System for automatically compressing and decompressing data for sender and receiver processes upon determination of a common compression/decompression method understood by both sender and receiver processes

• US 5,557,749 A
• Filed: 10/15/1992
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Norris, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krick, Rehana P.
• Application Number:
  US07/961,475
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/200, 395/200.08, 395/872, 395/200.18, 395/888
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A number of data compression and decompression server processes and a socket interface to which these server processes can be attached are provided to each computer system of a network. Additionally, an OPEN, a WRITE, and a READ routine are provided to the operating system of each computer system of the network. The OPEN routine is used by a client sender process to establish connection to a client receiver process computer system. In the course of establishing the connection, the OPEN routine automatically negotiate a compression/decompression method between the sender and the receiver computer system. The WRITE routine is used by the client sender process to send data to the client process. In the course of sending the data, the WRITE routine automatically invokes the appropriate compression method to compress the data based on the result of the negotiation performed by the OPEN routine. The READ routine is used by the client receiver process to receive data from the sender process. Similarly, in the course of receiving the data, the READ routine automatically invokes the appropriate decompression method to decompress the data based also on the result of the negotiation performed by the OPEN routine. As a result, the automatic data compression and decompression are completely transparent to the client sender and receiver processes.

Claims

1. In a network of computer systems comprising a sender computer system having a sender process and a receiver computer system having a receiver process, wherein said sender process provides data to said receiver process, a computer implemented method for transferring said data from said sender process to said receiver process, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a sender list of compression/decompression methods understood by said sender computer system by a first system service of said sender computer system to a second system service of said receiver computer system while establishing connection between said sender computer system to said receiver computer system on behalf of said sender process, said sender list being provided in order of sender preference;

providing a receiver list of compression/decompression methods understood by said receiver computer system by said second system service to said first system service in response to said provided sender list while establishing connection between said receiver computer system and said sender computer system, said receiver list being provided in order of receiver preference;

deducing individually a compression/decompression method understood by both said sender and receiver computer systems in accordance to an identical predetermined manner using said sender and receiver lists provided by said first as well as said second system service, based on sender preference dominance, without further communication between said first and said second system services for the purpose of deducing said compression/decompression method understood by both;

b) logging said determined compression/decompression method on said sender and receiver computer systems by said first and second system services respectively;

c) compressing automatically said data to be transferred in accordance to said logged compression/decompression method by a third system service of said sender computer system before transmission, as an integral part of transmitting said data from said sender computer system to said receiver computer system, in response to a data sending request of said sender process to said third system service; and

d) decompressing automatically said data in accordance to said logged compression/decompression method by a fourth system service of said receiver computer system after receiving said data from said sender computer system, but before said received data is given to said receiver process, as an integral part of receiving and giving said data to said receiver process, in response to a data reading request of said receiver process.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, said step b) comprises logging said determined compression/decompression method in a sender routing table of said sender computer system by said first system service, and in a receiver routing table of said receiver computer system by said second system service.

3. In a network of computer systems comprising a sender computer system having a sender process and a receiver computer system having a receiver process, wherein said sender process provides data to said receiver process, an apparatus for transferring said data from said sender process to said receiver process, said apparatus comprising:

a) first system service means disposed on said sender computer system for sending a sender list of compression/decompression methods understood by said sender computer system to a second system service means while establishing connection from said sender computer system to said receiver computer system on behalf of said sender process, said sender list being in order of sender preference;

said second system service means disposed on said receiver computer system for replying to said first system service with a receiver list of compression/decompression methods understood by said receiver computer system, said receiver list being in order of receiver preference;

said first and second system services further individually deducing a compression/decompression method understood by both said sender and receiver computer systems in accordance to an identical predetermined manner using said sender and receiver lists, based on sender preference dominance, without further communication between said first and said second system services for the purpose of determining said compression/decompression method understood by both;

b) third system service means disposed on said sender computer system for transmitting said data to be transferred from said sender computer system to said receiver computer system in response to a data sending request from said sender process, and as an integral part of said transmission, automatically compressing said data in accordance to said determined compression/decompression method before transmission; and

d) fourth system service means disposed on said receiver computer system for receiving said transmitted data, returning said received data to said receiver process in response to a data reading request from said receiver process, and as an integral part of said receiving and returning, decompressing said data in accordance to said determined compression/decompression method after receiving said data, but before returning said received data to said receiver process.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein, said first and second system services log said determined compression/decompression method in a sender and a receiver routing table disposed on said sender and said receiver computer system respectively.