Index server support to file sharing applications

• US 8,140,645 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rooney, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Farhad
• Application Number:
  US12/166,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104

Abstract

An index server support for file sharing applications is disclosed. A way of retrieving an index server includes sending a request for investigating a hierarchical structure of index servers in a network to a known index server, intercepting the investigation request by the first index server that becomes aware of the investigation request, notifying an originator of the investigation request of the intercepting index server identity, dropping the intercepted request is dropped by the intercepting index server. The originator of the investigation request then registers the intercepting index server as addressee for future file querying requests.

Claims

1. A method of providing index server support to a file sharing application, said method comprising:

handling requests for investigating a hierarchical structure of index servers in a network, including;

intercepting, by an intercepting index server, an investigation request that is directed to a remote index server, the intercepting index server storing only an index providing information as to which data or file can be found on which client computer device, the intercepting index server being a closest index server to an originator of the investigation request;

notifying, by the intercepting index server, the originator of the investigation request of an identity of the intercepting index server; and

preventing forwarding of the intercepted investigation request to the remote index server;

handling the requests for querying a file as part of a file sharing application, including;

searching an index of the intercepting index server for a registered client that can provide the queried file; and

forwarding the query to a registered child index server of the intercepted index server when the queried file is not allocated to a client registered in the index of the intercepting index server.

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

notifying the remote index server of the intercepting index server identity.

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

accepting an investigation request as recipient; and

notifying an originator of the investigation request in response to the investigation request.

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

receiving a note from a remote intercepting index server disclosing its identity; and

registering the remote intercepting index server as child index server.

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

sending an investigation request to a known index server; and

receiving a notification in response to the request.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

registering the known index server as a parent index server when the known index server is the originator of the received notification.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

registering the originator of the received notification as parent index server when the originator of the received notification is not the known index server.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

sending an investigation request to the originator of the response when the originator of the received notification is not the known index server but another index server; and

receiving a further notification in response to this further investigation message.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

registering the originator of the further notification as parent index server.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

forwarding the query to a registered parent index server when the queried file is not allocated to a client registered in the index.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing provision of index server support to a file sharing application, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 1.

12. An index server, comprising:

a hardware control logic that is configured for performing a method as claimed in claim 1.

13. A method for investigating index servers, said method comprising:

handling requests for investigating a hierarchical structure of index servers in a network, including;

sending, from an end-user computer device, a request for investigating a hierarchical structure of the index servers in a network to a known index server;

intercepting, by an intermediary index server, the investigating request, preventing forwarding of the intercepted investigation request to the known index server in the hierarchical structure, the intermediary index server storing only an index providing information as to which data or file can be found on which end-user computer device, the intermediary index server being a closest index server to the end-user computer device that sent the request;

sending, by the intermediary index server, a notification of an identity of the intermediary index server to the end-user computer device in response to the investigation request; and

registering, at the end-user computer device, the intermediary index server as a destination for future file query requests;

handling the requests for querying a file as part of a file sharing application, including;

searching an index of the intermediary index server for a registered client that can provide the queried file; and

forwarding the query to a registered child index server of the intermediary index server when the queried file is not allocated to a client registered in the index of the intermediary index server.

14. A client computer for performing a file sharing application, said client computer comprising a control logic that is configured for performing a method as claimed in claim 13.

15. A system for investigating index servers, said system comprising:

an originator sending a request for investigating a hierarchical structure of the index servers in a network to a known index server;

a first index server that becomes aware of the investigation request, intercepting said investigation request, notifying the originator of the investigation request of the first index server identity, and preventing forwarding of the intercepted request to a destination of the intercepted request, the first index server storing only an index providing information as to which data or file can be found on which client computer device, the first index server being a closest index server to the originator of the investigation request;

the originator of the investigation request registering the first index sever as addressee for file querying requests; and

the first index server searching an index of the first index server for a registered client that can provide the queried file and forwarding the query to a registered child index server of the first index server when the queried file is not allocated to a client registered in the index of the first index server.

16. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for retrieving an index server, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 15.