the TCP/IP instance and the client.

32. A computer program product according to claim 29, further comprising computer readable program code means for removing from the registration repository a TCP/IP instance which is no longer available for connection to the single server application or client access to the single server application.

33. A computer program product according to claim 32, wherein the computer readable program code means for removing comprises computer readable program code means for invalidating the registration of the TCP/IP instance in the registration repository.

34. A computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the single server application comprises computer readable program code means for selecting the TCP/IP instance from the registration repository to be used for connection to the single server application.

35. A computer program product according to claim 34, further comprising:

computer readable program code means for storing an entry identifying an available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository; and

computer readable program code means for storing a time stamp associated with the entry identifying the available TCP/IP instance in the registration repository; and

wherein said computer readable program code means for selecting a TCP/IP instance comprises computer readable program code means for selecting the TCP/IP instance with the earliest time stamp.

36. A computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the client application comprises:

computer readable program code means for accessing the registration repository to determine the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed; and

computer readable program code means for connecting to the single server application by connecting to the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

37. A computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the client application determines the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed utilizing the same procedure by which the single server application selects a TCP/IP instance.

38. A computer program product according to claim 36, wherein the registration repository is stored in common storage and wherein said computer readable program code means for accessing the registration repository comprises:

computer readable program code means for accessing the common storage location of the registration repository; and

computer readable program code means for obtaining from the common storage location registration information to determine the TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed; and

wherein said computer readable program code means for connecting to the single server application comprises computer readable program code means for connecting to the determined TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.

39. A computer program product according to claim 38, wherein said common storage is directly accessible by the client and wherein said computer readable program code means for accessing the common storage comprises computer readable program code means for directly accessing the common storage.

40. A computer program product according to claim 38, wherein said computer readable program code means for accessing the common storage comprises computer readable program code means for accessing the second TCP/IP instance to access the common storage location of the registration repository;

wherein said computer readable program code means for obtaining registration information comprises computer readable program code means for obtaining registration information from the common storage location through the second TCP/IP instance; and

wherein said computer readable program code means for connecting to the single server application comprises computer readable program code means for connecting to the first TCP/IP instance through which the single server application may be accessed.