Host posing network device and method thereof

• US 20080016166A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bigfoot Networks, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beverly, Harlan T., Gala, Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168

Abstract

A method for receiving a first indication from a host device is comprised. The device is a first port of the host device that has been reserved fro a network device. The method also poses as the host device at the network device in response to a receipt of the first indication.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first indication from a host device that a first port of the host device has been reserved for a network device;

posing as the host device at the network device in response to receiving the first indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein posing as the host device comprises:

intercepting a first message from a client device, the first message targeted to the first port of the host device;

processing the first message at the network device in response to determining that the first message is targeted to the first port.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a second message from the client device, the second message targeted to a second port of the host device;

sending the second message to the host device in response to determining that the second message is targeted to the second port.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the host device via a first socket a program module;

wherein processing the first message comprises executing the program module at the network device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein processing the first message comprises executing a pre-loaded program module at the network device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the program module comprises:

receiving an indication via the first socket that the program module will be transmitted;

receiving the program module via the first socket; and

storing the program module at the network device in response to receiving the indication.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first socket is associated with a loopback address of the host device.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a message from the host device; and

modifying the program module at the network device in response to the message from the host device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the message from the host device is received via a second socket.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request to the host device to reserve the first port;

wherein the first indication from the host device is received in response to the request.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first socket is associated with a loopback address of the host device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

reserving a first port at the host device;

transmitting an indication to the network device that a second message from the client device associated with the first port should be intercepted at the network device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first port is associated with a loopback port of the host device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting a third message from the host device to the network device via the first port.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the second message at the host device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second message is received at the host device via the first port.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a request from the network device to reserve a first port at the host device;

reserving the first port in response to the request; and

transmitting an indication to the network device that a second message from the client device associated with the first port should be intercepted at the network device.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting instructions to the network device to modify the program.

21. The network device of claim 16, further comprising a program module associated with a program executing at the host device, the program module configured to process the first message.

22. The network device of claim 17, further comprising:

a third socket configured to receive the program module from the host device.

23. The network device of claim 18, wherein the third socket is associated with a loopback address of the host device.

24. The network device of claim 18, further comprising a fourth socket to provide messages from the client device targeted to a second port of the host device.

11. A method, comprising:

opening a first socket at the host device;

transmitting a program module to the network device via the first socket, the program module to be executed at the network device; and

receiving a first message from a client device at a second socket of the host device, the first message sent by the network device.

20. A network device, comprising:

a first socket configured to receive messages from a host device;

a second socket configured to receive messages from a client device;

a processor module configured to intercept a first message from the client device targeted to a first port of the host device in response to an indication received via the first socket that the first port has been reserved for the network device.