Method and apparatus for network transport independence

• US 6,343,321 B2
• Filed: 10/27/1997
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Patki, Ema, Wong, Daniel C. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US08/958,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20010013065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/230, 709/236, 709/204, 709/203, 709/227, 709/228, 709/103, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• 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 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention make the underlying transport mechanism transparent to the sender and/or receiver. Using embodiments of the invention, it is not necessary for a sender or receiver to interface with the transport mechanism. Messages are received in a single format which eliminates the need for the sender or receiver to accommodate multiple message formats. A socket mechanism implements bi-directional transmissions and acts as a buffer between the sender or receiver and the underlying transport mechanism. The socket mechanism interfaces with a transport delivery mechanism that receives packets from the physical network. The socket forwards messages received from the transport delivery mechanism to a message processor. Further, the socket forwards messages from the message processor to the transport delivery mechanism. The transport deliver mechanism removes a transport header of messages received from and adds a transport header to messages sent to the physical network.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method of network transport independence comprising:

obtaining a first socket instance;

connecting said first socket to a first message processor, wherein said first socket to first message processor connection comprises at least one channel that has a real time data input stream flowing from said first message processor into said first socket and a real time data output stream flowing from said first socket into said first message processor;

connecting said first socket to a network;

creating a plurality of real time transport protocol packets from said real time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket;

embedding said plurality of real time transport protocol packets into a plurality of network packets, wherein said network packets comprise at least one additional communication protocol;

transporting said network packets using said additional communication protocol from said first socket onto said network and from said network to a second socket;

reassembling said real time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket at said second socket using said plurality of real time transport protocol packets, wherein said reassembling is independent of said at least one additional communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of connecting said first socket to said network further comprises the steps of:

connecting said network to a first transport delivery mechanism;

connecting said first transport delivery mechanism to said first socket.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said first transport delivery mechanism forwards a message from said first socket to said network, and wherein said embedding is performed by said first transport delivery mechanism.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said first transport delivery mechanism forwards a received message from said network to said first socket, said method further comprising the step of removing a real time transport protocol packet from said received message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one data channel, said at least one data channel transmitting data messages.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one control channel, said at least one control channel transmitting messages containing control information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one data channel to transmit data messages and at least one control channel to transmit control messages.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of creating a plurality of real time transport protocol packets further comprises the steps of:

said first message processor specifying a buffer that contains said real time transport protocol packet;

said read time data input stream copying said real time transport protocol packet in said buffer to a network buffer.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of transporting further comprises the steps of:

specifying a buffer that contains said transported network package to a real time data output stream of said second socket;

said real time data output stream copying said transported network package in said buffer to a buffer accessible by a second message processor.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said real time transport protocol packets comprise information identifying at least one data type associated with said real time data input stream and sequencing information associated with said reassembling.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating further comprises parsing said real time data input stream into said plurality of real time transport protocol packets.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said reassembling further comprises constructing a real time data output stream at said second socket from said transported network packets in accordance with said information identifying at least one data type and sequencing information.

13. A network transport system comprising:

a first socket instance coupled to a first message processor and to a network;

at least one channel comprising a real time data input stream flowing from said first message processor into said first socket and a real time data output stream flowing from said first socket into said first message processor;

a plurality of network packets for transporting from said first socket onto said network and from said network to a second socket using at least one additional protocol, wherein said network packets comprise a plurality of real time transport protocol packets created from said read time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket;

a real time data output stream of said second socket comprising said real time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket reassembled using said plurality of real time transport protocol packets, wherein said reassembling is independent of said at least one additional communication protocol.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said first socket comprises a first transport delivery mechanism coupled to said network, wherein said first transport delivery mechanism embeds said plurality of real time transport protocol packets into said network packets and transports said network packets onto said network.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said real time data input stream and said real time data output stream are object-oriented programming language objects.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one channel comprises a data channel.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one channel comprises a control channel.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one channel comprises a data channel and a control channel.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein a second transport delivery mechanism coupled to said network removes said plurality of real time transport protocol packets from said network packets.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein said network is the Internet.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein said first and second sockets are object-oriented programming language objects.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein said real time transport protocol packets comprise information identifying at least one data type associated with said real time data input stream and sequencing information associated with said reassembling.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said reassembling further comprises constructing a real time data output stream at said second socket from said transported network packets in accordance with said information identifying at least one data type and sequencing information.

24. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to allow transport independence comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain a first socket instance;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to connect said first socket to a first message processor, wherein said first socket to first message processor connection comprises at least one channel that has a real time data input stream flowing from said first message processor into said first socket and a real time data output stream flowing from said first socket into said first message processor;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to connect said first socket to a network;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to create at least one network message from said input stream of said at least one channel of said socket;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to create a plurality of real time transport protocol packets from said real time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket;

computer readable code configured to embed said plurality of real time transport protocol packets into a plurality of network packets, wherein said network packets comprise at least one additional communication protocol;

;

computer readable code configured to cause said computer to transport said network packets using said additional communication protocol from said first socket onto said network and from said network to a second socket;

computer readable code configured to reassemble said real time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket at said second socket using said plurality of real time transport protocol packets, wherein said reassembling is independent of said at least one additional communication protocol.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein said computer readable code configured to cause a computer to connect said first socket to said network further comprises:

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to connect said network to a first transport delivery mechanism;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to connect said first transport delivery mechanism to said first socket.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25 wherein said first transport delivery mechanism forwards a message from said first socket to said network.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 25 wherein said first transport delivery mechanism forwards a received message from said network to said first socket, said article of manufacture further comprises computer readable code configured to cause a computer to remove a real time transport protocol packet from said received message.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one data channel, said at least one data channel transmitting data messages.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one control channel, said at least one control channel transmitting messages containing control information.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one data channel to transmit data messages and at least one control channel to transmit control messages.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30 wherein said computer readable code configured to cause a computer to create a plurality of real time transport protocol packets further comprises:

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to specify a buffer that contains said real time transport protocol packets;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to cause a computer to copy said real time transport protocol packets in said buffer to a network buffer.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30 wherein said computer readable code configured to cause a computer to transport network packets further comprises:

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to specify a buffer that contains said transported network package to said real time data output stream of said second socket;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to copy said transported network packet in said buffer accessible by a second message processor.

33. The article of claim 24 wherein said real time transport protocol packets comprise information identifying at least one data type associated with said real time data input stream and sequencing information associated with said reassembling.

34. The article of claim 24 wherein said computer readable code configured to create a plurality of real time transport protocol packets further comprises computer readable code configured to parse said real time data input stream into said plurality of real time transport protocol packets.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein said computer readable code configured to reassemble further comprises computer readable code configured to construct a real time data output stream at said second socket from said transported network packets in accordance with said information identifying at least one data type and sequencing information.

36. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to provide network transport independence by performing the steps of:

creating a first socket instance;

connecting said first socket to a first message processor, wherein said first socket to first message processor connection comprises at least one channel that has a real time data input stream flowing from said first message processor into said first socket and a real time data output stream flowing from said first socket into said first message processor;

connecting said first socket to a network;

creating a plurality of real time transport protocol packets from said real time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket;

embedding said plurality of real time transport protocol packets into a plurality of network packets, wherein said network packets comprise at least one additional communication protocol;

transporting said network packets using said additional communication protocol from said first socket onto said network and from said network to a second socket;

reassembling said real time data input stream of said at least one channel of said first socket at said second socket using said plurality of real time transport protocol packets, wherein said reassembling is independent of said at least one additional communication protocol.

37. The computer data signal of claim 36 wherein said step of connecting said first socket to said network further comprises the steps of:

connecting said network to a first transport delivery mechanism;

connecting said first transport delivery mechanism to said first socket.

38. The computer data signal of claim 37 wherein said first transport delivery mechanism forwards a message from said first socket to said network, and

wherein said sequences of instructions which, when executed by said processor, cause said first transport delivery mechanism to perform said step of said embedding.

39. The computer data signal of claim 37 wherein said first transport delivery mechanism forwards a received message from said network to said first socket, and

wherein said sequences of instructions which, when executed by said processor, cause said first transport delivery mechanism to perform the further step of removing a real time transport protocol packet from said received message.

40. The computer data signal of claim 36 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one data channel, said at least one data channel transmitting data messages.

41. The computer data signal of claim 36 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one control channel, said at least one control channel transmitting messages containing control information.

42. The computer data signal of claim 36 wherein said at least one channel comprises at least one data channel to transmit data messages and at least one control channel to transmit control messages.

43. The computer data signal of claim 42 wherein said step of creating a plurality of real time transport protocol packets further comprises the steps of:

said first message processor specifying a buffer that contains said real time transport protocol packet;

said real time data input stream copying said real time transport protocol packet in said buffer to a network buffer.

44. The computer data signal of claim 42 wherein said step of transporting further comprises the steps of:

specifying a buffer that contains said transported network packet to a real time data output stream of said second socket;

said real time data output stream copying said transported network packet in said buffer to a buffer accessible by a second processor.