Distributed routing table interface

• US 8,977,686 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Manion, Todd R., Ransom, Kevin C., Dewey, Jeremy L., Senkeresty, Scott A., Luke, Travis C., Parks, Upshur W., Lieuallen, Brian R., De, Pritam, Choudhury, Pallavi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ullah, Sharif E
• Application Number:
  US13/438,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 713/182, 713/150, 380/277, 380/286, 726/2, 726/21, 726/30
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/56 Routing software

Abstract

Application programming interface (API) for starting and accessing distributed routing table (DRT) functionality. The API facilitates bootstrapping into the DRT by one or more devices of a group of devices (a mesh) seeking to collaborate over a serverless connection, establishing a node of the DRT, where each node is an instance of an application that is participating in the mesh, and node participation by allowing the application to search for keys published by other nodes in the mesh, or by becoming part of the mesh by publishing a key. The API facilitates optimization of the routing table for quickly finding a root of a specific key in the mesh by finding the key directly in a cache or by asking a root node of the key that is in the local routing table that is closest numerically to the key being searched.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing communications, comprising:

launching an application of a first device for collaboration with a group of devices;

opening a local node instance of a distributed routing table in the first device based on a call from the application;

transitioning state of the local node instance from a bootstrapping state, for bootstrapping the local node instance into the distributed routing table, into an active state for participating in the distributed routing table, based on a condition related to the group of devices;

detaching the first device from the group of devices by closing the local node instance; and

utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at the acts of launching, opening, transitioning, and detaching.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising unregistering all keys based on a call from the application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a search query by the application and limiting the search to remote nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a search query by the application and defining a search to return an exact match or a closest result.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning a key/endpoint pair to the application for each node accessed during a search operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying an IPv6 scope in which the distributed routing table operates.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying a security mode in which the distributed routing table operates.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying a change to a leaf set node in the local node instance.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising opening a second local node instance for a second application and for communication with a second group of devices.

10. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

an application of a first device configured to launch for collaboration with a group of devices;

a local node instance of a distributed routing table configured to open in the first device based on a call from the application;

state of the local node instance that transitions from a bootstrapping state, for bootstrapping the local node instance into the distributed routing table, into an active state for participating in the distributed routing table, based on a condition related to the group of devices;

a search component configured to search the group of devices for a destination device; and

a processor that executes computer-executable instructions stored in a memory associated application, the local node instance, the state, and the searching component.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a bootstrap process is initiated based on the call from the application.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein, if zero connections are obtained to other devices or node instances thereof, transition is to an alone state.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein, if at least one device connection is made, transition is to an active state.

14. The system of claim 10, if loss of connectivity occurs, transition is to a no-network state.

15. A method of searching for a key in accordance with an implementation, comprising acts of:

launching an application of a device and opening a local instance of a distributed routing table based on an application call;

creating a search query, using the application, that includes search information for defining as a search space at least one of a local node or remote nodes;

initiating a search of the distributed routing table based on the search query, to produce search results;

receiving and processing the search results, using the application, by updating a local routing table; and

utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of launching, creating, initiating or receiving.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the initiating comprises initiating an exact search that returns an exact key match.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the initiating comprises initiating a closest search.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the search information defines whether the search also returns a search path for each search result.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the search information defines the number of results to return.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein, for an infrastructure communication with a node during the search, the application obtains the key/endpoint pair of that node.