System and method to securely confirm performance of task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network environment

• US 7,181,506 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Fallenstedt, Martin, Vigue, Charles L., Kouznetsov, Victor, Melchione, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, TANIM M
• Application Number:
  US09/921,521
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/201, 709/203, 709/205, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225, 709227-229, 709/231, 709237-239, 709245-246, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1076 Resource dissemination mechanisms or network resource keeping policies for optimal resource availability in the overlay network

Abstract

A system and method for securely confirming performance of a task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network environment using signed receipts are disclosed. The method generally comprises broadcasting a request over the network by a requesting peer for a task with respect to a remote non-local backend server, receiving a response containing a local alias URL pointing to a destination on a responding server node, forwarding the task to the local alias URL for performance by the responding server node, and verifying a digital signature of any receipt packet received from the responding server node to ensure that the receipt packet is from the remote non-local backend server. The method may also include placing the server node in a black list of the requesting peer if the verifying is unsuccessful.

Claims

1. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

broadcasting a request over the network by a requesting peer for a task with respect to a remote non-local backend server;

receiving a response to the request containing a local alias URL, the local alias URL pointing to a local upload directory for a vendor HTTP service server residing on a responding server node, where the vendor HTTP service server uploads files from the local upload directory to the remote non-local backend server;

forwarding the task to the local alias URL for performance of the task by the responding server node;

verifying a digital signature of any receipt packet received from the responding server node to ensure that the receipt packet is from the remote non-local backend server; and

awaiting a maximum upload receipt time period for receiving the receipt packet;

wherein the maximum upload receipt time period is set based on a frequency of which an uploading service at the responding server node performs an upload, a size of a file being uploaded, and a transmission speed;

wherein the server node is placed in a black list of the requesting peer if said verifying is unsuccessful;

wherein, after said receiving, a message is broadcasted indicating that the requesting peer has located the responding server node;

wherein the task is an uploading task and wherein said forwarding the task to the local alias URL includes forwarding a file to be uploaded to the remote non-local backend server, and uniquely identifying the forwarded file.

2. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1, further comprising placing the server node in the black list of the requesting peer if a receipt packet fails to arrive within said maximum upload receipt time period.

3. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1, wherein the digitally signed response is signed by a 1024-bit VeriSign digital certificate.

4. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1, wherein the method reduces a number of service clients that have to obtain files via the Internet.

5. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1, wherein the task includes updating security files.

6. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 5, wherein the security files include firewall files and anti-virus application files.

7. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1, wherein the packet includes the following format:

<

service type=“

X”

version=“

X”

ID=“

X”

method=“

X”

href=http;

//X acceptprotoco=“

X”

/>

.

8. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1, wherein the files each include an XML file.

9. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

computer code of a requesting peer that broadcasts a request over the network for a task with respect to a remote non-local backend server;

computer code that receives a response to the request, the response containing a local alias URL, the local alias URL pointing to a local upload directory for a vendor HTTP service server residing on a responding server node, where the vendor HTTP service server unloads files from the local upload directory to the remote non-local backend server;

computer code that forwards the task to the local alias URL for performance of the task by the responding server node; and

computer code that verifies a digital signature of any receipt packet received from the responding server node to ensure that the receipt packet is from the remote non-local backend server;

computer code that awaits a maximum upload receipt time period for receiving the receipt packet; and

a computer readable medium that stores said computer codes;

wherein the maximum upload receipt time period is set based on a frequency of which an uploading service at the responding server node performs an upload, a size of a file being uploaded, and a transmission speed;

wherein the server node is placed in a black list of the requesting peer if said verifying is unsuccessful;

wherein, after said receiving, a message is broadcasted indicating that the requesting peer has located the responding server node;

wherein the task is an uploading task and wherein said forwarding the task to the local alias URL includes forwarding a file to be uploaded to the remote non-local backend server, and uniquely identifying the forwarded file.

10. A computer program product for securely confining performance of task by a peer of claim 9, further comprising computer code that places the server node in the black list of the requesting peer if a receipt packet fails to arrive within said maximum upload receipt time period.

11. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 9, wherein the digitally signed response is signed by a 1024-bit VeriSign digital certificate.

12. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 9, wherein the packet includes the following format:

<

service type=“

X”

version=“

X”

ID=“

X”

method=“

X”

href=http;

//X acceptprotoco=“

X”

/>

.

13. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 9, wherein the files each include an XML file.

14. A system for securely confirming performance of task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

means for broadcasting a request over the network by a requesting peer for a task with respect to a remote non-local backend server;

means for receiving a response to the request containing a local alias URL, the local alias URL pointing to a local upload directory for a vendor HTTP service server residing on a responding server node, where the vendor HTTP service server uploads files from the local upload directory to the remote non-local backend server;

means for forwarding the task to the local alias URL for performance of the task by the responding server node;

means for verifying a digital signature of any receipt packet received from the responding server node to ensure that the receipt packet is from the remote non-local backend server; and

means for awaiting a maximum upload receipt time period for receiving the receipt packet;

wherein the maximum upload receipt time period is set based on a frequency of which an uploading service at the responding server node performs an upload, a size of a file being uploaded, and a transmission speed;

wherein the server node is placed in a black list of the requesting peer if said verifying is unsuccessful;

wherein, after said receiving, a message is broadcasted indicating that the requesting peer has located the responding server node;

wherein the task is an uploading task and wherein said forwarding the task to the local alias URL includes forwarding a file to be uploaded to the remote non-local backend server, and uniquely identifying the forwarded file.

15. A system for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 14, wherein the packet includes the following format:

<

service type=“

X”

version=“

X”

ID=“

X”

method=“

X”

href=http;

//X acceptprotoco=“

X”

/>

.

16. A system for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 14, wherein the files each include an XML file.