Peer-to-peer buddy request and response

• US 8,069,208 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horton, Noah, Singhal, Sandeep K., Sidhu, Gursharan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US11/408,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 713/168, 713/176, 713/178, 370/395.31, 370/395.32, 370/390, 370/392
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1065 Discovery involving distributed pre-established resource-based relationships among peers, e.g. based on distributed hash tables [DHT] pre-configuration of logical or physical connections H04L67/1053

Abstract

A system for providing secure asynchronous message publishing and retrieval in a serverless environment. The system may be used on ad-hoc and segmented networks such as peer-to-peer networks. The system may provide a method of sending and storing asynchronous message requests/responses via a Distributed Hash Table (DHT), a method for establishing RSS feeds via the asynchronous messaging service, a method for publishing a request for Internet Message buddy authorization and of retrieving pending buddy requests.

Claims

1. A method for publishing and receiving asynchronous messages in a server-less environment comprising:

publishing a message from a sender to a recipient to a distributed hash table (DHT) based at least in part on associating a first record key with the message, the first record key comprising an identifier of the recipient, the message comprising at least one of an identifier of the sender, message content, or a public key of the sender; and

receiving a response to the message from the DHT based at least in part on an online status of the sender and a second record key associated with the response, the second record key comprising the identifier of the sender, at least some of at least one of publishing or receiving implemented at least in part via a processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1, the message comprising at least one of a buddy request, a real simple syndication (RSS) feed, or an updated file, the DHT comprising a routing mechanism configured to retrieve at least one of the message or the response.

3. The method of claim 2, the routing mechanism comprising at least one of one or more overlay protocols or one or more substrate protocols configured to provide data caching service.

4. The method of claim 3, at least one of the overlay protocols or substrate protocols based at least in part on one or more hash functions.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

signing the message using a private key of the sender; and

encrypting the message using a public key of the recipient.

6. The method of claim 5, the message comprising a duration parameter associated with a strength of encryption based at least in part on at least one of the public key of the sender, the private key of the sender, the public key of the recipient, or a private key of the recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising removing the message from the DHT upon determining an expired duration parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, the DHT based at least in part on at least one of a subnet scope or a local network scope.

9. The method of claim 1, at least one of the first record key or the second record key comprising at least one of a recipient identification number or an instance identification number.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising decrypting the response using a private key of the sender.

11. A computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed at least in part via a processing unit on a computer perform acts, comprising:

publishing a message from a sender to a recipient to a distributed hash table (DHT) based at least in part on associating a first record key with the message, the first record key comprising an identifier of the recipient, the message comprising at least one of an identifier of the sender, message content, or a public key of the sender; and

receiving a response to the message from the DHT based at least in part on an online status of the sender and a second record key associated with the response, the second record key comprising the identifier of the sender.

12. The computer-readable storage media of claim 11, the identifier of the sender comprising a cryptographically unique identifier (CUI) call sign based at least in part on a peer name corresponding to the sender.

13. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, the CUI sign shorter than the public key of the sender and based at least in part on a number of most significant bits of a Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) identifier.

14. The computer-readable storage media of claim 11, at least one of the first record key or the second record key comprising at least one of a recipient identification number or an instance identification number.

15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 11, comprising removing the message from the DHT upon determining an expired duration parameter.

16. A method for responding to asynchronous messages in a server-less environment comprising:

querying a distributed hash table (DHT) for a first record key comprising an identifier of a recipient, the first record key associated with a message from a sender to the recipient, the message comprising at least one of an identifier of the sender, message content, or a public key of the sender, the DHT configured to provide data caching service;

retrieving the message from the DHT, at least one of the querying or retrieving based at least in part on an online status of the recipient; and

publishing a response to the message to the DHT based at least in part on at least one of a recipient input and associating a second record key with the response, the second record key comprising the identifier of the sender, at least some of at least one of querying, retrieving, or publishing implemented at least in part via a processing unit.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising:

signing the response using a private key of the recipient; and

encrypting the response using the public key of the sender.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising decrypting the message using a private key of the recipient.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising determining whether the message comprises at least one of an expected format or syntax and publishing the response based at least in part on the determination.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising obtaining the public key of the sender via a public key directory.