Multi-protocol communication subsystem controller

• US 7,089,318 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Varadarajan, Srinivas, Krishnaswamy, Srivatsa, Dave, Subbraya Shailesh Kumar, Shamasastry, Ramamurthy, Koppold, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US10/439,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/230
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A common programming interface in a communication subsystem controller allows protocols to be developed or modified to communicate with the communication subsystem controller. Once a protocol layer is able to communicate with the communication subsystem controller, the protocol layer is stacked with other protocol layers compatible with the communication subsystem controller. A table in the communication subsystem controller specifies an order of protocol layers in the protocol stack. These protocol layers in the protocol stack communicate with their adjacent protocol layers through the communication subsystem controller.

Claims

1. A communication subsystem of a computer for providing connectivity to a communication network, the computer having an application program, a memory and at least one processor, wherein messages are transferred among the application program and a plurality of protocol layers in the communication subsystem using a communication subsystem controller, the communication subsystem using a communication subsystem controller, the communication subsystem comprising:

a protocol stack having;

the plurality of protocol layers, and

the communication subsystem controller, wherein the communication subsystem controller forms interfaces between the application program and its adjacent protocol layer in the protocol stack and at least between a pair of adjacent protocol layers of the protocol stack for transferring messages;

wherein the communication subsystem controller transfers messages between each protocol layer of the plurality of protocol layers, and between the application program and its adjacent protocol layer in the protocol stack.

2. The subsystem as in claim 1, the memory further having a set of predetermined protocol stack information, wherein the set of predetermined protocol stack information includes at least information of the adjacent protocol layer to the application program and the pair of adjacent protocol layers in the protocol stack.

3. The subsystem as in claim 2, the memory further having a set of service access point information, wherein the set of service access point information includes at least information of service access points used by the adjacent protocol layer to the application program and the pair of adjacent protocol layers in the protocol stack for transferring messages.

4. The subsystem as in claim 1, further comprising a preselected stack of network-dependent protocol layers for providing network-dependent services to the protocol stack for connecting the computer to the communication network.

5. The subsystem as in claim 4, further comprising an adapter layer between the preselected stack of network-dependent protocol layers and its adjacent protocol layer in the protocol stack, wherein the preselected stack of network-dependent protocol layers provide the network-dependent services to the protocol stack through the adapter layer for connecting the computer to the communication network.

6. The subsystem as in claim 1, the computer further having a persistent storage for storing the set of service access point information and a set of recovery information to support recovery activities.

7. A computer comprising:

an application program that is executed by the computer and stored thereon;

an adapter layer that interfaces with another program of the computer, wherein the application program and the adapter layer transfer messages to each other;

a protocol stack that comprises a plurality of protocol layers, and formats a message from one of the application program and the adapter layer into a format useable by the other; and

a controller that passes the messages between each protocol layer of the protocol stack, between the application program and an associated layer of the protocol stack, and between the adapter layer and an associated layer of the protocol stack.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein the another program is an operating system, and the operating system passes the messages with an operating system of another computer.

9. The computer of claim 7, further comprising:

protocol information that is stored in the computer and is used to build the protocol stack.

10. The computer of claim 9, wherein the protocol information comprises at least one of:

information of the layer associated with the application program; and

information of each protocol layer in the protocol stack.

11. The computer of claim 9, wherein the protocol information comprises:

information of service access points for at least one layer of the protocol stack.

12. The computer of claim 9, wherein the protocol information comprises:

a predetermined stack of network dependent protocol layers.

13. The computer of claim 7, wherein the computer is one of:

a client computer, a server computer, and a gateway computer.

14. The computer of claim 7, wherein the controller uses function call to pass the messages.

15. The computer of claim 7, wherein each protocol layer of the protocol stack can only inter-operate with the controller.

16. The computer of claim 7, wherein the another program is a network dependent protocol layer which exchanges messages with a network.

17. The computer of claim 16, wherein the network is one of a local network, a wide area network, and the Internet.

18. The computer of claim 7, wherein the application program initiates an association with the another program to exchange messages with the another program.

19. The computer of claim 18, wherein the association is one of:

a session; and

a conversation.

20. The computer of claim 18, wherein the another program resides on another computer.

21. A computer system comprising at least two computers, wherein each computer comprises:

an application program that is executed by the computer and stored thereon;

an adapter layer that interfaces with an operating system of the computer, wherein the application program and the adapter layer transfer messages to each other, and the operating system passes the messages with an operating system of the other computer of the two computers;

a protocol stack that comprises a plurality of protocol layers, and formats a message from one of the application program and the adapter layer into a format useable by the other; and

a controller that passes the messages between each protocol layer of the protocol stack, between the application program and an associated layer of the protocol stack, and between the adapter layer and an associated layer of the protocol stack.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the a protocol stack of one computer is different from the protocol stack of another computer.