Data communications management system and protocol replacement method for mobile communication environments

• US 6,167,450 A
• Filed: 02/06/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Angwin, Alastair John, Hild, Stefan George
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/019,543
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/237, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/225, 709/250, 370/236, 370/467, 370/355
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Provided is a data communications management system which enables the use of conventional network applications across mobile communications links, addressing the problem that these applications (which are written for fast, reliable and cheap wired connections) are not well adapted for mobile communications. A set of call handler components are provided for each of a plurality of different network communication applications, and a call manager component which intercepts and analyses all communication calls from applications on the local system and redirects them to the appropriate call handler. The call handler then performs functions transparently impersonating the remote target of the communication, and replaces the initial protocol of the call with a different protocol which is optimised for the particular service. In some cases, a second call handler is provided at the remote end which replaces the protocol again before delivering the call to the target.

Claims

1. A data communications system including:

one or more call handlers; and

a call manager for receiving communication calls having a data content, a target destination and an initial communication protocol which calls are generated by application programs on the system, the call manager including means for analyzing these communication calls to identify their origin and service type and means for redirecting identified communication calls to a call handler for further processing;

wherein the call handier is adapted to locally terminate the redirected initial communication and then to initiate a new communication call including the data content of the initial communication call, the call handler then transmitting the new communication call to the target destination using a protocol which is preferred for the identified service type and which replaces the initial protocol of the initial communication call.

2. A data communications system according to claim 1, wherein the call manager is adapted to identify service types of communication calls from source port numbers of the calls, and to redirect a communication call to a call handler selected in accordance with the identified service type of the communication call.

3. A data communications system according to claim 1, wherein the call handler is adapted, for an initial call protocol requiring an acknowledgement by the target of receipt of the call, to locally generate the acknowledgement of receipt and to send this acknowledgement to the sender application program.

4. A data communicatioins system according to claim 2, including a call handler for Telnet.

5. A data communications system according to claim 2, including a call handler for E-mail.

6. A data communications system according to claim 2, including a call handler for ftp.

7. A data communications system according to claim 2, including a call handler for DNS.

8. A data communications system according to claim 2, including a call handler for WWW browsing.

9. A method of managing network communications from a data communications system, wherein the communications system includes one or more call handlers and a call manager, the method including the following steps:

intercepting by said call manager communication calls having a data content, a target destination and an initial communication protocol, which calls are generated by application programs on the system, analyzing these communication calls to identify their origin and service type and then, according to said identification, redirecting identified communication calls to a call handler for further processing;

in response to receipt of a redirected call by said call handler, locally terminating the redirected initial communication and initiating a new communication call including the data content of the initial communication call, the call handler then transmitting the new communication call to the target destination using a protocol which is preferred for the identified service type and which replaces the initial protocol of the redirected communication call.

10. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code recorded on a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable program code including:

one or more call handlers; and

a call manager for receiving communication calls having a data content, a target destination and an initial communication protocol, which calls are generated by applications on a computer system on which the call manager is installed, the call manager including means for analyzing these communication calls to identify their origin and service type and means for redirecting identified communication calls to a call handler component for further processing;

wherein the call handler component is adapted to locally terminate the redirected initial communication and then to initiate a new communication call including the data content of the initial communication call, the call handler then transmitting the new communication call to its target destination using a protocol which is preferred for the identified service type and which replaces the initial protocol of the initial communication call.