Relay peers for extending peer availability in a peer-to-peer networking environment

• US 7,574,523 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pouyoul, Eric, Abdelaziz, Mohamed M., Yeager, William J., Clary, Michael J., Gong, Li, Traversat, Bernard A., Joy, William N., Hugly, Jean-Christophe, Duigou, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdullahi; Salad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano; Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US10/055,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,758 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/245, 709/204, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/228, 370/351
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2546 Arrangements for avoiding unnecessary translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 : the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 : at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 : Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 : Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1048 : Departure or maintenance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1057 : involving pre-assessment of levels of reputation of peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 : Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 : using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• 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 67/107 : with limitation or expansion of the discovery scope
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 : Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• 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 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method for allowing peers to exchange messages with other peers independently of their network location in a peer-to-peer environment. Messages may be transparently routed, potentially traversing partitions (e.g. firewalls and NATs), and using different protocols to reach the destination peers. In one embodiment, any peer node may serve as a relay peer that allows peers inside a partition to have a presence outside the partition and provides a mechanism for peers outside partitions to discover and communicate with peers inside the partitions. In one embodiment, a relay peer may maintain information on routes to other peers and assist in relaying messages to other peers. In one embodiment, any peer may query a relay peer for route information. In one embodiment, messages may include routing information as part of their payloads.

Claims

1. A peer computing system, comprising:

a plurality of peer nodes operable to couple to a network, wherein the plurality of peer nodes are configured to implement a peer-to-peer environment on the network according to a peer-to-peer platform comprising one or more peer-to-peer platform protocols for enabling the plurality of peer nodes to discover each other, communicate with each other, and cooperate with each other to form peer groups and share content in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein each of the plurality of peer nodes is a host of content in the peer-to-peer environment;

wherein the plurality of peer nodes are partitioned by a mechanism on the network into a set of one or more peer nodes inside the mechanism and a set of one or more peer nodes outside the mechanism, wherein peer nodes on opposite sides of the mechanism cannot communicate directly with each other on the network;

wherein one of the plurality of peer nodes is a relay peer node operable to couple to the network outside the mechanism, and further operable to;

cache route information describing one or more routes to peer nodes on the network;

receive a message from a peer node outside the mechanism, wherein the message is for a peer node inside the mechanism;

relay the message to the peer node inside the mechanism;

receive a query requesting route information to one of the plurality of peer nodes from another one of the plurality of peer nodes, wherein the query is formatted according to an endpoint routing protocol; and

send the requested route information to the requesting peer node in accordance with the endpoint routing protocol.

2. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the relay peer node is further operable to:

receive a message from the peer node inside the mechanism, wherein the message is for the peer node outside the mechanism; and

relay the message to the peer node outside the mechanism.

3. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mechanism is a firewall.

4. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mechanism is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.

5. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein, to relay the message to the peer node inside the mechanism, the relay peer is operable to use the cached route information to route the received message to the peer node inside the mechanism.

6. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the route information includes an ordered sequence of peer identifiers configured for use in routing a message to a destination peer node.

7. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the message includes route information, and wherein, to relay the message to the peer node inside the mechanism, the relay peer is operable to use the route information included in the message to route the received message to the peer node inside the mechanism.

8. The peer computing system as recited in claim 7, wherein the route information includes an ordered sequence of peer identifiers configured for use in routing a message to a destination peer node.

9. A peer computing system, comprising:

a plurality of peer nodes operable to couple to a network, wherein the plurality of peer nodes are configured to implement a peer-to-peer environment on the network according to a peer-to-peer platform comprising one or more peer-to-peer platform protocols for enabling the plurality of peer nodes to discover each other, communicate with each other, and cooperate with each other to form peer groups and share content in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein each of the plurality of peer nodes is a host of content in the peer-to-peer environment;

wherein the plurality of peer nodes are partitioned by a mechanism on the network into a set of one or more peer nodes inside the mechanism and a set of one or more peer nodes outside the mechanism, wherein peer nodes on opposite sides of the mechanism cannot communicate directly with each other on the network;

wherein the plurality of peer nodes comprises one or more relay peer nodes operable to couple to the network outside the mechanism;

wherein each of the peer nodes inside the mechanism are operable to publish an advertisement on the one or more relay peer nodes; and

wherein each of the peer nodes outside the mechanism are operable to discover the advertisements for the peer nodes inside the mechanism published on the one or more relay peer nodes.

10. The peer computing system as recited in claim 9, wherein the mechanism is a firewall.

11. The peer computing system as recited in claim 9, wherein the mechanism is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.

12. The peer computing system as recited in claim 9, wherein the one or more relay peer nodes are further operable to relay messages between the peer nodes outside the mechanism and the peer nodes inside the mechanism.

13. The peer computing system as recited in claim 12, wherein the relay peer node is further operable to cache route information describing one or more routes to peer nodes on the network.

14. The peer computing system as recited in claim 13, wherein, to relay the messages between the peer nodes, the relay peer is operable to use the cached route information to route the messages to the peer nodes inside the mechanism.

15. The peer computing system as recited in claim 13, wherein the route information includes an ordered sequence of peer identifiers configured for use in routing a message to a destination peer node.

16. The peer computing system as recited in claim 12, wherein the message includes route information, and wherein, to relay the messages between the peer nodes, the relay peer is operable to use the route information included in the messages to route the messages to the peer nodes inside the mechanism.

17. The peer computing system as recited in claim 16, wherein the route information includes an ordered sequence of peer identifiers configured for use in routing a message to a destination peer node.

18. A peer node, comprising:

a network interface for coupling to a network;

a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable within the peer node to, according to one or more peer-to-peer platform protocols;

discover other peer nodes on the network;

communicate with other peer nodes on the network;

cooperate with other peer nodes on the network to form peer groups;

host shared content on the network;

cache route information describing one or more routes to other peer nodes on the network;

receive a message from a source peer node on the network intended for a destination peer node, wherein the source peer node and the destination peer node cannot communicate directly with each other on the network, wherein the source peer node is on the outside of a partitioning mechanism on the network, and wherein the destination peer node is on the inside of the partitioning mechanism; and

relay the message to the destination peer node, wherein, to relay the message to the destination peer node, the program instructions are further executable to;

locate route information to the destination peer node in the cached route information; and

route the message through the partitioning mechanism to the destination peer node using the located route information.

19. The peer node as recited in claim 18, wherein the cached route information includes ordered sequences of peer identifiers configured for use in routing messages to destination peer nodes.

20. The peer computing system as recited in claim 18, wherein the relay peer node is further operable to:

receive a query requesting route information to a peer node from another peer node, wherein the query is formatted according to an endpoint routing protocol; and

send the requested route information to the requesting peer node in accordance with the endpoint routing protocol.

21. The peer node as recited in claim 18, wherein the message includes route information, and wherein, to relay the message to the destination peer node, the program instructions are further executable to route the received message to the destination peer node using the route information included in the message.

22. The peer node as recited in claim 21, wherein the route information includes an ordered sequence of peer identifiers configured for use in routing messages to the destination peer node.

23. The peer node as recited in claim 18, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a firewall.

24. The peer node as recited in claim 18, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.

25. A peer computing system, comprising:

a plurality of peer nodes operable to couple to a network;

means for the plurality of peer nodes to discover each other, communicate with each other, and cooperate with each other to form peer groups and share content in a peer-to-peer environment on the network;

means for partitioning the plurality of peer nodes on the network into a set of one or more peer nodes inside the partition and a set of one or more peer nodes outside the partition, wherein peer nodes on opposite sides of the partition cannot communicate directly with each other on the network;

means for the peer nodes inside the partition to advertise themselves outside the partition; and

means for the peer nodes outside the mechanism to discover the advertised peer nodes inside the partition;

wherein the means for the peer nodes inside the partition to advertise themselves comprises a relay peer node outside the partition, wherein the relay peer node comprises means for publishing advertisements for the peer nodes inside the partition, and wherein the relay peer node is one of the plurality of peer nodes;

wherein the rely peer node comprises means for relaying messages between the peer nodes outside the mechanism and the peer nodes inside the mechanism;

wherein at least one of the messages includes route information, and wherein, to relay the message between the peer nodes, the relay peer further comprises means for using the route information included in the message to route the message to one of the peer nodes inside the mechanism; and

wherein the relay peer node comprises means for caching route information describing one or more routes to peer nodes on the network.

26. The peer computing system as recited in claim 25, wherein the partition is a firewall.

27. The peer computing system as recited in claim 25, wherein the partition is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.

28. The peer computing system as recited in claim 25, wherein, to relay the messages between the peer nodes, the peer computing system further comprises means for using the cached route information to route the messages to the peer nodes inside the mechanism.

29. A method, comprising:

a plurality of peer nodes implementing a peer-to-peer environment on a network according to a peer-to-peer platform, wherein the peer-to-peer platform comprises one or more peer-to-peer platform protocols for enabling the plurality of peer nodes to discover each other, communicate with each other, and cooperate with each other to form peer groups and share content in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein each of the plurality of peer nodes is a host of content in the peer-to-peer environment;

one of the plurality of peer nodes inside a partitioning mechanism on the network publishing an advertisement on a relay peer node outside the partitioning mechanism, wherein peer nodes inside the partitioning mechanism cannot directly communicate with peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism, and wherein the relay peer node is one of the plurality of peer nodes;

one of the plurality of peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism discovering the advertisement to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism on the relay peer node;

the peer node outside the partitioning mechanism sending a message intended for the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism to the relay peer node; and

the relay peer node relaying the message to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising the relay peer node caching route information describing one or more routes to other peer nodes on the network, wherein the route information is configured for use in routing messages between peer nodes in the peer-to-peer environment.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the cached route information includes ordered sequences of peer identifiers configured for use in routing messages to destination peer nodes.

32. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising:

the relay peer node receiving a query requesting route information to a peer node from another peer node, wherein the query is formatted according to an endpoint routing protocol; and

the relay peer node sending the requested route information to the requesting peer node in accordance with the endpoint routing protocol.

33. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the message includes route information, and wherein, in said relaying the message, the method further comprises routing the message to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism using the route information included in the message.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein the route information includes an ordered sequence of peer identifiers.

35. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a firewall.

36. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.

37. A method, comprising:

a plurality of peer nodes implementing a peer-to-peer environment on a network according to a peer-to-peer platform, wherein the peer-to-peer platform comprises one or more peer-to-peer platform protocols for enabling the plurality of peer nodes to discover each other, communicate with each other, and cooperate with each other to form peer groups and share content in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein each of the plurality of peer nodes is a host of content in the peer-to-peer environment;

wherein one or more of the plurality of peer nodes are relay peer nodes;

one of the relay peer nodes caching route information describing one or more routes to other peer nodes on the network, wherein the route information is configured for use in routing messages between peer nodes in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein the cached route information includes ordered sequences of peer identifiers configured for use in routing messages to destination peer nodes;

one of the plurality of peer nodes inside a partitioning mechanism on the network publishing an advertisement on the relay peer node, wherein the relay peer node is outside the partitioning mechanism, and wherein peer nodes inside the partitioning mechanism cannot directly communicate with peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism;

one of the plurality of peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism discovering the advertisement to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism on the relay peer node; and

the peer node outside the partitioning mechanism and the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism exchanging messages through the relay peer node.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

the relay peer node receiving a query requesting route information to a peer node from another peer node, wherein the query is formatted according to an endpoint routing protocol; and

the relay peer node sending the requested route information to the requesting peer node in accordance with the endpoint routing protocol.

39. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the relay peer node using the cached route information to route the messages to the destination peer node.

40. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a firewall.

41. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.

42. A computer-readable storage medium storing software instructions computer-executable to implement:

a plurality of peer nodes implementing a peer-to-peer environment on a network according to a peer-to-peer platform, wherein the peer-to-peer platform comprises one or more peer-to-peer platform protocols for enabling the plurality of peer nodes to discover each other, communicate with each other, and cooperate with each other to form peer groups and share content in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein each of the plurality of peer nodes is a host of content in the peer-to-peer environment;

one of the plurality of peer nodes inside a partitioning mechanism on the network publishing an advertisement on a relay peer node outside the partitioning mechanism, wherein peer nodes inside the partitioning mechanism cannot directly communicate with peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism, and wherein the relay peer node is one of the plurality of peer nodes;

one of the plurality of peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism discovering the advertisement to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism on the relay peer node;

the peer node outside the partitioning mechanism sending a message intended for the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism to the relay peer node; and

the relay peer node relaying the message to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism.

43. The storage medium as recited in claim 42, wherein the software instructions are further executable to implement the relay peer node caching route information describing one or more routes to other peer nodes on the network, wherein the route information is configured for use in routing messages between peer nodes in the peer-to-peer environment.

44. The storage medium as recited in claim 43, wherein the software instructions are further executable to implement:

the relay peer node receiving a query requesting route information to a peer node from another peer node, wherein the query is formatted according to an endpoint routing protocol; and

the relay peer node sending the requested route information to the requesting peer node in accordance with the endpoint routing protocol.

45. The storage medium as recited in claim 42, wherein the message includes route information, and wherein, in said relaying the message, the software instructions are further executable to implement routing the message to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism using the route information included in the message.

46. The storage medium as recited in claim 42, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a firewall.

47. The storage medium as recited in claim 42, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.

48. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable software instructions to implement:

a plurality of peer nodes implementing a peer-to-peer environment on a network according to a peer-to-peer platform, wherein the peer-to-peer platform comprises one or more peer-to-peer platform protocols for enabling the plurality of peer nodes to discover each other, communicate with each other, and cooperate with each other to form peer groups and share content in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein each of the plurality of peer nodes is a host of content in the peer-to-peer environment;

one or more of the plurality of peer nodes implementing a relay service in accordance with the peer-to-peer platform to perform as relay peer nodes;

one of the relay peer nodes caching route information describing one or more routes to other peer nodes on the network, wherein the route information is configured for use in routing messages between peer nodes in the peer-to-peer environment, and wherein the cached route information includes ordered sequences of peer identifiers configured for use in routing messages to destination peer nodes;

one of the plurality of peer nodes inside a partitioning mechanism on the network publishing an advertisement on the relay peer node, wherein the relay peer node is outside the partitioning mechanism, and wherein peer nodes inside the partitioning mechanism cannot directly communicate with peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism;

one of the plurality of peer nodes outside the partitioning mechanism discovering the advertisement to the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism on the relay peer node; and

the peer node outside the partitioning mechanism and the peer node inside the partitioning mechanism exchanging messages through the relay peer node.

49. The storage medium as recited in claim 48, wherein the software instructions are further executable to implement:

the relay peer node receiving a query requesting route information to a peer node from another peer node, wherein the query is formatted according to an endpoint routing protocol; and

the relay peer node sending the requested route information to the requesting peer node in accordance with the endpoint routing protocol.

50. The storage medium as recited in claim 48, wherein the software instructions are further executable to implement the relay peer node using the cached route information to route the messages to the destination peer node.

51. The storage medium as recited in claim 48, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a firewall.

52. The storage medium as recited in claim 48, wherein the partitioning mechanism is a Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway.