Peer-to-peer identity management interfaces and methods

• US 9,021,106 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Manion, Todd R., Donner, Robert D., Somin, Grigori M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US14/296,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1057 involving pre-assessment of levels of reputation of peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Peer-to-peer (P2P) application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow an application to create, import, export, manage, enumerate, and delete P2P identities are presented. Further, the management of group identity information is provided. APIs abstract away from low level credential and cryptographic functions required to create and manage P2P identities. This management includes retrieval and setting of a friendly name, generation of a cryptographic public/private key pair, retrieval of security information in the form of an XML fragment, and creation of a new name based on an existing identity.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media, coupled to the one or more processors, storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform a method of communicating between an application program of a resolution protocol and a server process on a same node to manage peer-to-peer identities, the method comprising;

providing, on the same node, an application program interface for use by the application program of the resolution protocol to manage peer-to-peer identities;

receiving, at the server process on the same node, via the application program interface, a peer identity create call having a plurality of call parameters comprising a classifier, a peer-to-peer friendly name, a handle to a container in which a key pair exists, and a pointer to a location to which an identity name should be returned, the key pair including a private key and a public key, and the key pair and the classifier being usable to generate the identity name;

parsing, at the server process, the peer identity create call to retrieve the plurality of call parameters; and

returning to the application program a value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity create call.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the handle to the container in which a key pair exists that is set to NULL, and the method further comprising issuing a generate new public/private key pair call.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that the handle is invalid.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that there is not enough memory to perform the peer identity management call.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that the identity name already exists.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that a disk volume is insufficient to store information for a peer identity corresponding to the identity name.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that there is not enough memory to perform the peer identity create call.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that at least one of the plurality of call parameters is invalid.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that no keys exist in the container.

10. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable storage media, coupled to the one or more processors, storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform a method of communicating between an application program of a resolution protocol and a server process on a same node to manage peer-to-peer identities, the method comprising;

providing, at the same node, an application program interface for use by the application program of the resolution protocol to manage peer-to-peer identities;

receiving, at the server process on the same node, via the application program interface, a peer create peer name call having a plurality of call parameters comprising an identity name that is to be taken as a basis for a new peer name, a string containing a new classifier that needs to be appended to an existing name of the identity, and a pointer to a location to which the new peer name is returned, wherein the identity name is generated from an existing classifier and a key pair, and wherein the key pair includes a public key and a private key;

parsing, at the server process, the peer create peer name call to retrieve the plurality of call parameters; and

returning to the application program a value indicative of the success/failure of the peer create peer name call.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that a peer identity specified by the identity name cannot be found.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the returning comprises returning an error indicative that there is not enough memory to perform the peer create peer name call.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein said returning comprises returning an error indicative that at least one of the plurality of call parameters is not valid.

14. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media, coupled to the one or more processors, storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform a method of communicating between an application program of a resolution protocol and a server process on a same node to manage peer-to-peer identities, the method comprising;

providing, on the same node, an application program interface for use by the application program of the resolution protocol to manage peer-to-peer identities;

receiving, at the server process on the same node, via the application program interface, a peer identity create call having a plurality of call parameters comprising a classifier, a peer-to-peer friendly name, a handle to a container in which a key pair exists, and a pointer to a location to which an identity name should be returned, the key pair including a private key and a public key, and the key pair and the classifier being usable to generate the identity name;

parsing, at the server process, the peer identity create call to retrieve the plurality of call parameters;

returning to the application program a value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity create call;

receiving, at the server process on the same node, via the application program interface, a peer identity management call corresponding to the identity name corresponding to peer identity create call, and the peer identity management call having one or more corresponding call parameters;

parsing, at the server process, the peer identity management call to retrieve the one or more corresponding call parameters; and

returning to the application program a value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity management call.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said returning to the application program the value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity management call comprises returning an error indicative that at least one of the one or more corresponding call parameters of the peer identity management call is invalid.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said returning to the application program the value indicative to the success/failure of the peer identity management call comprises returning an error indicative that there is not enough memory to perform the peer identity management call.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein a particular corresponding call parameter of the peer identity management call corresponds to the identity name, and wherein said returning to the application program the value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity management call comprises returning an error indicative that there is no identity that matches the identity name call parameter.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein said receiving the peer identity management call comprises receiving a get friendly name call having the one or more corresponding call parameters comprising the identity name and a pointer to a location to which a corresponding friendly name should be returned;

and said returning to the application program the value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity management call comprises returning to the application program a value indicative of the success/failure of the get friendly name call.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein said receiving the peer identity management call comprises receiving a set friendly name call having the one or more corresponding call parameters comprising the identity name and a string containing a new friendly name for the identity;

and said returning to the application program the value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity management call comprises returning to the application program a value indicative of the success/failure of the set friendly name call.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein said receiving the peer identity management call comprises receiving a peer identity delete call having the one or more corresponding call parameters comprising the identity name;

and said returning to the application program the value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity management call comprises returning to the application program a value indicative of the success/failure of the peer identity delete call.