Data routing

• US 20050021838A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integra SP Limited (Tiger Telematics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Integra SP Limited (Tiger Telematics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Levett, David Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of routing data from a source to one or more clients over a network, where the data conforms to a structured meta-language; in which the routing is performed by a server applying rules to the data itself, and not any address accompanying the data, to determine where to route that data to. The present invention is predicated on the counter-intuitive insight that data does not need to be concealed within a data envelope and given an address label in order to be routed effectively and efficiently. Instead, routing can be performed on the actual content of a message by applying simple routing rules to the data itself by intelligent ‘routing’ servers within the network which can unpack data from their message envelopes and intelligently filter/combine them with data unpacked from other messages to achieve a routing function.

Claims

1. A method of routing data from a source to one or more clients over a network, where the data conforms to a structured meta-language, the routing being performed by a server applying one or more rules to the data, and not any address accompanying the data, to achieve correct routing of that data,

characterised in that one or more messages are unpacked in order to yield the data and the routing server (a) applies the or each rule to this unpacked data or one or more sub-sets of this unpacked data and then (b) constructs one or more messages using some or all of the data or data sub-set(s).

2. The method of claim 1 in which the structured meta-language is XML.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the or each rule applied by the server is continuously updateable.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the or each rule is continuously updateable by one or more messages, or one or more sub-sets of one or more messages, being received and processed by the server.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the or each rule is applied by the server in real time to the data.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the or each rule is applied by the server in real time to the data depending on what needs to be rendered for viewing at a client, hence restricting updating data to what a client is actually looking at, rather than the entire set of things which the client might be able to look at.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the unpacked data is analysed by the routing server and the routing server applies the or each rule which results in (a) only a sub-set of that data being packaged into one or more messages and then routed to a client and (b) a different sub-set of that data being packaged into one or more messages and then routed to a different client.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the unpacked data is analysed by the server and the server applies the or each rule which results in some or all of that data being combined with data from a different source into one or more messages and the combined data is then routed to a client.

9. The method of claim 1 in which multiple parallel servers can route from a single source to give scalability.

10. The method of claim 9 in which if one server from a group of multiple parallel servers fails, then another server in that group can take over.

11. The method of claim 1 in which multiple series connected servers can perform routing.

12. The method of claim 11 in which a server higher up the hierarchy of a series is insulated from needing to know the or each rule which will be applied by a server further down in the hierarchy.

13. The method of claim 1 in which the or each rule is a member selected from the following group of rules:

(a) Route data based on a user'"'"'s unique identifier;

(b) Route data based on security privileges;

(c) Route data based on rules about client and network performance;

(d) Route data based on rules about performance, of the server supplying the data, so that if one or more of the servers supplying the data becomes overloaded, the routing server could be used to limit access to the busy server;

(e) Route data based on per-user customisation and security rules delegated by a legacy server;

(f) Route data following rules to divert certain content of an incoming message over an expensive but highly secure network whilst some or all of the remaining content is sent through the public network;

(g) Route data by selectively encrypting and/or digitally signing portions of a message before passing it on, reducing the CPU cost of the encryption process without unduly affecting the security of the message;

(h) Route data by selectively encrypting and/or digitally signing portions of a message with multiple keys before passing the message on to a broadcast network that would send the same encrypted message to all clients, but where each would only be able to decrypt certain portions of the message;

(i) Route data by holding a certain message until one or more other messages are received with matching content.

14. The method of claim 2 in which the or each rule is structured as Xqueries comparing data against data held locally in the server.

15. The method of claim 1 in which the data is Instant Messaging personal communications.

16. The method of claim 1 in which the data is web services related data.

30. A message when routed using the method of routing as defined in preceding claim 1, in which the message comprises data which has been unpacked from one or more messages received at a routing server and the routing server has applied rules to the unpacked data or one or more sub-sets of the unpacked data and not any address accompanying that unpacked data.

17. An apparatus programmed to route data from a source to one or more clients over a network, where the data conforms to a structured meta-language;

wherein the apparatus applies one or more rules to the data, and not any address accompanying the data, to achieve correct routing of that data;

characterised in that the apparatus.(a) unpacks one or more messages in order to yield the data and then (b) applies the or each rule to this unpacked data or one or more sub-sets of this unpacked data then constructs one or more messages using some or all of the data or data sub-set(s).

18. The apparatus of claim 17 which enables the or each rule to be continuously updateable.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the or each rule is continuously updateable by one or more messages, or one or more sub-sets of one or more messages, which the apparatus stores and processes.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the apparatus applies the or each rule in real time to the data.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 in which the or each rule is applied in real time to the data depending on what needs to be rendered for viewing at a client, hence restricting updating data to what a client is actually looking at, rather than the entire set of things which the client might be able to look at.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 which analyses the unpacked data and then applies the or each rule which results in (a) only a sub-set of that data being packaged into one or more messages and then routed to a client and (b) a different sub-set of that data being packaged into one or more messages and then routed to a different client.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 which analyses the unpacked data and then applies the or each rule which results in some or all of that data being combined with data from a different source into one or more messages and the combined data is then routed to a client.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 when organised into multiple parallel servers which can route from a single source to give scalability.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which if one server from a group of multiple parallel servers fails, then another server in that group can take over.

26. The apparatus of claim 17 when organised into multiple series connected servers to perform routing.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 in which a server higher up the hierarchy of a series is insulated from needing to know the or each rule which will be applied by a server further down in the hierarchy.

28. The apparatus of claim 17 in which the or each rule is a member selected from the following group of rules:

(a) Route data based on a user'"'"'s unique identifier;

(b) Route data based on security privileges;

(c) Route data based on rules about client and network performance;

(d) Route data based on rules about performance, of the server supplying the data, so that if one or more of the servers supplying the data becomes overloaded, the routing server could be used to limit access to the busy server;

(e) Route data based on per-user customisation and security rules delegated by a legacy server;

(f) Route data following rules to divert certain content of an incoming message over an expensive but highly secure network whilst some or all of the remaining content is sent through the public network;

(g) Route data by selectively encrypting and/or digitally signing portions of a message before passing it on, reducing the CPU cost of the encryption process without unduly affecting the security of the message;

(h) Route data by selectively encrypting and/or digitally signing portions of a message with multiple keys before passing the message on to a broadcast network that would send the same encrypted message to all clients, but where each would only be able to decrypt certain portions of the message;

(i) Route data by holding a certain message until one or more other messages are received with matching content.

29. The apparatus of claim 17 in which the or each rule is structured as Xqueries comparing data against data held locally in the apparatus.