Trans-network roaming and resolution with web services for devices

• US 20060242322A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, William R., Chan, Shannon J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,117,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that facilitate automated network address determinations and communications between roaming peers. In one aspect, a network communications system is provided. The system includes methods for updating a resolution provider with a current host transport address and for determining a roaming hosts service address and port information. Other processes include opening and mapping ports through Network Address Translators and Firewalls and opening/mapping ports in conjunction with cascaded Network Address Translators.

Claims

1. A network communications system, comprising:

a resolution provider to automatically determine network addresses for one or more roaming network devices; and

a discovery component to facilitate determination of the network addresses for the one or more roaming network devices.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one Network Address Translator component.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a query component that is associated with a client that is employed to determine and select one or more NAT types.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an event component to update the resolution provider with roaming address information.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one protocol discovery component to determine connections between the roaming network devices.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component to update the resolution provider with a current host address.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a function to transmit an initialization packet from a first client component to a second client component.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component to transmit a Simple Object Access protocol message.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component for storing a service friendly name, a GUID, a routable public address and port pair, an address lease time, and a tunnel lease time.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component to determine a roaming host service address and port.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a client component to probe a service address and port from a discovery component.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a resolution provider that responds to the client component with an address and port information match to the probe.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component for opening ports behind a network address translator (NAT).

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a discovery component to determine external addresses and port information from the NAT.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a component to process security credentials in accordance with the discovery component.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for executing the resolution provider or the discovery component.

17. A network discovery method, comprising:

sending a probe message to at least one target service from at least one roaming client component;

receiving a probe response message from the target service; and

automatically determining network addresses for the roaming client component based in part on the probe response message.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a component to generate an external Internet Protocol (IP) address and port.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

mapping the IP address and port;

opening two or more cascaded network address translators (NATS); and

routing address and port information between the NATS.

20. A network discovery system, comprising:

means for communicating between at least two network components;

means for sending a probe message between the network components;

means for generating a probe response message from at least one of the network components; and

means for determining network addresses for the network components based on communications between the network components.