Service routing and web integration in a distributed, multi-site user authentication system

• US 7,810,136 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guo, Wei-Quiang Michael, Dharmarajan, Baskaran, Battle, Ryan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Korzuch; William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avery; Jeremiah
• Application Number:
  US11/032,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20050120121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,094 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A computerized method and system for routing between network servers. A central database coupled to a central server on a data communication network stores information for identifying locations of a plurality of network servers on the network. Each network server provides at least one service via the network. The central server receives a request from the user for a selected service including a carry through keyword for controlling routing of the user to the selected service. The central server retrieves location information from the central database to identify the location of the network server providing the selected service and attaches the carry through keyword to the retrieved location information. The central server then routes the user with the carry through keyword to the network server, which directs the user to the selected service based on the carry through keyword.

Claims

1. A computerized method of routing a client computing system to one or more services provided by network servers coupled to a data communication network, said method comprising:

storing information in a central database for identifying locations of a plurality of multi-site network servers that provide one or more services to the client computing system via the data communication network, wherein each of the plurality of multi-site network servers is individually and separately controlled by itself, said central database being coupled to a central server, said central server being coupled to the data communication network;

receiving a request from the client computing system at a source location from the plurality of multi-site network servers for a selected service to be provided by one of the network servers, said request being received at the central server and requesting the one of the network servers to perform an action on the selected service, said request for the selected service including at least one of the following;

composing an e-mail message, displaying an inbox or an address book of a user, and setting various preferences to an e-mail service of the user;

including, in the received request, a carry through keyword for controlling routing of the client computing system to request the one of the network servers to perform the action on the selected service and a service routing request keyword for identifying the selected service, said carry through keyword controlling a specific routing process for routing the user to the selected service within the one of the network servers via a command parameter, said service routing request keyword identifying a category of the selected service;

in response to the received request, retrieving location information from the central database to identify the location of the one of the network servers providing the selected service without the source location having knowledge of the uniform resource locator (URL) of the location of the one of the network servers providing the selected service;

generating a new location information URL by attaching the carry through keyword and the service routing request keyword to the retrieved location information for routing the client computing system to the selected service, said generated new location information identifying a service location of the selected service based on the carry through keyword and the service routing request keyword; and

responding to the received request with the included carry through keyword and the service routing request keyword by automatically routing the client computing system to the selected service provided by the one of the network servers at the identified service location.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing authentication information in the central database for authenticating a user of the client computing system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the carry through keyword references content associated with the selected service provided by the network server.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing user-specific information in the central database for identifying a user of the client computing system and wherein the carry through keyword is based on the user-specific information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the client computing system with a domain name and wherein the location information is retrieved from the central database as a function of the domain name for the client computing system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a plurality of providers of the selected service with the service routing request keyword included in the service request received at the central server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein storing information in the central database for identifying the locations of the network servers includes registering the network servers with the central server.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating a browser program configured to permit the client computing system to communicate on the data communication network.

9. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

10. A computerized system for routing a client computing system to one or more services provided by network servers coupled to a data communication network, said system comprising:

a central database storing information for identifying locations of a plurality of network servers that provide one or more services via the data communications network, wherein each of the plurality of network servers is individually and separately controlled; and

a central server coupled to the data communication network, said central server having the central database coupled thereto, said central further being configured for;

receiving a request from the client computing system at a source location from the plurality of multi-site network servers for a selected service to be provided by one of the network servers, and request requesting the one of the network servers to perform an action on the selected service, said request for the selected service including at least one of the following;

composing an e-mail message, displaying an inbox or an address book of a user, and setting various preferences to an e-mail service of the user, said request further including a carry through keyword and a service routing request keyword appended to the request, said carry through keyword controlling routing of the client computing system to request the one of the network servers to perform the action on the selected service and a service routing request keyword identifying the selected service, said carry through keyword controlling a specific routing process for routing the client computing system to the selected service within the one of the network servers via a command parameter, said service routing request keyword identifying a category of the selected service;

in response to the received request, retrieving location information from the central database to identify the location of the one of the network servers providing the selected service without the source location having knowledge of the uniform resource locator (URL) of the location of the one of the network servers providing the selected service;

generating a new location information URL by attaching the carry through keyword and the service routing request keyword to the retrieved location information for routing the client computing system to the selected service, said generated new location information identifying a service location of the selected service based on the carry through keyword and the service routing request keyword; and

automatically routing the client computing system with the carry through keyword and the service routing request keyword to the selected service provided by the network server at the identified service location, said user being directed to the selected service based on the carry through keyword.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the central database further stores authentication information in the central database for authenticating a user of the client computing system.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the carry through keyword references content associated with the selected service provided by the network server.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the central database further stores user-specific information for identifying a user of the client computing system and wherein the carry through keyword is based on the user-specific information.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the client computing system is identified by a domain name and wherein the location information is retrieved from the central database as a function of the domain name for the client computing system.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein a service routing request keyword included in the service request received at the central server identifies a plurality of the network servers providing the selected service.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the network servers are web servers and the data communication network is the Internet.

17. A computer storage medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first field containing location information identifying locations of a plurality of network servers that provide at least one service via a data communication network, wherein each of the plurality of network servers is individually and separately controlled, said location information being maintained by the network servers; and

a second field containing keyword information, said keyword information relating the location information to the services provided by the network servers for routing a client computing system at a source location to a selected service to be provided by one of the network servers, said request being received at a central server coupled with the data structure and requesting the one of the network servers to perform an action on the selected service, said request for the selected service including at least one of the following;

composing an e-mail message, displaying an inbox or an address book of a user, and setting various preferences to an e-mail service of the user, said data structure being interactive with the central server for retrieving the location information from the first field, without the source location having knowledge of the uniform resource locator (URL) of the location of the one of the network servers providing the selected service, to identify the location of the network server providing the selected service as a function of the keyword information and generating a new location information URL by attaching a service routing request keyword to create a service location for identifying the selected service and a carry through keyword to the retrieved location information for automatically routing the user to the selected service, based on the keyword said generated new location information URL identifying a service location of the selected service based on said carry through keyword and said service routing request keyword, said carry through keyword controlling routing of the client computing system to request the one of the network servers to perform the action on the selected service, said first field and second field being included in a request from the client computing system.

18. The data structure of claim 17 further comprising a third field containing authentication information, said authentication information being compared to login information from a user of the client computing system for authenticating the user upon the request for the selected service, said central server routing the client computing system to the selected service based on the keyword information if the user was authenticated.