Secure bidirectional cross-system communications framework

• US 7,571,464 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Watkins, Ryan Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US10/927,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20060048217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726/6, 726/11, 719/314
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

A local computer system and a remote computer system are connected by a network. When the local computer system needs to initiate communication with the remote computer system or vice versa, a cross-system request is generated, and placed in a request queue on the computer system generating the request. All cross-system requests residing on request queues and are handled by two jobs executing on local computer system. The first of these jobs, a request push job, pushes cross-system requests existing on local computer system'"'"'s request queue to the remote computer system'"'"'s request queue. The second of these jobs, a request pull job, pulls cross-system requests existing on remote computer system'"'"'s request queue over to local computer system'"'"'s request queue. In this way, all cross-system communications are initiated from a computer system inside the firewall (e.g., local computer system) without violating any outside-in dataflow limitations.

Claims

1. A method of secure bidirectional cross system communication between one or more local computer systems and one or more remote computer systems comprising the steps of:

initiating a request push job on at least one of the one or more local computer systems for pushing a cross-system request from the one or more local computer systems to a request queue on the one of the one or more remote computer systems; and

,

initiating a request pull job on at least one of the one or more local computer systems for pulling a cross-system request from the one or more remote computer systems to a request queue on the one or more local computer systems;

wherein the request push job further comprises;

initiating a connection with the one or more remote computer systems;

notifying the one or more remote computer systems that a local-to-remote communication will occur,

checking the first request queue for any cross-system requests destined for the one or more remote computer systems;

sending any cross-system requests destined for the one or more remote computer systems to the one or more remote computer systems; and

,

processing the cross-system request at the one or more remote computer systems.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending any cross-system requests to the one or more remote computer systems further comprises placing the cross-system request into the request queue on the one or more remote computer systems.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the cross-system request further comprises:

reading an application file on the remote computer system to determine which application queue the cross-system request will be routed to;

routing the cross-system request to an application queue using a request router job;

temporarily storing the cross-system request in the application queue until the cross-system request is processed by an application; and

,

removing the cross-system request from the application queue and processing the cross-system request using the application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the request pull job further comprises:

initiating a connection with the one or more remote computer systems;

notifying the one or more remote computer systems a remote-to-local communication will occur;

checking the second request queue for any cross-system requests destined for the one or more local computer systems;

sending any cross-system requests destined for the one or more local computer systems to the one or more local computer systems; and

,

processing the cross-system request at the one or more local computer systems.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of processing the cross-system request once it has been sent from the one or more remote computer systems to the one or more local computer systems further comprises:

reading an application file on the local computer system to determine an application queue the cross-system request will be routed to;

routing the cross-system request to the application queue using a request router job;

temporarily storing the cross-system in the application queue request until the cross-system request is processed by an application; and

,

removing the cross-system request from the application queue and processing the cross-system request using the application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending any cross-system requests to the one or more local computer systems further comprises placing the cross-system request into the request queue on the one or more local computer systems.

7. A method of enabling a local computer system for secure bidirectional cross system communication between the local computer system and a remote computer system comprising the steps of:

initiating a request push job on the local computer system for pushing a cross-system request from the local computer system and adapted to be received by a request queue on a remote computer system; and

,

initiating a request pull job on a local computer system for pulling a cross-system request from a remote computer system and adapted to be received by a request queue on the local computer system;

wherein the request rush job further comprises;

initiating a connection with the remote computer system;

notifying the remote computer system that a local-to-remote communication will occur,

checking the first request queue for any cross-system requests destined for the remote computer system; and

sending any cross-system requests destined for the remote computer system to the remote computer system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of sending any cross-system requests to the remote computer system further comprises placing the cross-system request into the request queue on the remote computer system.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the request pull job further comprises:

initiating a connection with the remote computer system;

sending a notification to the remote computer system that a remote-to- local communication will occur;

checking the second request queue for any cross-system requests destined for the local computer system;

receiving any cross-system requests destined for the local computer system; and

,

processing the cross-system request at the local computer system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of receiving any cross-system requests at the local computer system further comprises placing the cross-system request into the request queue on the local computer system.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of processing the cross-system request once it has been received at a local computer system further comprises:

reading an application file on the local computer system to determine an application queue the cross-system request will be routed to;

routing the cross-system request to the application queue using a request router job;

temporarily storing the cross-system in the application queue request until the cross-system request is processed by an application; and

,

removing the cross-system request from the application queue and processing the cross-system request using the application.