Peer-to-peer communication pipes

• US 8,755,392 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (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): Zhou, Yong
• Application Number:
  US13/439,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 computing system, comprising:

a plurality of peer nodes, wherein each peer node comprises one or more network interfaces, wherein each network interface is configured to implement at least one of one or more network transport protocols;

means for one of the plurality of peer nodes to create a pipe on the network, wherein the pipe represents a virtual communications channel for communicating with one or more other of the plurality of peer nodes on the network;

means for the peer node to bind the pipe to an endpoint of the peer node, wherein the endpoint of the peer node corresponds to and uniquely identifies one of the one or more network interfaces on the peer node, and wherein the network interface of the peer node corresponding to the endpoint of the peer node implements a particular network transport protocol used on the pipe;

means for another one of the plurality of peer nodes to discover the pipe created by the peer node;

means for the other peer node to request information corresponding to the discovered pipe on the network;

means for the other peer node to bind, based at least in part on the requested information, the pipe to an endpoint of the other peer node, wherein the endpoint of the other peer node corresponds to and uniquely identifies one of the one or more network interfaces on the other peer node, and wherein the network interface of the other peer node corresponding to the endpoint of the other peer node implements a particular network transport protocol used on the pipe; and

means for the other peer node to communicate with the peer node over the pipe in accordance with the particular network transport protocol.

2. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for another one of the plurality of peer nodes to discover the pipe created by the peer node comprises means for the other peer node to discover an endpoint advertisement corresponding to the endpoint of the peer node, wherein the endpoint advertisement includes information specifying the particular network transport protocol corresponding to the endpoint of the peer node.

3. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for finding the requested information corresponding to the discovered pipe on the network; and

means for providing the requested information to the other peer node, wherein the requested information specifies the endpoint of the peer node.

4. The peer computing system as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

means for caching information corresponding to pipes implemented by the plurality of peer nodes including the pipe implemented by the peer node on at least one of the plurality of peer nodes; and

wherein said means for finding the requested information comprises means for retrieving the information specifying the pipe implemented by the peer node from the cached information.

5. The peer computing system as recited in claim 3, wherein said means for another one of the plurality of peer nodes to discover the pipe created by the peer node comprises means for discovering the information corresponding to the discovered pipe on the network in accordance with a discovery protocol.

6. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for the other peer node to discover the pipe implemented by the peer node comprises means for receiving a message on the network including information corresponding to the discovered pipe on the network.

7. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for another one of the plurality of peer nodes to discover the pipe created by the peer node comprises means for discovering information about a resource on the network, wherein the information about the resource include information corresponding to the discovered pipe on the network.

8. The peer computing system as recited in claim 7, wherein the resource is one of a service provided by the peer node on the network, the peer node, and a peer group on the network comprising one or more of the plurality of peer nodes including the peer node.

9. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the endpoint of the peer node is associated with a service implemented on the peer node, and wherein said means for the other peer node to communicate with the peer node comprises means for the other peer node to communicate with the service on the peer node over the pipe.

10. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the endpoint of the peer node is associated with a service implemented on the peer node, wherein the endpoint of the other peer node is associated with a service implemented on the other peer node, and wherein said means for the other peer node to communicate with the peer node comprises means for the service on the other peer node to communicate with the service on the peer node over the pipe.

11. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pipe is configured to provide unidirectional communications, wherein the endpoint of the other peer node is an output for sending messages to the peer node, and wherein the endpoint of the peer node is an input for receiving the messages.

12. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pipe is configured to provide unidirectional communications, wherein the endpoint of the peer node is an output for sending messages to the other peer node, and wherein the endpoint of the other peer node is an input for receiving the messages.

13. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pipe is configured to provide bi-directional communications, wherein the endpoint of the peer node is configured to send messages to and receive other messages from the other peer node, and wherein the endpoint of the other peer node is configured to receive the messages and send the other messages.

14. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pipe is configured to provide asynchronous communications.

15. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pipe is configured to provide unreliable transmission of messages, wherein the messages transmitted by an output endpoint of the pipe are not guaranteed to be received at an input endpoint, and wherein each of the messages is transmitted one or more times on the pipe.

16. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pipe is configured to provide stateless communications, wherein the endpoints of the pipe do not maintain states of the particular network transport protocol used on the pipe.

17. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for one or more other endpoints on one or more other of the plurality of peer nodes to bind to the pipe; and

means for the other peer node to send messages on the pipe to endpoints currently bound to the pipe.

18. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for messages sent on the pipe to pass through one or more other of the plurality of peer nodes between the peer node and the other peer node on the network.

19. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for guaranteeing delivery of messages to each of one or more input endpoints bound to the pipe;

means for each of the messages to be delivered only once to each of the one or more input endpoints; and

means for ordering of the messages received at each of the one or more input endpoints.

20. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for providing reliable and encrypted transfer of messages to each of one or more input endpoints bound to the pipe.

21. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for unbinding the pipe advertisement from the endpoint of the peer node; and

means for binding the pipe to one of one or more endpoints on a different one of the plurality of peer nodes, wherein the endpoint of the different one of the plurality of peer nodes corresponds to a network interface of the different peer node that implements the particular network transport protocol used by the pipe.

22. The peer computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for the plurality of peer nodes to participate as member peers in a peer group.