Peer-to-peer communication pipes

• US 8,160,077 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Traversat, Bernard A., Abdelaziz, Mohamed M., Duigou, Michael J., Pouyoul, Eric, Hugly, Jean-Christophe, Gong, Li, Yeager, William J., Joy, William N., Clary, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao, Wei
• Application Number:
  US11/611,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/390, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2546 Arrangements for avoiding unnecessary translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 : the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 : at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 : Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 : Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1048 : Departure or maintenance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1057 : involving pre-assessment of levels of reputation of peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 : Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 : using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 : Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 : Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/107 : with limitation or expansion of the discovery scope
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 : Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method for establishing communications channels between and among peers in a peer-to-peer networking environment. Pipes may be used as communication channels for sending and receiving messages and other data between services or applications over input and output endpoints. Pipes may be asynchronous, unidirectional, stateless and unreliable. Bidirectional pipes may also be supported. Pipes may have ends that may be moved around and bound to different peers at different times. Point-to-point and propagate pipes may be supported. Pipes may connect peers that have a direct physical link and peers that do not have a direct link. Peers may communicate through pipes without knowing on which peer a pipe endpoint is bound. A message is sent to all peer endpoints currently connected (listening) to the pipe. The set of connected endpoints may be obtained from a pipe service using a pipe binding protocol.

Claims

1. A peer node, comprising:

a network interface operable to couple to a network,

wherein the network supports a plurality of network transport protocols; and

a memory storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by one or more processors within the peer node to cause the peer node provide a pipe service to;

receive a query message from a given other peer node on the network in accordance with a pipe binding protocol,

wherein the query message is formatted in accordance with a pipe binding protocol that defines messages for discovering endpoints bound to pipes,

wherein the query message comprises a request for information on an endpoint bound to a pipe,

wherein a message body of the query message identifies the pipe,

wherein the pipe has a specified network transport protocol,

wherein the network transport protocol is one of the plurality of network transport protocols, and

wherein the pipe represents a virtual communications channel for communication between the given other peer node and one or more peer nodes on the network other than the given other peer node; and

in response to said receiving the query message from the given other peer node;

obtain the information specifying the endpoint of one of the one or more peer nodes on the network,

wherein the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes corresponds to and uniquely identifies a network interface of the one of the one or more peer nodes, and

wherein the network interface of the one of the one or more peer nodes implements the network transport protocol of the pipe specified by the message of the query message; and

send a response message to the given other peer node in accordance with the pipe binding protocol, wherein the response message is formatted in accordance with the pipe binding protocol, and

wherein a message body of the response message specifies the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes for binding to the pipe.

2. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the response message is configured for use by the given other peer node to establish a communications channel between an endpoint of the peer node and the endpoint of the given other peer node to instantiate the pipe between the peer node and the given other peer node.

3. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the message body of the query message comprises a pipe advertisement corresponding to the pipe, wherein the pipe advertisement includes an identifier for the pipe and a specification of a pipe type of the pipe.

4. The peer node as recited in claim 3, wherein the pipe type is reliable, and wherein on the pipe:

delivery of messages sent from an output endpoint to each of one or more input endpoints bound to the pipe advertisement is guaranteed, each of the messages is delivered only once to each of the one or more input endpoints, and ordering of the messages received at each of the one or more input endpoints is maintained.

5. The peer node as recited in claim 3, wherein the pipe type is unreliable, and wherein on the pipe:

delivery of messages sent from an output endpoint to each of one or more input endpoints bound to the pipe advertisement is not guaranteed, each of the messages is delivered one or more times to each of the one or more input endpoints, and ordering of the messages received at each of one or more input endpoints is not guaranteed.

6. The peer node as recited in claim 3, wherein the pipe type is secure, and wherein on the pipe:

messages to each of one or more input endpoints bound to the pipe advertisement are encrypted and delivery of the messages is reliable.

7. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes is comprised in an endpoint advertisement, wherein the endpoint advertisement specifies a particular network transport protocol corresponding to the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes.

8. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors within the peer node to cause the peer node to cache information specifying endpoints for one or more pipes including the pipe described in the pipe advertisement, and wherein, to obtain the information, the program instructions are further executable to retrieve the information specifying the endpoint of the given other peer node from the cached information.

9. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein, to obtain the information, the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors within the peer node to cause the peer node to discover the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes on the network in accordance with a discovery protocol.

10. The peer node as recited in claim 9, wherein the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes is comprised in an endpoint advertisement corresponding to the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes, wherein the endpoint advertisement further comprises information specifying a particular network transport protocol corresponding to the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes.

11. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors within the peer node to cause the peer node to cache information specifying endpoints for one or more pipes including the pipe described in the pipe advertisement, wherein the message body of the query message indicates if the peer node is to retrieve the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes from the cached information or to discover the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes on the network in accordance with a discovery protocol.

12. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the message body of the query message specifies that only the peer node is to respond to the message.

13. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the peer node, the given other peer node and the one or more peer nodes are member peers in a peer group.

14. The peer node as recited in claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors within the peer node to cause the peer node to implement a pipe service, wherein the pipe service is operable to receive the message, obtain the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes on the network, and to send the response message to the given other peer node.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, wherein execution of the instructions perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a peer node, a query message from another peer node on a network in accordance with a pipe binding protocol,

wherein the peer node provides a pipe service implementing the pipe binding protocol that defines messages for discovering endpoints bound to pipes,

wherein the query message is formatted in accordance with the pipe binding protocol,

wherein the query message comprises a request for information on an endpoint to a pipe, and

wherein a message body of the query message identifies the pipe,

wherein the pipe has a specified network transport protocol,

wherein the network transport protocol is one of a plurality of network transport protocols supported by the network, and

wherein the pipe represents a virtual communications channel for communication between the other peer node and one or more peer nodes on the network other than the other peer node; and

in response to said receiving the query message from the other peer node;

obtaining the information specifying the endpoint of one of the one or more peer nodes on the network, wherein the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes corresponds to and uniquely identifies a network interface of the one of the one or more peer nodes, and

wherein the network interface of the one of the one or more peer nodes implements the network transport protocol of the pipe specified by the message body of the query message; and

sending, from the peer node, a response message to the other peer node in accordance with the pipe binding protocol, wherein the response message is formatted in accordance with the pipe binding protocol, and

wherein a message body of the response message specifies the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes for binding to the pipe.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the response message is configured for use by the other peer node to establish a communications channel between an endpoint of the peer node and the endpoint of the other peer node to instantiate the pipe between the peer node and the other peer node.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes is comprised in an endpoint advertisement, and wherein the endpoint advertisement specifies a particular network transport protocol corresponding to the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes.

18. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a peer node comprising a processor and memory, a query message from another peer node on a network in accordance with a pipe binding protocol,

wherein the peer node provides a pipe service implementing the pipe binding protocol that defines messages for discovering endpoints bound to pipes,

wherein the query message is formatted in accordance with the pipe binding protocol,

wherein the query message comprises a request for information on an endpoint to a pipe, and

wherein a message body of the query message identifies the pipe, wherein the pipe has a specified network transport protocol,

wherein the network transport protocol is one of a plurality of network transport protocols supported by the network, and

wherein the pipe represents a virtual communications channel for communication between the other peer node and one or more peer nodes on the network other than the other peer node; and

in response to said receiving the query message from the other peer node;

obtaining the information specifying the endpoint of one of the one or more peer nodes on the network,

wherein the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes corresponds to and uniquely identifies a network interface of the one of the one or more peer nodes, and

wherein the network interface of the one of the one or more peer nodes implements the network transport protocol of the pipe specified by the message body of the query message; and

sending, from the peer node, a response message to the other peer node in accordance with the pipe binding protocol, wherein the response message is formatted in accordance with the pipe binding protocol, and

wherein a message body of the response message specifies the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes for binding to the pipe.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the response message is configured for use by the other peer node to establish a communications channel between an endpoint of the peer node and the endpoint of the other peer node to instantiate the pipe between the peer node and the other peer node.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the information specifying the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes is comprised in an endpoint advertisement, and wherein the endpoint advertisement specifies a particular network transport protocol corresponding to the endpoint of the one of the one or more peer nodes.