System and method for establishing virtual and physical connection paths between peer systems

• US 6,631,414 B2
• Filed: 08/31/1998
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Glenn W., Bullock, Mark C., Gruber, Franklin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/144,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/227, 709/228, 709/232, 709/229, 709/237, 709/245, 709/246, 709/248, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272

Abstract

A system and method for dedicating an externally configurable modem under system software control at a local peer for communication with one, single, predetermined remote peer, thereby providing the equivalent of a dedicate line by operating a single modem at the local node. The modem to be dedicated to the predetermined, single remote node is initialized to answer mode and reconfigured to originate mode when needed. The process of configuring the modem of the local node establishes a point-to-point protocol (PPP) route for establishing a physical connection path to the remote node.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a local peer node and a single predetermined remote peer node in a switched point-to-point protocol (PPP) network, comprising the steps executed under system program control of:

configuring under system software control a single, externally controlled communication modem at a local peer node dedicated as a virtual point-to-point protocol route for establishing a physical connection path to said single predetermined remote peer node;

initializing under said system software control said communication modem at said local peer node for answer mode;

reconfiguring under said system software control said communication modem for dial out mode when said local peer node initiates a call to said single predetermined remote peer node by routing to said remote peer node a PPP data packet by way of said physical connection path; and

upon completing said call, returning under said system software control said communication modem to said answer mode dedicated to said single predetermined remote peer node thereby minimizing on-demand costs relative to maintaining a physical connection between said peer nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, said returning step further comprising the step of monitoring said single communication modem for receipt of data from said single predetermined remote peer node.

3. A communications method for communicating between peer nodes including a local node and one, predetermined remote node interconnected in a point-to-point dial up network, comprising the steps executed at said local node of:

during a job initialization phase,

registering a dial-on-demand job;

creating a dial-on-demand interface;

creating a data queue;

initializing a modem to answer calls from said one, predetermined remote node;

waiting on said data queue for an incoming call from said one, predetermined remote node or a start session request;

during an originate session phase responsive to a start session request,

receiving a data packet for communication to said remote node;

loading said data packet to said data queue;

operating said modem to dial said remote node;

activating a connection over said interface from said local node to said remote node;

transferring said data packet over said connection to said remote node;

during a session end phase,

deactivating said connection;

initializing said modem to answer calls only from said one, predetermined remote node;

waiting on said data queue for an incoming call from said one, predetermined remote node or a start session request;

during an answer session phase responsive to said modem signaling receipt of an incoming call from said one, predetermined remote node, said receipt being enqueued to said data queue,

dequeuing receipt of said incoming call from said data queue;

activating a connection over said interface from said local node to said remote node;

transferring data packets with respect to said remote node; and

during a job end phase,

ending said interface;

releasing said data queue; and

deregistering said dial-on-demand job.

4. A system for communicating between peer nodes in a network, comprising:

means for configuring a single communication modem at a local peer node as a virtual point-to-point protocol route for establishing a physical connection path dedicated to a single predetermined remote peer node;

means for initializing said communication modem at said local peer node for answer mode with respect to said single predetermined remote peer node;

means for reconfiguring said communication modem for dial out mode when said local peer node initiates a call to said single predetermined remote peer node by routing to said remote peer node a data packet by way of said physical connection path; and

means responsive upon completing said call for returning said communication modem to said answer mode with respect to said single predetermined remote peer node.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising means responsive to returning said communication modem to said answer mode for monitoring said single communication modem for receipt of data from said single predetermined remote peer node.

6. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for communicating between peer nodes in a network, said method steps comprising:

configuring a single communication modem at a local peer node as a virtual point-to-point protocol route for establishing a physical connection path dedicated to a single predetermined remote peer node;

initializing said communication modem at said local peer node for answer mode;

reconfiguring said communication modem for dial out mode when said local peer node initiates a call to said single predetermined remote peer node by routing to said remote peer node a data packet by way of said physical connection path; and

upon completing said call, returning said communication modem to said answer mode with respect to said single predetermined remote peer node.

7. The program storage device of claim 6, said method steps further comprising the step responsive to said returning step of monitoring said single communication modem for receipt of data from said single predetermined remote peer node.

8. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for communicating between peer nodes in a network, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect configuring a single communication modem at a local peer node as a virtual point-to-point protocol route for establishing a physical connection path dedicated to a single predetermined remote peer node;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect initializing said communication modem at said local peer node for answer mode;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect reconfiguring said communication modem for dial out mode when said local peer node initiates a call to said single predetermined remote peer node by routing to said remote peer node a data packet by way of said physical connection path; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect, upon completing said call, returning said communication modem to said answer mode.

9. A computer program product for controlling the operation of computing device for communicating between a local peer node and a predetermined remote peer node in a switched point-to-point protocol (PPP) network according to method steps comprising:

configuring a single communication modem at a local peer node dedicated as a virtual point-to-point protocol route for establishing a physical connection path to said predetermined remote peer node;

initializing said communication modem at said local peer node for answer mode;

reconfiguring said communication modem for dial out mode when said local peer node initiates a call to said predetermined remote peer node by routing to said remote peer node a PPP data packet by way of said physical connection path; and

upon completing said call, returning said communication modem to said answer mode thereby minimizing on-demand costs relative to maintaining a physical connection between said peer nodes.

10. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for communicating between peer nodes in a network including a local node and one, predetermined remote node interconnected in a point-to-point dial up network, said method steps comprising:

during a job initialization phase,

registering a dial-on-demand job;

creating a dial-on-demand interface;

creating a data queue;

initializing a modem to answer calls from said one, predetermined remote node;

waiting on said data queue for an incoming call from said one, predetermined remote node or a start session request;

during an originate session phase responsive to a start session request,

receiving a data packet for communication to said remote node;

loading said data packet to said data queue;

operating said modem to dial said remote node;

activating a connection over said interface from said local node to said remote node;

transferring said data packet over said connection to said remote node;

during a session end phase,

deactivating said connection;

initializing said modem to answer calls only from said one, predetermined remote node;

waiting on said data queue for an incoming call from said one, predetermined remote node or a start session request;

during an answer session phase responsive to said modem signaling receipt of an incoming call from said one, predetermined remote node, said receipt being enqueued to said data queue,

dequeuing receipt of said incoming call from said data queue;

activating a connection over said interface from said local node to said remote node;

transferring data packets with respect to said remote node; and

during a job end phase,

ending said interface;

releasing said data queue; and

deregistering said dial-on-demand job.