System and method for global event notification and delivery in a distributed computing environment

• US 6,185,613 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Netvision Limited (Cellcom Israel Limited)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Dean L., Cave, Warren D., Lawson, Todd C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/080,364
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system in method for global event notification in a distributed computer environment is presented. The system and method utilizes a local event registry to identify local event consumers that should be notified when an event occurs. The system and method also utilizes a global event registry which identifies other servers which need notification when an event occurs. These other servers will then, in turn, notify their local event consumers of the event. The system and method incorporates multiple levels of filtering to allow event consumers to remove notification of events having little or no interest. The system and method also ensures that duplicate event notifications are not received for the same event.

Claims

1. In a computer network comprising an event producer and and event consumer, a method for allowing said event producer to direct a local event to said event consumer in the absence of a common server, comprising the steps of:

a) generating an event packet comprising an event type and an intended event consumer;

b) checking a first registry resident to said event producer, said first registry comprising a list of local event consumers and an associated list of event types in order to identify which local event consumers are registered for events of the type included in said event packet; and

c) transferring said event packet to said event consumer when said event consumer matches said intended event consumer.

2. In a system for globalizing events, a method of privatizing a broker comprising the steps of:

a) storing a global event registry comprising a list of events and a corresponding list of brokers in order to identify which of said brokers should receive which events on said broker;

b) when one of an event producer and event consumer attempt to register with said broker, identifying registration criteria from said global event registry to register with said broker; and

c) when characteristics of said one of event producer and event consumer are incompatible with said registration criteria, denying registration to said one of event producer and event consumer.

3. In a computer network implementing a global event system, a method of receving a response to an event, comprising the steps of:

a) said event producer initiating a query event to a broker of said event producer;

b) said broker of said event producer identifying said event consumer from said one of a field within said query event and a registration for said event consumer with in a global event registry;

c) transferring said query event to said event consumer; and

d) said event consumer transferring said response to said query event to said event producer.

4. In a computer network implementing a global event system comprised of a local server, a remote server registered as an event consumer of a new registration event and a global event registry, a method of updating said remote server when an event is registered at said local server, comprising the steps of:

a) updating a local copy of said global event registry in said local server;

b) updating said global event registry;

c) said local server producing said new registration event;

d) said local server identifying new registration event consumers from said local copy of said global event registry;

e) transferring said new registration event to said remote server; and

f) said remote server updating a local copy of said global event registry from said global event registry.

5. In a network system for globalizing events comprised of an event producer, an event consumer and a global registry listing said event consumer as a registered event consumer of an event type, a method of filtering events at said event consumer, comprising the steps of:

a) identifying filtering criteria at said event consumer;

b) transferring by said event producer an event to said event consumer in response to a match of said event type in said global registry when said event producer issues said event having said event identifier; and

c) filtering said event from said event consumer when said event matches said filtering criteria at said event consumer.

6. In a computer network having a plurality of brokers employing a global event registry, a method of implementing a global event system among said plurality of brokers using free-form syntax for defining registration criteria, comprising the steps of:

a) generating said free-form syntax by said one of event producer and event consumer to describe said registration criteria;

b) storing said free-form syntax in said global event registry;

c) comparing characterisics of an event with said free-form syntax when said event is received; and

d) when said free-form syntax of said global event registry matches said characteristics of said event, transferring said event to said one of an event producer and event consumer corresponding to said free-form syntax in said global event registry.

7. In a computer network comprised of a broker, an event producer, an event consumer and a global event registry, a method of implementing addressing of events between an at least first and second event buffers of said broker, comprising the steps of:

a) one of said event producer and said event consumer registering at said global event registry with a preference for one of said at least first and second event buffers;

b) when an event occurs, transferring said event to said broker of said event consumer;

c) said broker of said event consumer identifying said said one of said preference of said at least first and second event buffers for said event from said global event registry; and

d) said broker of said event consumer storing said event in said one of said at least first and second event buffers corresponding to said preference.

8. In a system for globalizing events occurring at one server in a network to other servers in the network, the method comprising the steps of:

a) associating information with the event to be globalized, said information remaining with the event so that other servers in the network may identify certain characteristics of the event from that information;

b) monitoring said information with said server to compare that information with preselected criteria on the server for conditions such as time of initiation of the event, duration of the event, and limitations upon who may receive the event; and

c) expiring the event if the information associated with the event falls outside the server criteria.

9. A method of globalizing events as set forth in claim 8, wherein the information associated with the event contains information regarding the encryption of the event and wherein the criteria associated with the server is a public key.

10. A method of globalizing events as set forth in claim 8, wherein the information associated with the event contains information regarding the encryption of the event and wherein the criteria associated with the server is public certificate verification technology.

11. In a computer network comprising an event producer, an event consumer, a server, and a function registrar, a method for allowing several event producers and consumers to access a single function in the function registrar, the method comprising:

a) generating an event from an event producer requesting a function;

b) receiving the event from the event producer by the server;

c) recognizing information associated with the event indicating that the event should be routed to a function registrar;

d) forwarding the events to the function registrar;

e) activating the event within the function registrar; and

f) forwarding the event with the now executed application to an event consumer.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the event producer and event consumer are not the same workstation.

13. A method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the event is a spell check request, and the application in the application registrar is a spell checker.

14. A method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the event is a disk fault in the application in the application registrar is a command to purge all deleted files to recover disk space.

15. A method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the event itself triggers the routing to the application registrar.