Method and apparatus for utility computing in ad-hoc and configured peer-to-peer networks

• US 8,073,908 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zerotouchdigital Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zerotouchdigital Incorporated
• Inventors: Heins, Douglas B., Morey, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Application Number:
  US12/758,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20100199328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/204, 709/205, 709/220, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 717/174
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Executing a program structure by leveraging a peer-to-peer network comprises generating a program structure comprising a plurality of program instructions. A first of a plurality of network peers then executes a portion of the program instructions which initiates the execution of code hosted by said first network peer, where said portion comprising fewer than all program instructions. The first network peer then migrates one or more of the program instructions, together with any requisite data, to at least one other of the plurality of network peer. The at least one other network peer then continues execution of the program structure until one or more of the objections of the program structure are achieved.

Claims

1. A method of executing a program structure by leveraging a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

generating a program structure comprising a plurality of program instructions, said program instructions comprising at least one security program instruction that does not invoke the execution of code, but rather controls the manner in which said program structure is executed;

executing a portion of fewer than all of said program instructions in a first of a plurality of network peers, said portion initiating the execution of code hosted by said first network peer;

migrating one or more of the program instructions, together with any requisite data, to at least one other of the plurality of network peers; and

continuing execution of the program structure at said at least one other network peer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one program instruction itself comprises one or more other program structures.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first network peer migrates the entire program structure, together with any requisite data, to the at least one other network peer for continued execution of said program structure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions into the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one program instruction does not invoke the execution of code, but rather controls the manner in which said program structure is executed, said at least one program instruction comprising constraints, said constraints comprising one or more of a time to perform, a cost to perform, a priority to perform, and a location to perform one or more program instructions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one program instruction causes the insertion or deletion of one or more program instructions into the program structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the migrating step comprises:

said first peer querying one or more network peers to identify the at least one other network peer; and

transferring one or more program instructions, together with any requisite data, to said at least one other network peer,

wherein said first network peer comprises a network peer in possession of the program structure and wherein said at least one other peer comprises a network peer identified as capable of continuing execution of the transferred program instructions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the migrating step until one or more objectives of the program structure are achieved.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first network peer, in response to said querying step, receives information relating to one or more capabilities of one or more of the plurality of network peers, the method further comprising:

creating and storing a record of said capabilities; and

evaluating said record to identify said at least one other network peer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each program instruction of the program structure comprises meta-data that provides information relating to the functional capabilities required to carry-out one or more program instructions, and wherein said meta-data is readable by each of the plurality of network peers, the method further comprising:

said first network peer reading said meta-data and determining whether it hosts the appropriate code for execution in accordance with one or more program instructions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first network peer encounters at least one program instruction that calls for the execution of code that is not hosted by said first network peer, and wherein the at least one other network peer is identified as hosting and as being capable of executing said code, the method further comprising:

migrating said at least one program instruction together with any requisite data, to said at least one other network peer,

said at least one other network peer executing the code called for by said at least one program instruction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one program instruction causes the first network peer to generate the at least one security program instruction, and wherein a portion of the requisite data comprises security data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein initiation of the migrating step triggers execution of the at least one security program instruction, said security program instruction utilizing the security data during execution.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one security program instruction comprises security constraints, said security constraints comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of authentication protocols, authorization protocols, program structure integrity validation and verification protocols, data integrity validation and verification protocols, encryption protocols, non-repudiation protocols, digital certificate and digital signature protocols, security policies, and access control list protocols.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising writing and inserting the at least one security program instruction into the program structure after the program structure has begun execution, said at least one security program instruction causing the program structure to write or delete security data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one security program instruction causes the program structure to activate at least one security constraint to secure communications between the first network peer and the at least one other network peer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one security program instruction activates the at least one security constraint in the first network peer, prior to the migrating step.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the program structure comprises at least one program instruction indicating a starting position within the program structure, the method further comprising executing at least one deletion instruction for deleting all program instructions between the starting position and said deletion instruction.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to implement one or more security constraints in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to modify one or more authentication protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to modify one or more authorization protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to modify one or more non-repudiation protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to modify one or more access-control protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to modify one or more integrity validation and verification protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

25. The method of claim 4, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to verify security policies in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

26. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one security program instruction causes the first network peer to apply different levels of security to different program instructions and any requisite data.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one program instruction causes the at least one other network peer to generate at least one security program instruction that is different than the at least one security program instruction generated by the first network peer.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one security program instruction causes the first network peer to verify that one or more other program instructions do not violate any security execution protocols, said verifying occurring prior to execution of said other program instructions.

29. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one program instruction causes the insertion or deletion of one or more security program instructions into or out of the program structure in real-time.

30. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one program instruction notifies one or more of the plurality of network peers to modify one or more of their respective security constraints in response to an interruption to the execution of the program structure.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising writing and executing at least one new security program instruction that specifies how the one or more plurality of network peers modify their respective security constraints.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one program instruction causes the first network peer to initiate one of a plurality of security protocols innate to said first network peer.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein at least one program instruction causes the first network peer to implement a security protocol according to a vulnerability of the particular environment of said first network peer.

34. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one security program instruction causes the first network peer to verify that the at least one other network peer enacts certain security policies prior to the migrating step.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network peers comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of personal computers, servers, mobile telephones, pagers, personal digital assistant (PDA), radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, data sensors, kiosks, automatic teller machines (ATMs), wireless fidelity (WiFi) access points, routers, embedded multi-dimensional barcodes, global positioning (GPS) devices, gaming devices, multi-media devices, cable set-top boxes, digital still and motion cameras, surveillance equipment, healthcare monitoring equipment, medical imaging devices, and assembly line components.

36. The method of claim 6, further comprising the first network peer modifying the program structure in response to a triggering event, said triggering event comprising at least one of an interrupted execution, a failed execution, and a completed execution of one or more program instructions.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein modifying the program structure comprises at least one of writing and inserting one or more new program instructions into the program structure, and deleting one or more of the program instructions.

38. A system for executing a program structure by leveraging a peer-to-peer network, the system comprising:

a plurality of network peers in communication with each other, each of said network peers comprising a memory for storing code, and a processor for executing said code, at least a first of said network peers comprising code that when executed causes said first network peer to;

generate a program structure comprising a plurality of program instructions, said program instructions comprising at least one security program instruction that does not invoke the execution of code, but rather controls the manner in which said program structure is executed;

execute at least a portion of the program instructions which initiate the execution of additional code hosted by said first network peer;

migrate one or more of the program instructions, together with any requisite data, to at least one other of the plurality of network peers; and

continue to execution of one or more program instructions received from any other of the network peers.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein at least one of said network peers comprises code that when executed, causes said network peer to write and insert one or more program instructions into the program structure to control the manner in which said program structure is executed, said program instructions comprising constraints, said constraints comprising one or more of a time to perform, a cost to perform, a priority to perform, and a location to perform one or more program instructions.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein at least said first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer, in response to one or more program instructions, to insert or delete one or more program instructions into or out of the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein at least said first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to query one or more network peers to identify at least one other peer;

and to transfer one or more program instructions, together with any requisite data, to said at least one other network peer,

wherein said at least one other network peer comprises a network peer identified as capable of continuing execution of transferred program instructions.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein at least one program instruction itself comprises one or more other program structures.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein said first network peer, in response to said querying step, receives information relating to one or more capabilities of one or more of the plurality of network peers, at least said first network peer further comprising:

code that when executed, causes said first network peer to create and store a record of said capabilities; and

evaluate said record to identify said at least one other network peer.

44. The system of claim 38, wherein each program instruction of the program structure comprises meta-data that provides information relating to the functional capabilities required to carry-out one or more of said program instructions, and wherein said meta-data is readable by each of the plurality of network peers.

45. The system of claim 38, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to generate the at least one security program instruction in response to at least one other program instruction, and wherein a portion of the requisite data comprises security data.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein initiation of the migrating step triggers execution of the at least one security program instruction, said security program instruction utilizing the security data during execution.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the at least one security program instruction comprises security constraints, said security constraints comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of authentication protocols, authorization protocols, program structure integrity validation and verification protocols, data integrity validation and verification protocols, encryption protocols, non-repudiation protocols, digital certificate and digital signature protocols, security policies, and access control list protocols.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein at least said first network peer further comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to write and insert the at least one security program instruction into the program structure after the program structure has begun execution, said at least one security program instruction causing the program structure to write or delete security data.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the at least one security program instruction causes at least one of the first network peer and the at least one other network peer to activate at least one security constraint to secure communications between said first network peer and said at least one other network peer.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the at least one security program instruction activates the at least one security constraint in the first network peer, prior to the migrating step.

51. The system of claim 40, wherein the program structure comprises at least one program instruction indicating a starting position within the program structure, at least the first network peer comprising code that when executed causes said first network peer to execute at least one deletion instruction for deleting all program instructions between the starting position and said deletion instruction.

52. The system of claim 48, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to write and insert one or more program instructions to implement one or more security constraints in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

53. The system of claim 48, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to write and insert one or more program instructions to modify one or more authentication protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

54. The system of claim 48, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to write and insert one or more program instructions to modify one or more authorization protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

55. The system of claim 48, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to write and insert one or more program instructions to modify one or more non-repudiation protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

56. The system of claim 48, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to write and insert one or more program instructions to modify one or more access-control protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

57. The system of claim 48, further comprising writing and inserting one or more program instructions to modify one or more integrity validation and verification protocols in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

58. The system of claim 48, at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to write and insert one or more program instructions to verify security policies in the program structure after the program structure has begun execution.

59. The system of claim 45, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to apply different levels of security to different program instructions and any requisite data in response to at least one security program instruction.

60. The system of claim 45, wherein at least one program instruction causes the at least one other network peer to generate at least one security program instruction that is different than the at least one security program instruction generated by the first network peer.

61. The system of claim 45, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to verify, in response to the at least one security program instruction, that one or more other program instructions do not violate any security execution protocols, said verifying occurring prior to execution of said other program instructions.

62. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one program instruction causes the insertion or deletion of one or more security program instructions into or out of the program structure in real-time.

63. The system of claim 47, wherein at least one program instruction notifies one or more of the plurality of network peers to modify one or more of their respective security constraints in response to an interruption to the execution of the program structure.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein at least one of the plurality of network peers comprises code that when executed causes said network peer to write and execute at least one new security program instruction that specifies how said at least one network peer modifies its respective security constraints.

65. The system of claim 38, wherein at least one program instruction causes the first network peer to initiate one of a plurality of security protocols innate to said first network peer.

66. The system of claim 65, at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer, in response to at least one program instruction, to implement a security protocol according to a vulnerability of the particular environment of said first network peer.

67. The system of claim 45, wherein the at least one security program instruction causes the first network peer to verify that the at least one other network peer enacts certain security policies prior to the migrating step.

68. The system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of network peers comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of personal computers, servers, mobile telephones, pagers, personal digital assistant (PDA), radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, data sensors, kiosks, automatic teller machines (ATMs), wireless fidelity (WiFi) access points, routers, embedded multi-dimensional barcodes, global positioning (GPS) devices, gaming devices, multi-media devices, cable set-top boxes, digital still and motion cameras, surveillance equipment, healthcare monitoring equipment, medical imaging devices, and assembly line components.

69. The system of claim 40, wherein at least the first network peer comprises code that when executed causes said first network peer to modify the program structure in response to a triggering event, said triggering event comprising at least one of an interrupted execution, a failed execution, and a completed execution of one or more program instructions.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein said first network peer is configured for modifying the program structure via at least one of writing and inserting one or more new program instructions into the program structure, and deleting one or more of the program instructions.