Enhanced network services using a subnetwork of communicating processors
First Claim
1. A method for providing enhanced services in a network, said method comprising the steps ofcollecting network topological information and disseminating said network topological information to a subnet of communicating processors, whereby substantially all of said communicating processors have access to said network topological information;
- receiving a request for service at a one of said communicating processors, other than a request to route a message on said network, from a processor not in said subnet; and
providing a response to said request for service from said one of said communicating processors, responsive to said network topological information.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for providing enhanced services for a network. The enhanced services use information about the network which is available to a subnet of communicating processors (such as a set of routers), collectively executing a common distributed technique for disseminating that network information. The router subnet collects network topology information and provides a service using that network topology information, responsive to requests from non-routers coupled to the network (such as a set of host processors). The router subnet also collects information advertised by hosts coupled to the network, and disseminates that host information to substantially all routers, using the common distributed technique for disseminating network topology information. The host information may comprise information about server processes available at the originating host (such as what services are available and to which users those services are available), or may comprise information about client processes operating at the originating host (such as which users are operating those client processes and which services they desire).
235 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A method for providing enhanced services in a network, said method comprising the steps of
collecting network topological information and disseminating said network topological information to a subnet of communicating processors, whereby substantially all of said communicating processors have access to said network topological information; -
receiving a request for service at a one of said communicating processors, other than a request to route a message on said network, from a processor not in said subnet; and
providing a response to said request for service from said one of said communicating processors, responsive to said network topological information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
transmitting an authentication challenge to said processor not in said subnet; receiving an authentication response to said authentication challenge; and
determining whether to provide said service responsive to said authentication response.
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5. A method as in claim 1, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation into a network address; - and
said step of providing a response comprises the step of selecting a network address responsive to said network topological information.
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6. A method as in claim 1, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation into a network address; - and
said step of providing a response comprises the step of ordering a set of network addresses responsive to said network topological information.
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7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said step of ordering is responsive to a relative distance in the network from said one of said communicating processors.
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8. A method as in claim 1, wherein
said request for service comprises a message and a plurality of destination addresses; - and
said step of providing a response comprises the step of delivering said message to said plurality of destination addresses substantially all at a common time for delivery.
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9. A method as in claim 1, wherein
said request for service comprises a message, a plurality of destination addresses, and a desired common time for delivery; - and
said step of providing a response comprises the step of delivering said message to said plurality of destination addresses substantially all at said common time for delivery.
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10. A method for providing enhanced services in a network, said method comprising the steps of
receiving dynamic host information from at least one host processor coupled to said network; -
disseminating said dynamic host information to a subnet of communicating processors, whereby substantially all of said communicating processors have access to said dynamic host information;
receiving a request for service at a one of said communicating processors, other than a request to route a message on said network, from a processor not in said subnet; and
utilizing network topological information in providing a response to said request for service from said one of said communicating processors, responsive to said dynamic host information. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
said request for service comprises a server name for translation to a network address; - and
said step of providing a response comprises the step of selecting a set of network addresses responsive to said dynamic host information.
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13. A method as in claim 11, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation to a network address; - and
said step of providing a response comprises the step of ordering a set of network addresses responsive to said dynamic host information.
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14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said step of ordering is responsive to a load on said at least one host processor, or an administrative policy in force at said at least one host processor.
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15. A method as in claim 10, wherein said dynamic host information is responsive to said processor not in said subnet.
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16. A method for providing enhanced services in a network, said method comprising the steps of
utilizing network topological information to provide a service at a plurality of devices coupled to said network; -
receiving a request for said service; and
routing said request to one of said plurality of devices, said one being selected in response to network topological information about said network, said network topological information being dynamically collected and disseminated among a plurality of processors in said network. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
transmitting an authentication challenge to said processor not in said subnet; receiving an authentication response to said authentication challenge; and
determining whether to provide said service responsive to said authentication response.
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21. A method as in claim 16, wherein said one is selected responsive to a relative distance in the network from a communicating processor responding to said request.
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22. A method for providing enhanced services in a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a message from a source on said network, said message to be delivered via said computer network to a plurality of destinations on said network at a specified time T;
routing said message on said network for delivery so as to be received at said destination devices;
delaying delivery of the message to at least one destination device before said specified time T has occurred; and
delivering said message via said computer network to each of said destination devices at substantially said specified time T.
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23. A method for providing enhanced services in a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first message from a source on said network, said message to be delivered via said computer network to a destination on said network upon an occurrence of an event;
routing said first message to said destination;
delaying delivery of the first message to the destination while the event has not occurred; and
delivering said first message via said computer network to said destination upon the occurrence of the event. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
wherein the delivery of the first and second messages occur substantially simultaneously.
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25. A method as in claim 23, wherein said event is a delivery of said first message to a second destination on said network;
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wherein said delivery of said first message to said first and second destinations occurrs at substantially a same time.
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26. A method as in claim 23, wherein said event is an occurrence of a clock time.
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27. Apparatus for providing enhanced services in a network, said apparatus comprising
a subnet of communicating processors disposed for collecting and disseminating network topological information, whereby substantially all of said communicating processors have access to said network topological information; -
means, available to at least one said communicating processor, for receiving a request for service, other than a request to route a message on said network, from a processor not in said subnet; and
means, available to at least one said communicating processor, for providing a response to said request for service, responsive to said network topological information. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
means for transmitting an authentication challenge to said processor not in said subnet; means for receiving an authentication response to said authentication challenge; and
means for determining whether to provide said service responsive to said authentication response.
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31. Apparatus as in claim 27, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation into a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for selecting a network address responsive to said network topological information.
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32. Apparatus as in claim 27, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation into a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for ordering a set of network addresses responsive to said network topological information.
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33. Apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said means for ordering is responsive to a relative distance in the network from said one of said communicating processors.
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34. Apparatus as in claim 27, wherein
said request for service comprises a message and a plurality of destination addresses; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for delivering said message to said plurality of destination addresses substantially all at a common time for delivery.
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35. Apparatus as in claim 27, wherein
said request for service comprises a message, a plurality of destination addresses, and a desired common time for delivery; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for delivering said message to said plurality of destination addresses substantially all at said common time for delivery.
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36. Apparatus for providing enhanced services in a network, said apparatus comprising
means for receiving dynamic host information from at least one host processor coupled to said network; -
means for disseminating said dynamic host information to a subnet of communicating processors, whereby substantially all of said communicating processors have access to said dynamic host information;
means for receiving a request for service at a one of said communicating processors, other than a request to route a message on said network, from a processor not in said subnet; and
means for utilizing network topological information in providing a response to said request for service from said one of said communicating processors, responsive to said dynamic host information. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
said request for service comprises a server name for translation to a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for selecting a set of network addresses responsive to said dynamic host information.
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39. Apparatus as in claim 37, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation to a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for ordering a set of network addresses responsive to said dynamic host information.
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40. Apparatus as in claim 39, wherein said means for ordering is responsive to a load on said at least one host processor, or an administrative policy in force at said at least one host processor.
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41. Apparatus as in claim 36, wherein said dynamic host information is responsive to said processor not in said subnet.
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42. Apparatus for providing enhanced services in a network, said apparatus comprising
means for utilizing network topological information to provide a service at a plurality of devices coupled to said network; -
means for receiving a request for said service; and
means for routing said request to one of said plurality of devices, said one being selected in response to network topological information, said network topological information being dynamically collected and disseminated among a plurality of processors in said network. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
means for transmitting an authentication challenge to said processor not in said subnet; means for receiving an authentication response to said authentication challenge; and
means for determining whether to provide said service responsive to said authentication response.
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47. Apparatus as in claim 42, wherein said one is selected responsive to a relative distance in the network from a communicating processor responding to said request.
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48. Apparatus for providing enhanced services in a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a message from a source on said network, said message to be delivered via said computer network to a plurality of destinations on said network at a specified time T;
routing said message on said network for delivery so as to be received at said destination devices;
means for delaying delivery of the message to at least one destination device before said specified time T has occurred; and
delivering said message via said computer network to each of said destination devices at substantially and specified time T.
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49. Apparatus for providing enhanced services in a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:
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means for receiving a message from a source on said network, said message to be delivered via said computer network to a destination on said network upon an occurrence of an event;
means for routing said message to said destination;
means for delaying delivery of the first message to the destination while the event has not occurred; and
means for delivering said message via said computer network to said destination upon the occurrence of the event. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
wherein the delivery of the first and second messages occur substantially simultaneously.
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51. Apparatus as in claim 49, wherein said event is a delivery of said first message to a second destination on said network;
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wherein said delivery of said first message to said first and second destinations occurrs at substantially a same time.
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52. Apparatus as in claim 49, wherein said event is an occurrence of a clock time.
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53. Apparatus for providing enhanced services in a network, comprising
means for collecting network topological information from and disseminating network topological information to at least one router in said network, whereby said apparatus and said at least one router have access to said network topological information; -
means for receiving a request for service, other than a request to route a message on said network, from a processor other than said at least one router; and
means for providing a response to said request for service, responsive to said network topological information. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
means for transmitting an authentication challenge to said processor not in said subnet; means for receiving an authentication response to said authentication challenge, and means for determining whether to provide said service responsive to said authentication response.
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57. Apparatus as in claim 53, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation into a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for selecting a network address responsive to said network topological information.
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58. Apparatus as in claim 53, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation into a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for ordering a set of network addresses responsive to said network topological information.
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59. Apparatus as in claim 58, wherein said means for ordering is responsive to a relative distance in the network from said apparatus or said at least one router.
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60. Apparatus as in claim 53, wherein
said request for service comprises a message and a plurality of destination addresses; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for delivering said message to said plurality of destination addresses substantially all at a common time for delivery.
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61. Apparatus as in claim 53, wherein
said request for service comprises a message, a plurality of destination addresses, and a desired common time for delivery; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for delivering said message to said plurality of destination addresses substantially all at said common time for delivery.
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62. Apparatus for providing enhanced services in a network, said apparatus comprising
means for receiving dynamic host information from at least one host processor coupled to said network; -
means for collecting network topological information from and disseminating said network topological information to at least one router in said network, whereby said apparatus and said at least one router have access to said network topological information;
means for receiving a request for service, other than a request to route a message on said network, from a processor other than said at least one router; and
means for providing a response to said request for service, responsive to said dynamic host information. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
said request for service comprises a server name for translation to a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for selecting a set of network addresses responsive to said dynamic host information.
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65. Apparatus as in claim 63, wherein
said request for service comprises a server name for translation to a network address; - and
said means for providing a response comprises means for ordering a set of network addresses responsive to said dynamic host information.
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66. Apparatus as in claim 65, wherein said means for ordering is responsive to a load on said at least one host processor, or an administrative policy in force at said at least one host processor.
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67. Apparatus as in claim 62, wherein said dynamic host information is responsive to said processor other than said at least one router.
Specification