Method and apparatus for managing communications

• US 8,103,749 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Original Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Inventors: Dolev, Danny, Horovitz, Shay
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US11/794,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20080028055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/200, 709/245, 709220-222
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2557 Translation policies or rules

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for managing communications arriving from or to a node connected to a specified portion of a network. Some embodiments relate to an apparatus for managing communications arriving from or to a node connected to a specified portion of a network, including an external link identifier, a pool of addresses and an address replacement module. The external link identifier is configured to identify a message which is configured to enable requested content to be exchanged between the node and at least one other node which is external to the specified portion of the network. The pool of addresses is adapted to implement content insensitive criteria for determining which addresses to include in the pool. The address replacement module is adapted to implement a content insensitive replacement policy for determining whether an address included in the identified message should be replaced.

Claims

1. A method for routing a message, the method comprising:

receiving a message specifying an exchange of requested content between at least two nodes of a network, wherein the at least two nodes have respective addresses, and wherein the message is received from a source;

evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content, wherein the address replacement criteria comprises the message is configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged over an external link of the network, and wherein the replacement criteria further comprises the message does not follow a previously identified message from the same source within a specified time interval;

if the address replacement criteria is satisfied, replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address of another node of the network, wherein the replacement address is selected from a pool of replacement addresses, wherein the pool of replacement addresses includes a plurality of replacement addresses selected without regard to content stored at the plurality of replacement addresses, and wherein said replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address results in a modified message configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged without use of the external link.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if the address replacement criteria is not satisfied, allowing the message to continue to one of the respective addresses.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a session initiation message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the session initiation message comprises a peer-to-peer (P2P) session initiation message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a response to a session initiation message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a session initiation forwarding message.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing data with respect to the received message in a hash table.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the data stored in the hash table with respect to the message does not include an identification of the requested content.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a first message and wherein the method further comprises:

creating the pool of addresses at least in part by receiving at least a second message specifying an another exchange of requested content between another at least two addresses in the network; and

adding at least one of the another at least two addresses in the network to the pool of addresses.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said creating the pool of addresses occurs without accessing the requested content specified by the second message.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message includes a header and a payload including an identification of the requested content, and wherein said evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content further comprises accessing the header of the message without accessing the payload including the identification of the requested content.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address replacement criteria further comprises at least one of the respective addresses in a network belongs to a specific portion of the network.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address replacement criteria further comprises at least one of the respective addresses in a network is external to a specific portion of the network, and wherein the pool of replacement addresses includes only addresses internal to the specific portion of the network.

14. A method for routing a message, the method comprising:

receiving a message specifying an exchange of requested content between at least two nodes of a network, wherein the at least two nodes have respective addresses, and wherein the message is received from a source

evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content, wherein the address replacement criteria comprises the message is configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged over an external link of the network, and wherein the replacement criteria further comprises

the message and a certain number of previously received messages from the same source were received within a set time interval;

if the address replacement criteria is satisfied, replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address of another node of the network, wherein the replacement address is selected from a pool of replacement addresses, wherein the pool of replacement addresses includes a plurality of replacement addresses selected without regard to content stored at the plurality of replacement addresses, and wherein said replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address results in a modified message configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged without use of the external link.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

if the address replacement criteria is not satisfied, allowing the message to continue to one of the respective addresses.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the message comprises a session initiation message.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the session initiation message comprises a peer-to-peer (P2P) session initiation message.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the message comprises a response to a session initiation message.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the message comprises a session initiation forwarding message.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising storing data with respect to the received message in a hash table.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the data stored in the hash table with respect to the message does not include an identification of the requested content.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the message comprises a first message and wherein the method further comprises:

creating the pool of addresses at least in part by receiving at least a second message specifying an another exchange of requested content between another at least two addresses in the network; and

adding at least one of the another at least two addresses in the network to the pool of addresses.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said creating the pool of addresses occurs without accessing the requested content specified by the second message.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the message includes a header and a payload including an identification of the requested content, and wherein said evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content further comprises accessing the header of the message without accessing the payload including the identification of the requested content.

25. The method according to claim 14, wherein the address replacement criteria further comprises at least one of the respective addresses in a network belongs to a specific portion of the network.

26. The method according to claim 14, wherein the address replacement criteria further comprises at least one of the respective addresses in a network is external to a specific portion of the network, and wherein the pool of replacement addresses includes only addresses internal to the specific portion of the network.

27. An apparatus for routing a message, the apparatus comprising:

a computing system configured to receive a message specifying an exchange of requested content between at least two nodes of a network, wherein the at least two nodes have respective addresses, and wherein the message is received by the computing system from a source;

at least one memory encoded with a pool of replacement addresses including a plurality of replacement addresses selected without regard to content stored at the plurality of replacement addresses, and wherein the pool of replacement addresses includes only addresses internal to a specific portion of the network; and

a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content, wherein the address replacement criteria comprises the message is configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged over an external link of the network, at least one of the respective addresses is external to the specific portion of the network, and the message does not follow a previously identified message from the same source within a specified time interval, and, if the address replacement criteria is satisfied, to replace the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address selected from the pool of replacement addresses, wherein said replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address results in a modified message configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged without use of the external link.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to, if the replacement criteria is not satisfied, allow the identified message to continue to one of the at least two addresses.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the message comprises a session initiation message.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the session initiation message comprises a peer-to-peer (P2P) session initiation message.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the message comprises a response to a session initiation message.

32. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the message comprises a session initiation forwarding message.

33. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the messages is a first message and wherein the computing system is configured to receive a plurality of messages and configured to read a header of individual ones of the plurality of messages to identify the first message specifying an exchange of requested content between the at least two nodes of a network.

34. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the replacement criteria further comprises, by default, the computing system is adapted to determine that an address which is associated with a node located outside the specified portion of the network, should be replaced.

35. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a hash table coupled to the computing system and configured to store data with respect to the received message.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the data stored in the hash table with respect to the message does not include an identification of the requested content.

37. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the message includes a header and a payload including an identification of the requested content, and wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to access the header of the message without accessing the payload including the identification of the requested content.

38. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to select the plurality of replacement addresses, wherein the message is a first message, and wherein the computing system is configured to receive at least a second message specifying another exchange of requested content between another at least two addresses in the network, and wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to add at least one of the another at least two addresses in the network to the pool of addresses.

39. An apparatus for routing a message, the apparatus comprising:

a computing system configured to receive a message specifying an exchange of requested content between at least two nodes of a network, wherein the at least two nodes have respective addresses, and wherein the message is received by the computing system from a source;

at least one memory encoded with a pool of replacement addresses including a plurality of replacement addresses selected without regard to content stored at the plurality of replacement addresses; and

a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content, wherein the address replacement criteria comprises the message is configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged over an external link of the network, and wherein the replacement criteria further comprises the message and a certain number of previously received messages from the same source were received within a set time interval and, if the address replacement criteria is satisfied, to replace the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address selected from the pool of replacement addresses, wherein said replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address results in a modified message configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged without use of the external link.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to, if the replacement criteria is not satisfied, allow the identified message to continue to one of the at least two addresses.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the message comprises a session initiation message.

42. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the session initiation message comprises a peer-to-peer (P2P) session initiation message.

43. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the message comprises a response to a session initiation message.

44. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the message comprises a session initiation forwarding message.

45. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the messages is a first message and wherein the computing system is configured to receive a plurality of messages and configured to read a header of individual ones of the plurality of messages to identify the first message specifying an exchange of requested content between the at least two nodes of a network.

46. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the replacement criteria further comprises, by default, the computing system is adapted to determine that an address which is associated with a node located outside the specified portion of the network, should be replaced.

47. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a hash table coupled to the computing system and configured to store data with respect to the received message.

48. The apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the data stored in the hash table with respect to the message does not include an identification of the requested content.

49. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the message includes a header and a payload including an identification of the requested content, and wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to access the header of the message without accessing the payload including the identification of the requested content.

50. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to select the plurality of replacement addresses, wherein the message is a first message, and wherein the computing system is configured to receive at least a second message specifying another exchange of requested content between another at least two addresses in the network, and wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to add at least one of the another at least two addresses in the network to the pool of addresses.

51. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a message specifying an exchange of requested content between at least two nodes of a network, wherein the at least two nodes have respective addresses, and wherein the message is received from a source;

instructions for evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content, wherein the address replacement criteria comprises the message is configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged over an external link of the network, and wherein the replacement criteria further comprises the message and a certain number of previously received messages from the same source were received within a set time interval; and

instructions for, if the address replacement criteria is satisfied, replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address of another node of the network, wherein the replacement address is selected from a pool of replacement addresses, wherein the pool of replacement addresses includes a plurality of replacement addresses selected without regard to content stored at the plurality of replacement addresses, wherein said replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address results in a modified message configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged without use of the external link.

52. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 51, wherein the message comprises a session initiation message.

53. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 52, wherein the session initiation message comprises a peer-to-peer (P2P) session initiation message.

54. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 51, wherein the message comprises a response to a session initiation message.

55. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 51, wherein the message comprises a session initiation forwarding message.

56. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 51, further comprising instructions for storing data with respect to the received message in a hash table.

57. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 56, wherein the data stored in the hash table with respect to the message does not include an identification of the requested content.