Network architecture

• US 8,650,321 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Schwartz, Elliot
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/912,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,585 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/229, 709/206, 709/213, 709/219, 709/232, 709/230, 709/228, 709/218, 709/231, 709/203, 709/227, 709/225, 709/250, 709/234, 718/105, 370/465, 707/10, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A lightweight end-to-end network architecture in which the transport layer is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) layer is disclosed. The network architecture also includes a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) layer, a Messages over TCP (MT) protocol layer, a Message over Device-initiated HTTP (MDH) protocol layer, a multiplexing layer, and a facility layer. The MDH and MT layers are used in the alternative. The MT layer has a low overhead requirement. The MDH layer provides an enhanced firewall traversal capability.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

building in a random access memory a first layer, said first layer including a transmission control protocol connection, said transmission control protocol connection using binary format messages and not text format messages;

building in said random access memory a second layer, said second layer including a hyper text transfer protocol connection built directly upon said first layer, said hyper text transfer protocol connection using binary format messages and not text format messages;

building in said random access memory a first tunneling layer, said first tunneling layer including a first tunneling protocol built directly upon said second layer to tunnel binary format messages and not text format messages through said hyper text transfer protocol connection; and

building in said random access memory a multiplexing layer to multiplex a plurality of binary format messages and not text format messages for transmission through said first tunneling layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first tunneling protocol opens said hyper text transfer protocol connection between a server and a client.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

building a second tunneling layer, said second tunneling layer including a second tunneling protocol built directly upon said first layer to tunnel binary for at messages and not text format messages through said transmission control protocol connection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said second tunneling protocol opens said transmission control protocol connection between a server and a client.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first tunneling protocol opens said hyper text transfer protocol connection when said second tunneling protocol is not successful in opening said transmission control protocol connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of binary format messages and not text format messages includes a plurality of operational binary format messages and not text format messages and a plurality of administrative binary format messages and not text format messages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said operational binary format messages and not text format messages include operational data.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said administrative binary format messages and not text format messages is selected from group consisting of debug binary format messages and not text format messages, firmware update binary format messages and not text format messages, and parameter configuration binary format messages and not text format messages.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said binary format messages and not text format messages include a read pin request and a write pin request.

10. A method comprising:

building in a memory of a computer system a hyper text transfer protocol connection for binary format messages and not text format messages directly upon a transmission control protocol connection for binary format messages and not text format messages;

tunneling binary format messages and not text format messages through said hyper text transfer protocol connection by using a first tunneling protocol layer, said first tunneling protocol layer including a first tunneling protocol; and

multiplexing a plurality of binary format messages and not text format messages for transmission through the said hyper text transfer protocol connection by using a multiplexing layer for binary format messages and not text format messages.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising opening said hyper text transfer protocol connection between a server and a client by using said first tunneling layer.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

tunneling binary for at messages and not text for at messages through said transmission control protocol connection by using a second tunneling protocol layer including a second tunneling protocol built directly upon said transmission control protocol connection.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising opening said transmission control protocol connection between a server and a client by using said second tunneling protocol.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising opening said hyper text transfer protocol connection by using said first tunneling protocol if said transmission control protocol connection is not successfully opened by using said second tunneling protocol.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of binary format messages and not text format messages include a plurality of operational binary format messages and not text format messages and a plurality of administrative binary format messages and not text format messages.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said operational binary format messages and not text format messages include operational data.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said administrative binary format messages and not text format messages is selected from the group consisting of debug binary format messages and not text format messages, firmware update binary format messages and not text format messages, and parameter configuration binary format messages and not text format messages.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said binary format messages and not text format messages include a read pin request and a write pin request.

19. A computer-readable medium having instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the system to perform a method comprising:

building a hyper text transfer protocol connection upon a transmission control protocol connection;

tunneling binary format messages and not text format messages through the said hyper text transfer protocol connection by using a first tunneling protocol layer, said first tunneling protocol layer including a first tunneling protocol; and

multiplexing a plurality of binary format messages and not text format messages for transmission through said hyper text transfer protocol connection by using a multiplexing layer for binary format messages and not text format messages.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising opening said hyper text transfer protocol connection between a server and a client by using said first tunneling layer.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

tunneling binary format messages and not text format messages through said transmission control protocol connection by using a second tunneling protocol layer including a second tunneling protocol built directly upon said transmission control protocol connection.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising opening said transmission control-protocol connection between a server and a client by using said second tunneling protocol.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising opening said hyper text transfer protocol connection by using said first tunneling protocol if said transmission control protocol connection is not successfully opened by using said second tunneling protocol.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein a plurality of said binary format messages and not text format messages include a plurality of operational binary format messages and not text format messages and a plurality of administrative binary format messages and not text format messages.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said operational binary format messages and not text format messages include operational data.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said administrative binary format messages and not text format messages is selected from the group consisting of debug binary format messages and not text format messages, firmware update binary for at messages and not text format messages, and parameter configuration binary for at messages and not text for at messages.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein said binary format messages and not text format messages include a read pin request and a write pin request.