Systems and methods for uniquely identifying a network by correlating the network's name with the application programming interface of transport protocol and the connectivity type of the network

• US 7,007,079 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, Timothy M., Eydelman, Vadim, Venable, Jeffrey C. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/114,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• 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

Abstract

A service is disclosed that discovers information about the logical networks to which a computer is connected and provides that information to applications. The information is keyed to names constructed by the service. There is a mapping between the names and the logical networks. Applications may rely on the names when selecting a configuration to use with a given logical network. The network name may be correlated with other information, such as physical network interface(s) on the computer through which the logical network is accessible, application programming interfaces of the transport protocols supported by the logical network, and the connectivity type of the logical network. Applications are notified when network information provided to them changes or when new information becomes available.

Claims

1. A method for determining a connectivity type for a computing device'"'"'s network interface, the method comprising:

if an address of the computing device on the interface is a valid, private address, and if no gateway is found on the interface, then determining that the interface'"'"'s connectivity type is ad hoc;

else if an address of the computing device on the interface is a valid, public address, and if a specific name server is configured on the interface, and if a domain is configured on the interface, then determining that the interface'"'"'s connectivity type is managed;

else if an address of the computing device on the interface is a valid address, and if a connectivity services beacon is received on the interface, then determining that the interface'"'"'s connectivity type is unmanaged;

else determining that the interface'"'"'s connectivity type is unknown; and

associating a name with a network, the name unique within a context of the computing device, and correlating the name with the determined connectivity type and the application programming interface of a transport protocol supported by the network for identifying the computer'"'"'s logical network attachment.

2. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions executable on a computer for performing the method of claim 1.

3. A method for determining whether a computing device'"'"'s network interface has connectivity to the Internet, the method comprising:

if an address of the computing device on the interface is invalid, or if no gateway is configured on the interface, or if no specific name server is configured on the interface, then determining that the interface does not have connectivity to the Internet;

else if an Internet name can be resolved using a name server configured on the interface, then determining that the interface has connectivity to the Internet;

else determining that the interface does not have connectivity to the Internet; and

associating a name with a network, the name unique within a context of the computing device, and correlating the name with the determined connectivity type and the application programming interface of a transport protocol supported by the network for identifying the computer'"'"'s logical network attachment.

4. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions executable on a computer for performing the method of claim 3.

5. A method for providing network connectivity information to an application running on a computing device, the method comprising:

applying a first set of discovery techniques to discover aspects of a first network to which the computing device is connected;

applying a second set of discovery techniques to discover aspects of a second network to which the computing device is connected, the fist and second sets of discovery techniques differing, at least in part;

providing discovered aspects of the first and second networks to the application via a common application programming interface; and

associating a name with each of the first and second networks, the name being unique within a context of the computing device, and correlating the name with determined connectivity type and the application programming interface of a transport protocol supported by the network for identifying the computer'"'"'s logical network attachment.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein discovered aspects of the first network comprise information selected from the set consisting of a connectivity type for the first network and whether the first network has connectivity to the Internet.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the connectivity type is selected from the set consisting of:

ad hoc, managed, unmanaged, and unknown.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

notifying the application when discovered aspects of the first network change.