Object oriented communication among platform-independent systems over networks using SOAP

• US 7,325,053 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lab 7 Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lab 7 Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Linderman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARESH N
• Application Number:
  US11/510,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709200-203, 709/238, 709/245, 709217-220, 709224-232, 715/513, 726 11- 16, 719/310, 719/330, 719315-318, 710/11, 713/151
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0246 Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for object oriented communication among platform independent systems over networks using SOAP, in which communications can be performed over the internet and through a firewall utilizing a single communications protocol. A simple object access communications protocol (SOAP) is utilized for sending messages from one object to another across the internet in a platform independent manner. This type of protocol can be utilized to control network elements provided at various locations.

Claims

1. A system for communicating messages between an application source located at a first side of a firewall and a network element located at a second side of the firewall, the system comprising:

means for receiving, through an underlying communication protocol server compatible with web communication, an underlying expanding messaging communication protocol—

simple object access protocol (underlying expanding messaging communication protocol—

SOAP) packet of a user request with a computer program routine to drive the user request formatted as a simple object access protocol (SOAP) encoded request message;

means for, provided at the second side of the firewall, parsing a SOAP portion of said underlying expanding messaging communication protocol—

SOAP packet to produce a corresponding SOAP message;

means for transmitting said corresponding SOAP message to a network management application routine (NMA) provided in the network management agent server at the second side of the firewall;

means for sending SOAP encoded requests from said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall to a network element agent routine (NEA) provided in a network element agent server at the second side of the firewall;

means for parsing said SOAP encoded requests received by said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall in said NEA, which encompasses data needed to complete a single network element transaction;

means for encoding in said NEA, said corresponding SOAP message to produce SOAP packets;

means for transmitting said SOAP packets to a translator routine associated with the network element, said translator routine located in a translator box in a translator box at the second side of the firewall;

means for translating said SOAP packets into a command or data or combination of command and data for the network element;

means for transmitting said command or data or combination of command and data to the network element located at the second side of the firewall; and

said network element agent routine (NEA) provided at the second side of the firewall parses said SOAP message to produce SOAP packets received from said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall and sends said SOAP packets to said translator routine.

2. The system for communicating as described in claim 1, comprising the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol implemented as HTTP.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for transmitting in a SOAP encoded request a network element configuration data from said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall to a network element discovery routine (NED)

4. The system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said network configuration data comprises at least one of port, card, slot and shelf information.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for modifying said user request prior to sending said request to said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting said user request to a database for storage.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

means for modifying said user request prior to sending said request to said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall; and

means for transmitting said user request to a database for storage.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1, the application source for communicating with a plurality of network elements located at the second side of the firewall, further including:

means for including a plurality of NEAs, each of said NEAs controlling at least one of the network elements; and

means for transmitting said SOAP encoded requests to a proper NEA.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8, further including:

means for including a plurality of translator routines, each of said translator routines controlling at least one of the network elements; and

means for transmitting said SOAP packets to a proper network element.

10. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for translating said SOAP packets into an appropriate command or data or combination of command and data in said translator routine understood by the network element.

11. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting said command or data or combination of command and data from said translator routine to said network element over the world wide web.

12. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting said command data or combination of command and data from said translator routine to said network element over a network.

13. A system for communicating messages between an application source located at a first side of a firewall and a network element located at a second side of the firewall, the system comprising:

a routine provided in the application source at the first side of the firewall for building a simple object access protocol (SOAP) envelope over an underlying expanding messaging communication protocol of a user request;

a routine provided in the application source for providing said SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol to an underlying communication protocol server compatible with web communication at the first side of the firewall;

a routine provided in a network element agent server for receiving said SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol from the underlying communication protocol server; and

a routine for sending a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message from the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol by parsing the SOAP portion of the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol to produce the SOAP message, thereby permitting a network management application routine (NMA) provided in a network management agent server at the second side of the firewall to receive said SOAP message, and permitting a translator routine provided at the second side of the firewall, said translator routine receiving to receive said SOAP message and translating translate said SOAP message into a command or data or combination of command and data for the network element, and further permitting a network element agent routine (NEA) provided at the second side of the firewall to parse said SOAP message to produce SOAP packets received from said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall.

14. The system for communicating as described in claim 13, comprising the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol implemented as HTTP.

15. The system for communicating as described in claim 13, comprising the routine for parsing the SOAP message from the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol at the first side of the firewall.

16. The system in accordance with claim 13, comprising the routine for parsing the SOAP message from the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol esat the second side of the firewall.

17. The system in accordance with claim 13, further including a network element discovery routine (NED) routine for receiving said SOAP message from said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall, said SOAP message including network configuration data.

18. The system in accordance with claim 17, wherein said network configuration data includes port, card, slot and shelf information for a network element.

19. The system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said translator routine translates said SOAP message into a command or data or combination of command and data understood by the network element.

20. The system in accordance with claim 13, comprising the routine for parsing the SOAP message from the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol, provided at the first side of the firewall.

21. A system for communicating messages between an application source located at a first side of a firewall and a network element located at a second side of the firewall, comprising:

a read/write routine provided in a read/write server at the second side of the firewall, said read/write routine receiving a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message from a an underlying communication protocol server compatible with web communication, the SOAP message includes a simple object access protocol (SOAP) envelope over an underlying expanding messaging communication protocol of a user request;

a network management application routine (NMA) provided in a network management agent server at the second side of the firewall receiving the SOAP message from said read/write routine;

a translator routine provided in a translator box at the second side of the firewall, said translator box receiving said SOAP message and translating said SOAP message into a command or data or combination of command and data for the network element; and

a network element agent routine (NEA) provided in a network element agent server at the second side of the firewall parses said SOAP message to produce SOAP packets received from said NMA provided at the second side of the firewall and sends said SOAP packets to said translator routine.

22. The system for communicating messages as described in claim 21, comprising the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol implemented as HTTP.

23. The system for communicating messages as described in claim 21, further comprising the read/write routine receives the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol of a user request provided by an application source for building the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol of the user request provided by an underlying communication protocol server at the first side of the firewall.

24. The system for communicating messages as described in claim 21, further comprising:

the read/write routine receives the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol of a user request provided by an application source for building the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol of the user request provided by an underlying communication protocol server at the first side of the firewall, and provides wherein the SOAP message parsed from the SOAP envelope over the underlying expanding messaging communication protocol.