Method and system for IP address accessibility to server applications

• US 6,216,159 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murphy, Thomas Edwin Jr., Stevens, Jeffrey Scott, Chintakrindi, Rao Sivasankar, Rieth, Paul Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US08/978,252
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/223, 709/222, 709/224, 709/225, 709/219, 709/229, 709/226, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A Telnet server makes the IP address of a Telnet client accessible to applications by writing the IP address into device associated space initialized when the virtual device at the server is associated with the physical device at the client. Applications retrieve this device IP address using an API, and are thus enabled to do job routing, printer passthru, access control and so forth using TCP/IP networks.

Claims

1. Method for enabling a server to make the network address of a physical device at end client local workstation accessible to applications, comprising the steps:

associating a virtual device at said server with said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation;

initializing virtual device associate space in the application layer of a network also including transport layer;

writing said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation into said virtual device associated space; and

retrieving said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation for use by said applications thereby enabling said applications to make processing decisions based upon the physical location of said client local workstation.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

executing said application to do at least one of job routing, printer passthru, and access control using TCP/IP networks.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of operating said applications responsive to said network address for controlling and directing printing over TCP/IP networks to clients with variable network addresses.

4. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for enabling a server to make the network address of a physical device at an end client local workstation accessible to applications, said method steps comprising:

associating a virtual device at said server with said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation;

initializing virtual device associate space;

writing said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation into said virtual device associated space; and

retrieving said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation for use by said application thereby enabling said application to make processing decisions based upon the physical location of said client local workstation.

5. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for enabling a server to make the network address of a physical device at an end client local workstation accessible to applications, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect associating a virtual device at said server with said network address of said physical device at client local workstation;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect initializing virtual device associate space;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect writing said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation into said virtual device associated space; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect retrieving said network address of said physical device at said end client local workstation for use by said application thereby enabling said application to make processing decisions based upon the physical location of said client local workstation.

6. System for enabling a server to make the network address of a physical device at an end client local workstation accessible to applications, comprising:

means for associating a virtual device at said server with said network address of said physical device at said client local workstation;

means for initializing virtual device associate space;

means for writing said network address of said physical device at said client local workstation into said virtual device associated space; and

means for retrieving said network address of said physical device at said client local workstation for use by said applications thereby enabling said applications to make processing decisions based upon the physical location of said client local workstation.

7. Method for communicating to an application at a server system the network address of physical device at an end client machine, comprising the steps of:

associating a virtual device at said server system with said network address of said physical device at said end client machine;

initializing virtual device associate space;

writing said network address of said physical device at said end client machine into said virtual device associated space; and

retrieving said network address of said physical device at said end client machine for use by said application thereby enabling said application to make processing decisions, based upon the physical location of said client local workstation.

8. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly employing a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for enabling access by an application at a server system to a client workstation, said method steps comprising:

associating a virtual device at said server with a network address of a physical device said client workstation;

initializing virtual device associate space;

writing said network address of said physical device at said client workstation into said virtual device associated space; and

retrieving said network address of said physical at said client workstation for use by said application thereby enabling said application to make processing decisions, based upon the physical location of said client local workstation.