Assessing response routes in a network

• US 9,813,331 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bent, Graham A., Berman, Thomas J. C., Dantressangle, Patrick, Vyvyan, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bokhari, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US14/171,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20140219278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370389, 370392, 455466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing

Abstract

Method and system are provided for assessing response routes in a network of connected nodes wherein a querying node propagates a query through multiple routes of intermediate nodes to a data source node and the data source node returns data to the querying node. The method at a data source node may include: receiving a query instance including metadata with route information of the route of intermediate nodes in the network that the query instance has travelled through from a querying node to the data source node; comparing the route information to a route policy; and responding to a query instance which meets the route policy by returning the query response via the route of intermediate nodes of the query instance.

Claims

1. A method for assessing routes in a network of connected nodes, wherein a querying node propagates a query through multiple routes of intermediate nodes to a data source node and the data source node returns data to the querying node, and wherein the method at the data source node comprises:

receiving, by one or more processors, a query instance comprising metadata with route information of a route of intermediate nodes in a network that the query instance has travelled through from a querying node to the data source node, wherein the network is a network of connected nodes through which the query instance is propagated;

comparing, by one or more processors, the route information to a route policy;

responding to, by one or more processors, the query instance that meets the route policy by returning a query response to the query instance via the route of intermediate nodes used by the query instance, wherein the query instance is a first query instance, wherein the route of intermediate nodes in the network is a first route of intermediate nodes in the network;

receiving a second query instance at the data source node, wherein the second query instance and the first query instance present a same data query, wherein the data source node received the second query instance after receiving the first query instance, and wherein the second query instance used a second route of intermediate nodes in the network that is different from the first route of intermediate nodes in the network;

determining, by one or more processors, that the second route of intermediate nodes is faster than the first route of intermediate nodes; and

in response to determining that the second route of intermediate nodes is faster than the first route of intermediate nodes, sending the query response to the querying node via the second route of intermediate nodes.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein comparing the route information to the route policy comprises:

determining, by one or more processors, whether a route of a received query instance meets the route policy; and

using, by one or more processors, the route of a first received query instance that meets the route policy as the return route.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein comparing the route information to a route policy comprises:

receiving, by one or more processors, multiple query instances in a given time period;

comparing, by one or more processors, routes of the multiple query instances to the route policy; and

selecting, by one or more processors, a route having a highest policy score as a return route.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

suppressing, by one or more processors, any query instances for a query that has already been responded to.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metadata with route information of the route of intermediate nodes in the network that the query instance has travelled through includes characteristics of each of the intermediate nodes.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the characteristics of each of the intermediate nodes includes:

security of a node,

trustworthiness of a node,

the power availability at a node,

reliability of a node, and

speed of processing of a node.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route policy defines required characteristics of the intermediate nodes.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route policy is a security policy that lists nodes and a measure of trustworthiness of each node.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the security policy provides a security threshold of aggregate measures of nodes in a route.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the security policy lists nodes which are not secure and through which a route should not pass.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more route policies are provided for different types of queries received at the data source node.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a first query instance at the data source node which meets the route policy;

sending, by one or more processors, a response using a return route of the first query instance;

receiving, by one or more processors, a subsequent query instance for a same query which has a higher score for the route policy; and

resending, by one or more processors, all or part of the response via a route of the subsequent query instance.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the route information in the metadata is gathered as the query instance propagates through nodes in the network.

13. A system for assessing routes in a network of connected nodes, wherein a querying node propagates a query through multiple routes of intermediate nodes to a data source node, wherein the data source node is a hardware data source node that returns data to the querying node, and wherein the system comprises:

a hardware data source node for receiving a query instance including metadata with route information of the route of intermediate nodes in the network that the query instance has travelled through from a querying node to the hardware data source node, wherein the network is a network of connected nodes through which the query instance is propagated; and

a hardware route evaluator component for comparing the route information to a route policy;

wherein the hardware data source node responds to a query instance which meets the route policy by returning the query response via the route of intermediate nodes used by the query instance, wherein the query instance is a first query instance, wherein the route of intermediate nodes in the network is a first route of intermediate nodes in the network, wherein the hardware route evaluator component receives a second query instance at the hardware data source node, wherein the second query instance and the first query instance present a same data query, wherein the hardware data source node receives the second query instance after receiving the first query instance, wherein the second query instance uses a second route of intermediate nodes in the network that is different from the first route of intermediate nodes in the network, wherein the hardware route evaluator component determines that the second route of intermediate nodes is faster than the first route of intermediate nodes, and wherein the hardware route evaluator component, in response to determining that the second route of intermediate nodes is faster than the first route of intermediate nodes, sends the query response to the querying node via the second route of intermediate nodes.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the hardware route evaluator component for comparing the route information to the route policy is for:

determining if a route of a received query instance meets the route policy;

using a route of the first received query instance that meets the route policy as a return route.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the hardware route evaluator component for comparing the route information to the route policy is for:

receiving multiple query instances in a given time period;

comparing routes of the multiple query instances to the route policy; and

selecting a route having a highest policy score as a return route.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a subsequent query instance suppressor component for suppressing any query instances for a query which has already been responded to.

17. The system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a route extractor component for extracting metadata with route information of a route of intermediate nodes in the network that the query instance has travelled through, wherein the metadata comprises characteristics of each of the intermediate nodes.

18. A computer program product for assessing routes in a network of connected nodes, wherein a querying node propagates a query through multiple routes of intermediate nodes to a data source node, wherein the data source node returns data to the querying node, wherein the computer program product comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a query instance comprising metadata with route information of a route of intermediate nodes in a network that a query instance has travelled through from a querying node to the data source node, wherein the network is a network of connected nodes through which the query instance is propagated;

comparing the route information to a route policy;

responding to a query instance that meets the route policy by returning a query response, to the query instance, via the route of intermediate nodes used by the query instance, wherein the query instance is a first query instance, wherein the route of intermediate nodes in the network is a first route of intermediate nodes in the network;

receiving a second query instance at the data source node, wherein the second query instance and the first query instance present a same data query, wherein the data source node received the second query instance after receiving the first query instance, and wherein the second query instance used a second route of intermediate nodes in the network that is different from the first route of intermediate nodes in the network;

determining that the second route of intermediate nodes is faster than the first route of intermediate nodes; and

in response to determining that the second route of intermediate nodes is faster than the first route of intermediate nodes, sending the query response to the querying node via the second route of intermediate nodes.