Peer-to-peer networking system using interconnectivity framework and peer library for interacting with applications

• US 7,421,708 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Vass, Attila, White, Payton R., Berkey, Howard, Bates, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/859,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20040255027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328, 719/320, 719/312, 719/321, 719/324, 719/331, 719/332, 709/223, 709/328, 709/26
• US Class Current: 719/320
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1089 Hierarchical topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An interconnectivity framework, method, and system for communicating in a peer-to-peer network is disclosed. A peer of the interconnectivity framework includes a peer library for publishing, messaging and locating component blocks over the peer-to-peer network and a telespace framework for managing component blocks in response to a requirement of an application to be executed at the peer. The component blocks being obtained by the peer library enable execution of the application at the peer in accordance with the requirement. The requirement defines the type of application so that the appropriate component blocks can be obtained from the peer-to-peer network. A networker is further included to enable communication with specific grids of the peer-to-peer network and to enable the publishing, messaging, and locating of objects published by specific peers of a grid of the peer-to-peer network.

Claims

1. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network, a peer of the interconnectivity framework comprising:

a peer library for publishing, messaging and locating component blocks over the peer-to-peer network; and

a telespace framework for managing component blocks in response to a requirement of an application to be executed at the peer, the component blocks being obtained by the peer library enable execution of the application at the peer in accordance with the requirement.

2. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more component blocks define an object.

3. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 1, wherein aggregated component blocks define an entity.

4. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 2, wherein the telespace framework further comprises:

a publish and subscribe component, the publish and subscribe component is configured to notify peers of the peer-to-peer grid regarding availability of certain objects at the peer and request status notifications from objects of other peers on the grid.

5. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 1, wherein the peer library includes a networker component to enable the peer to communicate with peers of selected grids of the peer-to-peer network.

6. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 5, wherein the networker component further includes,

a resource manager for publishing resources of the peer to other peers of the peer-to-peer network and for obtaining objects from the other peers of the peer-to-peer network;

a grid manager to create or join specific grids of the peer-to-peer network; and

a dispatcher for receiving messages at the peer from the peer-to-peer network.

7. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 6, wherein the dispatcher is configured to communicate the received messages to the application or pass the messages to another peer.

8. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 6, wherein the networker component further includes a dynamic overlay objects component.

9. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 8, wherein the dynamic overlay objects component includes a fully connected graph component and a chord component for establishing grid overlays in the peer-to-peer network.

10. A networker component for facilitating an application programming interface (API) of a peer in peer-to-peer network, the networker component comprising:

a resource manager for publishing resources of the peer to other peers of the peer-to-peer network and for obtaining objects from the other peers of the peer-to-peer network for an application;

a grid manager to create or join specific grids of the peer-to-peer network;

a dispatcher for receiving messages at the peer from the peer-to-peer network; and

a dynamic overlay objects (DOO) component for creating the specific grids in response to instructions from the grid manager.

11. A networker component for facilitating an application programming interface (API) of a peer in peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 10, wherein the dispatcher is configured to communicate the received messages to the application or pass the messages to another peer.

12. A networker component for facilitating an application programming interface (API) of a peer in peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 10, wherein the dynamic overlay objects component includes a fully connected graph component and a chord component for establishing grid overlays in the peer-to-peer network.

13. A networker component for facilitating an application programming interface (API) of a peer in peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 10, wherein the application identifies attributes that dictate particular objects needed to complete functionality of the application, the application being capable of manipulating the objects to execute the application over the peer-to-peer network.

14. A networker component for facilitating an application programming interface (API) of a peer in peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 13, wherein the objects are defined by one or more component blocks, and aggregated component blocks define an entity to be utilized by the application of the peer.

15. A networker component for facilitating an application programming interface (API) of a peer in peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 10, wherein the networker component communicates with a socket API of an operating system of the peer.

16. A networker component for facilitating an application programming interface (API) of a peer in peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 10, wherein the application defines a filtering that establishes an interest space for peers, the interest space for peers includes a subset of peers that share or exchange messages or both messages and component blocks related to the application.

17. A method for executing an application at a peer having a telespace framework that is connected to a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

defining a peer library for publishing, messaging and locating component blocks over the peer-to-peer network; and

defining a telespace framework for managing component blocks in response to a requirement of an application to be executed at the peer, the component blocks being obtained by the peer library to enable execution of the application at the peer in accordance with the requirement.

18. A method for executing an application at a peer having a telespace framework that is connected to a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 17, wherein the requirement of the application defines a type of application.

19. A method for executing an application at a peer having a telespace framework that is connected to a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 17, the method further comprises:

executing a publish and subscribe component, the publish and subscribe component is configured to notify peers of the peer-to-peer grid regarding availability of certain objects at the peer and request status notifications from objects of other peers on the grid.

20. A method for executing an application at a peer having a telespace framework that is connected to a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 17, wherein the peer library includes a networker component for enabling the peer to communicate with peers of selected grids of the peer-to-peer network.

21. A method for executing an application at a peer having a telespace framework that is connected to a peer-to-peer network as recited in claim 17, wherein the networker component includes,

a resource manager for publishing resources of the peer to other peers of the peer-to-peer network and for obtaining objects from the other peers of the peer-to-peer network;

a grid manager to create or join specific grids of the peer-to-peer network; and

a dispatcher for receiving messages at the peer from the peer-to-peer network.

22. A computer readable media including program instructions for executing an application at a peer having a telespace framework that is connected to a peer-to-peer network, the computer readable media comprising:

program instructions for defining a peer library for publishing, messaging and locating component blocks over the peer-to-peer network; and

program instructions for defining a telespace framework for managing component blocks in response to a requirement of an application to be executed at the peer, the component blocks being obtained by the peer library to enable execution of the application at the peer in accordance with the requirement.

23. A computer readable media as recited in claim 22, wherein the requirement of the application defines a type of application.

24. A computer readable media as recited in claim 22, the computer readable media further comprising:

program instructions for executing a publish and subscribe component, the publish and subscribe component is configured to notify peers of the peer-to-peer grid regarding availability of certain objects at the peer and request status notifications from objects of other peers on the grid.

25. An interconnectivity framework for communicating in a peer-to-peer network, a peer of the interconnectivity framework comprising:

a peer library means for publishing, messaging and locating component blocks over the peer-to-peer network; and

a framework means for managing component blocks in response to a requirement of an application to be executed at the peer, the component blocks being obtained by the peer library means to enable execution of the application at the peer in accordance with the requirement.

26. An interconnectivity framework as recited in claim 25, wherein one or more component blocks define an object.

27. An interconnectivity framework as recited in claim 25, wherein aggregated component blocks define an entity.

28. An interconnectivity framework as recited in claim 26, wherein the framework means further comprises:

a publishing and subscribing means, for notifying peers of the peer-to-peer grid regarding availability of certain objects at the peer and requesting status notifications from objects of other peers on the grid.

29. An interconnectivity framework as recited in claim 25, wherein the peer library means includes a networker means to enable the peer to communicate with peers of selected grids of the peer-to-peer network.

30. An interconnectivity framework as recited in claim 29, wherein the networker means further includes,

a resource managing means for publishing resources of the peer to other peers of the peer-to-peer network and for obtaining objects from the other peers of the peer-to-peer network;

a grid managing means to create or join specific grids of the peer-to-peer network; and

a dispatching means for receiving messages at the peer from the peer-to-peer network.