Protocol for exchanging configuration data in a computer network

• US 6,119,157 A
• Filed: 05/14/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Slaughter, Gregory L., Schmidt, Jeffrey A., Traversat, Bernard A., Saulpaugh, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/079,499
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 709/236, 709/230, 709/227, 709/228, 709/220, 717/11
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing a data framework and associated client/server protocol for storing and exchanging data among computers in a network. A data schema having an n-way tree-type structure with a root node layer, intermediate node layers, and a data layer for storing configuration data is described. The intermediate node layers contain a multitude of nodes containing categorical information relating to components and various aspects of the computer network. Following a tree structure, each intermediate node and root node has branches emanating to nodes below it. These subordinate nodes are referred to as children nodes. The data node layer is at the bottom of the tree and contains actual specific configuration data relating to components and other aspects of the computer network, such as information regarding users registered to use the network. Certain portions of the intermediate nodes and data nodes make up persistent dataspaces in which the actual specific configuration data in the data nodes is modified on either a client or a server computer, and is stored on the server computer. This allows the associated specific information to be nonvolatile and accessible by a multiplicity of client computers. The client/server protocol allows configuration data to be transferred between a client and server and for the maintenance of the connection between the client and the server. Configuration data and user profiles are stored on a server computer thereby minimizing the amount of memory needed by the client computer, which can be a device with low memory capabilities such as network computers, PDAs, or smart cards. The protocol also includes a method of coalescing configuration data before sending it to a client computer thereby reducing the memory requirements of the client computer.

Claims

1. A method of preparing data before sending it over a computer network, the method comprising:

retrieving a first set of data containing a first plurality of data items on a server computer;

retrieving a second set of data containing a second plurality of data items on the server computer, where the first set of data and the second set of data relate to a client computer;

associating data items in the first set of data with data items in the second set of data items thereby creating a plurality of data item correspondences;

determining a version of software to be used to exchange data between the client computer and the server computer;

applying a set of rules to the plurality of data item correspondences; and

deriving a third set of data containing a third plurality of data items.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a connection between the client computer and the server computer; and

sending a client profile from the client computer to the server computer.

3. A method of configuring a client computer in a computer network including a server computer, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between the client computer having a profile and the server computer;

determining a version of software to be used to exchange data between the client computer and the server computer;

sending the profile to the server;

retrieving configuration information relating to the client computer, the configuration information stored under control of the server computer and derived according to the profile;

configuring the client computer using the configuration information, thereby

facilitating centralized management of configuration information by the server computer.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein sending the profile to the server further comprises arranging the profile information to include hardware information relating to the client computer and information relating to a user of the client computer.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the client computer is a network computer.

6. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the server computer stores configuration information relating to a plurality of client computers.