CLIENTS REMOTE ACCESS TO ENTERPRISE NETWORKS EMPLOYING ENTERPRISE GATEWAY SERVERS IN A CENTRALIZED DATA CENTER CONVERTING PLURALITY OF DATA REQUESTS FOR MESSAGING AND COLLABORATION INTO A SINGLE REQUEST

• US 6,609,148 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: David Seror
• Inventors: Salo, Randy, Herbinaux, Larry, Deacon, D. Brian, Van Hamersveld, Chris, Shelton, Barry K., Fayal, Kenneth Eugene Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/436,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201-203, 709/217-219, 707/10, 707/102
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer system includes an enterprise gateway server and a remote gateway server connected via a data network, such as the Internet, that is relatively inefficient compared to typical private networks. The remote gateway server interfaces the enterprise gateway server to corporate messaging and collaboration data stored locally relative to the remote gateway server. The enterprise gateway server converts multiple data requests for the messaging and collaboration data into a single higher-level data request that is transmitted across the data network. The remote gateway server receives the request and converts the single high level request back into the original multiple request format for presentation to the messaging and collaboration database.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

an enterprise gateway server connected to a data network, the enterprise gateway server including software that converts a plurality of data requests for messaging and collaboration data into a single higher level request and transmits the higher level request over the data network;

a remote gateway server connected to the data network, the remote gateway server receiving the higher level request from the enterprise gateway server and converting the higher level request to the plurality of data requests; and

a messaging server hosting messaging and collaboration data and connected to the remote gateway server through a private data network, the messaging server providing messaging and collaboration data to the remote gateway server in response to receiving the plurality of data requests.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the data network is a public network.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein data transmitted over the public network is encrypted so as to form a virtual private network (VPN) between the enterprise gateway server and the remote gateway server.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the VPN is formed with a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) connection.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the VPN is formed using the Internet Protocol Security (IPSEC) standard.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the messaging and collaboration data is one of email, calendar, or contact information.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the data network is a private network.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the single higher level request generated at the enterprise gateway server is produced by a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) proxy program executing at the enterprise gateway server.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) stub program executing on the remote gateway server receives the higher level request from the enterprise gateway server and converts the higher level request to the plurality of data requests.

10. A computer system comprising:

an enterprise gateway server connected to a data network, the enterprise gateway server including software that converts a plurality of data requests for messaging and collaboration data into a single higher level request and transmits the higher level request; and

a corporate network connected to the enterprise gateway server via the Internet, the corporate network receiving the higher level request from the enterprise gateway server and converting the higher level request to the plurality of data requests, the corporate network using the converted plurality of data requests to query a messaging database that stores messaging and collaboration data corresponding to the plurality of data requests from the enterprise gateway server, and returning the results of the query to the enterprise gateway server.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein data transmitted over the Internet is encrypted so as to form a virtual private network (VPN) between the enterprise gateway server and the remote gateway server.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the VPN is formed with a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) connection.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the VPN is formed using the Internet Protocol Security (IPSEC) standard.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the messaging and collaboration data is one of email, calendar, or contact information.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the single higher level request generated at the enterprise gateway server is produced by a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) proxy program executing at the enterprise gateway server.

16. The computer system of claim 10, wherein a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) stub program executing on the remote gateway server receives the higher level request from the enterprise gateway server and converts the higher level request to the plurality of data requests.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for converting a plurality of data requests for messaging and collaboration data into a single higher level request in an enterprise gateway server;

means for transmiting the higher level request over a data network;

means for receiving the higher level request in a remote gateway server;

means for converting the higher level request to the plurality of data from the remote gateway server to the enterprise gateway server requests; and

means for providing messaging and collaboration data in response to receiving the plurality of data requests.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the data network is a public network.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the data transmitted over the public network is encrypted so as to form a virtual private network (VPN).

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the VPN is formed with a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) connection.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the VPN is formed using the Internet Protocol Security (IPSEC) standard.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the messaging and collaboration data is one of email, calendar, or contact information.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the data network is a private network.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the single higher level request is produced by a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) proxy program.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) stub program receives the higher level request and converts the higher level request to the plurality of data requests.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for converting a plurality of data requests for messaging and collaboration data into a single higher level request in an enterprise gateway server;

means for transmiting the higher level request;

means for receiving the higher level request;

means for converting the higher level request to the plurality of data requests;

means for using the converted plurality of data requests to query a messaging database that stores messaging and collaboration data corresponding to the plurality of data requests from the enterprise gateway server; and

means for returning the results of the query to the enterprise gateway server.