Automatically configuring network-name-services

• US 6,167,446 A
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inca Technologies
• Original Assignee: Inca Technologies
• Inventors: Lister, Robert, Pitts, William M., Rigler, Joel R., Wallach, Walter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/185,177
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Generally a computer network includes a file server (22), a network (26), and several client workstations (24). Specific network software provides a name server ("NS") (122) to resolve network-name requests. The computer network can also include a proxy for a network service, e.g. a network infrastructure cache (72) that stores files copied from the server (22). Automatic network-name-services configuration adds to this:

1. a traffic-monitor module (132) that identifies shared network services, and collects service use data;

2. a dynamic redirection service ("DRS") module (126) that receives the collected data, extracts therefrom pairs of client workstations (24) and services, employs a performance metric to order those pairs, and compiles a list (138) of workstations (24) and services that are assigned to the proxy; and

3. a name resolution filter ("NRF") module (136) that, receives the list (138) and network-name-resolution requests, and, when enabled by the list, resolves requests by sending network addresses for the proxy to client workstations (24). cm 1

Claims

1. In a network of digital computers that includes:

A. a network;

B. client workstations that connect to the network for exchanging network communications between the client workstations; and

C. a name server ("NS") that;

i. receives from the network network-name-resolution requests sent by client workstations for network-name resolution; and

ii. responds to network-name-resolution requests by sending to the requesting client workstation, via the network, a network address;

an automatic network-name-services configuration improvement comprising;

D. a traffic-monitor module that receives, via the network, network communications which permits the traffic-monitor module to;

i. identify specific network resources that are shared by client workstations connected to the network; and

ii. collect data about network resources that are shared by the client workstations;

E. a dynamic redirection service ("DRS") module that;

i. receives data collected by the traffic-monitor module; and

ii. extracts from the collected data;

1) identities of the client workstations and network resources that form client workstation/network resource pairs;

2) an order for client workstation/network resource pairs based upon a performance metric determined from data collected for each client workstation/network resource pair; and

3) a list of;

A) proxy servers that can provide a proxy service for network resources; and

B) based upon the performance metric determined for each client workstation/network resource pair, at least one client workstation for which the proxy server is assigned to provide the proxy service; and

F. a name resolution filter ("NRF") module that;

i. receives from the DRS module the list extracted by the DRS module from collected data;

ii. receives network-name-resolution requests sent by client workstations for network-name resolution before the NS receives the network-name-resolution request; and

iii. when enabled by data present in the list, responds to network-name-resolution requests by sending to the requesting client workstation, via the network, the network address of the proxy server specified by the list.

2. The network of digital computers of claim 1 wherein the network resource is a source file server which stores a file that is shared by the client workstations, the client workstations:

i. sending, via the network, network-file-services-protocol requests to access the file; and

ii. receiving, via the network, network-file-services-protocol responses to network-file-services-protocol requests to access the file; and

wherein the network of digital computers further includes;

G. a proxy file cache, also connected to the network, that, by storing a copy of at least a portion of the file stored at the source file server, is the proxy server for the network resource, the proxy file cache;

i. receiving, via the network, network-file-services-protocol requests from client workstations for access to the file that is stored at the source file server; and

ii. responding, via the network, to network-file-services-protocol requests from client workstations for access to the file by sending to the requesting client workstation a copy of at least a fraction of that portion of the file that is stored at the proxy file cache.

3. The automatic network-name-services configuration improvement of claim 2 wherein the traffic-monitor module, the DRS module, and the NRF module are all located at the source file server.

4. The automatic network-name-services configuration improvement of claim 2 wherein the performance metric determined by the DRS module depends upon time that elapses between a network-file-services-protocol request from the client workstation appearing on the network, and the network-file-services-protocol response from the source file server thereto appearing on the network.

5. The automatic network-name-services configuration improvement of claim 1 wherein the DRS module extracts tuples from data received from the traffic-monitor module.

6. The automatic network-name-services configuration improvement of claim 1 wherein the DRS module includes an administrative interface that permits an administrator to selectively modify assignment of network resources for which proxy servers are to provide proxy services.

7. The network of digital computers of claim 1 wherein the traffic-monitor module included in the automatic network-name-services configuration improvement receives network communications from a filter through which:

network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution sent by the client workstation pass before such network-name-resolution requests are received by the NS; and

network addresses from the NS sent in response to network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution pass before such network addresses are received by the client workstation.

8. The network of digital computers of claim 1 wherein the network of digital computers further includes:

G. a pre-established port;

i. to which the client workstation addresses network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution; and

ii. from which the client workstation receives network addresses sent in response to network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution; and

wherein before the NS receives from the pre-established port network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution, the automatic network-name-services configuration improvement causes the NS to be redirected to an other port from which the NS thereafter;

i. receives network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution, and

ii. sends network addresses in response to network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution; and

wherein the traffic-monitor module included in the automatic network-name-services configuration improvement receives from the pre-established port network communications that contain;

network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution sent by the client workstation before such network-name-resolution requests are received by the NS; and

network addresses from the NS sent in response to network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution before such network addresses are received by the client workstation.

9. The automatic network-name-services configuration improvement of claim 1 wherein network communications received by the traffic-monitor module are copies of network communications obtained by promiscuously monitoring all network communications to inspect and collect pertinent data therefrom.

10. A network-infrastructure cache for providing proxy file caching for a client workstation requesting access to data stored in a file on a source file server;

the client workstation and the source file server being interconnected by a network via which client workstation may transmit network-file-services-protocol requests to the source file server, and via which the source file server transmits network-file-services-protocol responses to the client workstation;

the network-infrastructure cache comprising;

A. a network interface that connects to the network for providing a hardware and software interface to the network through which the network-infrastructure cache receives and responds to network-file-services-protocol requests from the client workstation for data for which the network-infrastructure cache provides proxy file caching;

B. a file-request service-module for receiving via said network interface network-file-services-protocol requests transmitted by the client workstation for data for which the network-infrastructure cache provides proxy file caching, and for transmitting to the client workstation via said network interface network-file-services-protocol responses to the network-file-services-protocol requests;

C. a cache from which said file-request service-module retrieves data that is included in the network-file-services-protocol responses that said file-request service-module transmits to the client workstation;

D. a file-request generation-module for transmitting to the source file server via said network interface network-file-services-protocol requests for data specified in network-file-services-protocol requests received by said file-request service-module that is missing from said cache, for receiving from the source file server network-file-services-protocol responses that include data missing from said cache, and for transmitting such missing data to said cache for storage therein;

E. a traffic-monitor module that receives, via the network, network communications which permits the traffic-monitor module to;

i. identify specific resources that the source file server shares, via the network, with the client workstation; and

ii. collect data about specific resources that are shared between client workstation/network resource pairs;

F. a DRS module that;

i. receives data collected by the traffic-monitor module;

ii. extracts from the collected data;

1) identities of the client workstation and the source file server that form each client workstation/network resource pair;

2) an order for client workstation/network resource pairs based upon a performance metric determined from data collected for each client workstation/network resource pair by the traffic-monitor module; and

3) a list of those;

A) source file servers for which the proxy file cache stores a copy of at least portions of files that are stored at the source file servers; and

B) based upon the performance metric determined for each client workstation/network resource pair, client workstation for which the proxy file cache is assigned to respond to network-file-services-protocol requests for access to the file;

G. a NRF module that;

i. receives from the DRS module the list extracted by the DRS module from data collected by the traffic-monitor module;

ii. receives network-name-resolution requests sent by the client workstation for network-name resolution before the NS receives the network-name-resolution request; and

iii. when enabled by data present in the list, responds to network-name-resolution requests for network-name resolution by sending to the client workstation, via the network, network addresses.

11. The network-infrastructure cache of claim 10 wherein said network interface is included in a network router that interconnects two networks.

12. The network-infrastructure cache of claim 10 wherein said network interface is included in a network hub that interconnects two networks.

13. The network-infrastructure cache of claim 10 wherein said cache includes a memory cache.

14. The network-infrastructure cache of claim 13 wherein said cache includes a disk cache.

15. The network-infrastructure cache of claim 10 further comprising:

H. a Performance-Monitor Module for keeping various statistics that record performance of the network-infrastructure cache; and

I. an Administration-and-Control Module for accepting and responding to communications specifying an operating configuration for the network-infrastructure cache.

16. The network-infrastructure cache of claim 15 further comprising:

J. a Name-Declaration Module for informing a NS that the network-infrastructure cache is to provide proxy file caching for the source file server.

17. The network-infrastructure cache of claim 15 further comprising:

J. a Name-Declaration Module for advertising to client workstations on the network that the network-infrastructure cache is to provide proxy file caching for the source file server.