Mechanisms for transparently converting client-server software agents to peer-to-peer software agents

• US 9,332,068 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Inventors: Bryan, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US12/932,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A method of converting client-server software agents to peer-to-peer software agents coupling a client to an adaptor software module is provided. The method includes directly coupling a client in software to an adaptor software module, wherein said adaptor software services underlying traffic from an unmodified agent and relays it on behalf of said unmodified agent, wherein all traffic generated by said unmodified agent is relayed directly to said adaptor software module.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a client agent device for translating between client-server and peer-to-peer protocols, the method comprising:

executing by the client agent device application-level software that sends and receives client-server protocol messages;

executing by the client agent device an adapter software module that transparently translates the client-server protocol messages to and from peer-to-peer protocol messages;

wherein the adapter software module and the application-level software are directly coupled to each other in software on the client agent device;

receiving by the adapter software module on the client agent device a network message conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the network message is an application-level message and does not trigger an application-level event, updating by the adapter software module on the client agent device a local protocol state with information in the application-level message;

if the network message is an application-level message and triggers an application-level event, sending by the adapter software module on the client agent device to an application layer on the client agent device a translated message in a client-server protocol to trigger an appropriate application-level event for the application-level software;

performing by the adapter software module on the client agent device peer-to-peer protocol-level operations in response to the network message;

receiving by the adapter software module on the client agent device a call from the application layer on the client agent device, wherein the call is generated by the application-level software and conforms to a client-server protocol;

if the call generated by the application-level software is a library initialization call, creating by the adapter software module on the client agent device a local stack to handle subsequent calls and to process incoming network messages conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the call generated by the application-level software is not a library initialization call but the call generated by the application-level software implies library initialization, creating by the adapter software module on the client agent device a local stack to handle subsequent calls and to process incoming network messages conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol;

and if the call generated by the application-level software is a request to send information using a client-server protocol, then translating by the adapter software module on the client agent device the request to at least one network message conforming to a peer-to-peer protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call generated by the application-level software is awaiting a response, waiting for a response network message in a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the response network message is received, sending the application-level software a translated response in client-server protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call received from the application-level software is awaiting a response, waiting for a response network message in a peer-to-peer protocol;

if the response network message is later received, sending the application-level software an event trigger in the client-server protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call received from the application-level software is not awaiting a response, registering an appropriate event trigger;

if the response network message is later received, sending the application-level software a translated response in client-server protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the call received from the application-level software is not awaiting a response, registering an appropriate event trigger;

if the response network message is later received, sending the application-level software an event trigger in client-server protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter software module is software selected from the group consisting of a protocol stack, state machine, protocol library, dialog manager, application driver, software firewall, modified socket library, and system service.