Method, system, and program for accessing a network namespace

• US 6,604,148 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dennison, Carl Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/409,610
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/223, 709/201, 709/316, 707/3, 707/10, 707/201
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for accessing an object in a network providing communication among multiple network devices and a namespace server including a namespace comprising one network address, e.g., IP address, for each network device in the system. The network device retrieves the namespace from the namespace server over the network and maintains the retrieved namespace as a local namespace at the network device. The network device may then determine the network address of a target network device to use to send a request to the network address of the target network device.

Claims

1. A method for accessing an object in a network providing communication among multiple network devices and a namespace server including a namespace comprising one network address for each network device in the system, comprising:

retrieving, with at least one network device, the namespace from the namespace server over the network during initialization of the network device;

maintaining, with the at least one network device, the retrieved namespace as a local namespace at the network device; and

determining from the local namespace, with one network device, the network address of a target network device to use to send a request to the network address of the target network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of objects and a network device through which the object is capable of being accessed, further comprising:

processing, with one network device, a request to access one of the objects;

locating, with the network device, the requested object in the local namespace;

determining, with the network device, from the located object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the object is capable of being accessed; and

transmitting, with the network device, a request to access the object to the determined network address of the network device through which the object is capable of being accessed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the namespace includes for each object a pathname indicating an object name and a name of the server through which the object is capable of being accessed, wherein locating the requested object in the local namespace comprises determining the pathname in the local namespace having the object name matching the name of the requested object, and wherein determining from the located object in the local namespace the network device comprises accessing the servername in the determined pathname for the requested object.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

adding, with one network device, one object;

determining from the local namespace, with the network device adding the object, the network address of every other network device; and

transmitting, with the network device adding the object, information on the added object to other determined network devices and the namespace server, wherein the network devices receiving the transmitted information use the information on the added object to determine the location of the added object in the network.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

deleting, with one network device, one object;

determining from the local namespace, with the network device deleting the object, the network address of every other network device; and

transmitting, with the network device deleting the object, information on the deleted object to every other determined network device and the namespace server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of printer objects representing printers and a network device through which the printer object is capable of being accessed, further comprising:

processing a request to submit a print job to one printer represented as an object in the local namespace;

locating the printer object for the printer to print the print job in the local namespace;

determining from the located printer object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed; and

submitting the print job to the determined network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of queue objects representing queues of print jobs to submit to a printer and a network device through which the queue object is capable of being accessed, further comprising:

processing a request to access a queue represented as a queue object in the local namespace;

locating the requested queue object in the local namespace;

determining from the located queue object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the queue is capable of being accessed; and

submitting the request to access the queue to the determined network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed.

8. A system for accessing an object in a network providing communication among multiple network devices and a namespace server including a namespace comprising one network address for each network device in the system, wherein at least one network device in the network comprises:

means for retrieving the namespace from the namespace server over the network during initialization of the network device;

means for maintaining the retrieved namespace as a local namespace at the network device; and

means for determining from the local namespace the network address of a target network device to use to send a request to the network address of the target network device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of objects and a network device through which the object is capable of being accessed, wherein the at least one network device further comprises:

means for processing a request to access one of the objects;

means for locating the requested object in the local namespace;

means for determining from the located object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the object is capable of being accessed; and

means for transmitting a request to access the object to the determined network address of the network device through which the object is capable of being accessed.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the namespace includes for each object a pathname indicating an object name and a name of the server through which the object is capable of being accessed, wherein the means for locating the requested object in the local namespace comprises determining the pathname in the local namespace having the object name matching the name of the requested object, and wherein the means for determining from the located object in the local namespace the network device comprises accessing the servername in the determined pathname for the requested object.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one network device further comprises:

means for adding one object;

means for determining from the local namespace the network address of every other network device; and

means for transmitting information on the added object to other determined network devices and the namespace server, wherein the network devices receiving the transmitted information use the information on the added object to determine the location of the added object in the network.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one network device further comprises:

means for deleting one object;

means for determining from the local namespace the network address of every other network device; and

means for transmitting information on the deleted object to every other determined network device and the namespace server.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of printer objects representing printers and a network device through which the printer object is capable of being accessed, wherein the at least one network device further comprises:

means for processing a request to submit a print job to one printer represented as an object in the local namespace;

means for locating the printer object for the printer to print the print job in the local namespace;

means for determining from the located printer object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed; and

means for submitting the print job to the determined network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of queue objects representing queues of print jobs to submit to a printer and a network device through which the queue object is capable of being accessed, wherein the at least one network device further comprises:

means for processing a request to access a queue represented as a queue object in the local namespace;

means for locating the requested queue object in the local namespace;

means for determining from the located queue object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the queue is capable of being accessed; and

means for submitting the request to access the queue to the determined network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed.

15. An article of manufacture for accessing an object in a network providing communication among multiple network devices and a namespace server including a namespace comprising one network address for each network device in the system, the article of manufacture comprising computer usable media including at least one computer program and at least one work process embedded therein that causes at least one network device to perform:

retrieving the namespace from the namespace server over the network during initialization of the network device;

maintaining the retrieved namespace as a local namespace at the network device; and

determining from the local namespace the network address of a target network device to use to send a request to the network address of the target network device.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of objects and a network device through which the object is capable of being accessed, further causing the at least one network device to perform:

processing a request to access one of the objects;

locating the requested object in the local namespace;

determining from the located object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the object is capable of being accessed; and

transmitting a request to access the object to the determined network address of the network device through which the object is capable of being accessed.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the namespace includes for each object a pathname indicating an object name and a name of the server through which the object is capable of being accessed, wherein locating the requested object in the local namespace comprises determining the pathname in the local namespace having the object name matching the name of the requested object, and wherein determining from the located object in the local namespace the network device comprises accessing the servername in the determined pathname for the requested object.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, further causing the at least one network device to perform:

adding one object;

determining from the local namespace the network address of every other network device; and

transmitting information on the added object to other determined network devices and the namespace server, wherein the network devices receiving the transmitted information use the information on the added object to determine the location of the added object in the network.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, further causing the at least one network device to perform:

deleting one object;

determining from the local namespace the network address of every other network device; and

transmitting information on the deleted object to every other determined network device and the namespace server.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of printer objects representing printers and a network device through which the printer object is capable of being accessed, further causing the at least one network device to perform:

processing a request to submit a print job to one printer represented as an object in the local namespace;

locating the printer object for the printer to print the print job in the local namespace;

determining from the located printer object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed; and

submitting the print job to the determined network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the namespace includes a plurality of queue objects representing queues of print jobs to submit to a printer and a network device through which the queue object is capable of being accessed, further causing the network device to perform:

processing a request to access a queue represented as a queue object in the local namespace;

locating the requested queue object in the local namespace;

determining from the located queue object in the local namespace the network device and the network address of the network device through which the queue is capable of being accessed; and

submitting the request to access the queue to the determined network address of the network device through which the printer is capable of being accessed.

22. A method for accessing an object in a network providing communication among multiple network devices and a namespace server including a namespace comprising one network address for each network device in the system, comprising:

retrieving, with at least one network device, the namespace from the namespace server over the network;

maintaining, with the at least one network device, the retrieved namespace as a local namespace at the network device;

determining from the local namespace, with one network device, the network address of a target network device to use to send a request to the network address of the target network device;

modifying, with one network device, an arrangement of objects;

determining from the local namespace, with the network device modifying the objects, the network address of every other network device; and

transmitting, with the network device modifying the arrangement of objects, information on the modified arrangement to every other determined network device and the namespace server.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein modifying the arrangement of objects comprises one of deleting one object or adding one object.

24. A system for accessing an object in a network providing communication among multiple network devices and a namespace server including a namespace comprising one network address for each network device in the system, comprising:

means for retrieving the namespace from the namespace server over the network;

means for maintaining the retrieved namespace as a local namespace at the network device;

means for determining from the local namespace the network address of a target network device to use to send a request to the network address of the target network device;

means for modifying an arrangement of objects;

means for determining from the local namespace the network address of every other network device; and

means for transmitting information on the modified arrangement to every other determined network device and the namespace server.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for modifying the arrangement of objects performs one of deleting one object or adding one object.

26. An article of manufacture for accessing an object in a network providing communication among multiple network devices and a namespace server including a namespace comprising one network address for each network device in the system, wherein the article of manufacture causes at least one network device to perform:

retrieving the namespace from the namespace server over the network;

maintaining the retrieved namespace as a local namespace at the network device;

determining from the local namespace the network address of a target network device to use to send a request to the network address of the target network device;

modifying an arrangement of objects;

determining from the local namespace the network address of every other network device; and

transmitting information on the modified arrangement to every other determined network device and the namespace server.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein modifying the arrangement of objects comprises one of deleting one object or adding one object.