Data communication coordination with sequence numbers

• US 8,850,025 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kruse, David, Mohamed, Ahmed, Raman, Balan Sethu
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US13/664,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/02 Protocol performance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Described are sequence numbers for client-server communication, to control a client'"'"'s use of server resources. A server grants the client credits, and the client consumes a credit for sending each command to the server. Each credit corresponds to a sequence number, with the set of sequence numbers forming a valid command window. The server enforces that for each received command, the command includes a sequence number that is within the valid command window and that the sequence number has not been used with another command. The server may also maintain a maximum window size, such that clients with credits cannot send a command with a sequence number that beyond a maximum sequence number. When incorporated into a data communication protocol, quality of service, combating denial of service, detection of message loss, division of server resources, secure message signing, and other numerous benefits result.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a server, a valid command window comprising at least one sequence number;

receiving, at the server, a file system command that consumes at least one server resource, the file system command including an associated sequence number;

determining whether the associated sequence number is within the valid command window;

determining whether the associated sequence number has not been previously included in another file system command;

processing the file system command when it is determined that the associated sequence number is within the valid command window and has not been previously included in another file system command;

granting the client at least one additional credit, wherein the at least one additional credit enables the client to consume at least one additional server resource using a subsequent file system command; and

adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional unused sequence number is associated with the at least one additional credit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the valid command window has a maximum size.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the maximum size of the valid command window is defined as the difference between a minimum sequence number and a maximum sequence number.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

granting the client one or more blocking operation credits; and

allowing a blocking operation to be performed by the server in response to receiving a blocking command sent from the client.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

returning data indicating the blocking operation'"'"'s progress; and

returning an identifier for the blocking operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising revoking at least one credit previously granted to the client if the client is idle for a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number comprises sliding the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sliding the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number does not change a maximum size of the valid command window.

10. A computer-readable memory having computer-executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, performs a method comprising:

establishing, by a server, a valid command window comprising at least one sequence number;

receiving, at the server, a file system command that consumes at least one server resource, the file system command including an associated sequence number;

determining whether the associated sequence number is within the valid command window;

determining whether the associated sequence number has not been previously included in another file system command;

processing the file system command when it is determined that the associated sequence number is within the valid command window and has not been previously included in another file system command;

granting the client at least one additional credit, wherein the at least one additional credit enables the client to consume at least one additional server resource using a subsequent file system command; and

adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number.

11. The computer-readable memory of claim 10,

wherein the valid command window has a maximum size.

12. The computer-readable memory of claim 11,

wherein the maximum size of the valid command window is defined as the difference between a minimum sequence number and a maximum sequence number.

13. The computer-readable memory of claim 10,

further comprising instructions for revoking at least one credit previously granted to the client if the client is idle for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The computer-readable memory of claim 10,

wherein adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number comprises sliding the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 14,

wherein sliding the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number does not change a maximum size of the valid command window.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory for storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, performs a method comprising;

establishing, by a server, a valid command window comprising at least one sequence number;

receiving, at the server, a file system command that consumes at least one server resource, the file system command including an associated sequence number;

determining whether the associated sequence number is within the valid command window;

determining whether the associated sequence number has not been previously included in another file system command;

processing the file system command when it is determined that the associated sequence number is within the valid command window and has not been previously included in another file system command;

granting the client at least one additional credit, wherein the at least one additional credit enables the client to consume at least one additional server resource using a subsequent file system command; and

adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the valid command window has a maximum size, and wherein the maximum size of the valid command window is defined as the difference between a minimum sequence number and a maximum sequence number.

18. The system of claim 16, the method further comprising:

granting the client one or more blocking operation credits;

allowing a blocking operation to be performed by the server in response to receiving a blocking command sent from the client;

returning data indicating the blocking operation'"'"'s progress; and

returning an identifier for the blocking operation.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number comprises sliding the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein sliding the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number does not change a maximum size of the valid command window.