Data communication coordination with sequence numbers

• US 9,071,661 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kruse, David, Mohamed, Ahmed, Raman, Balan Sethu
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US14/473,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20150026248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• 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 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/02 Protocol performance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Described are sequence numbers for client-server communication, to control a client'"'"'s use of server resources. A server grants the client credits, and the client consumes a credit for sending each command to the server. Each credit corresponds to a sequence number, with the set of sequence numbers forming a valid command window. The server enforces that for each received command, the command includes a sequence number that is within the valid command window and that the sequence number has not been used with another command. The server may also maintain a maximum window size, such that clients with credits cannot send a command with a sequence number that beyond a maximum sequence number. When incorporated into a data communication protocol, quality of service, combating denial of service, detection of message loss, division of server resources, secure message signing, and other numerous benefits result.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a server, a valid command window comprising at least one sequence number;

granting the client a maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits;

receiving, at the server, a file system command that consumes at least one server resource, the file system command including an associated first sequence number and an operation context value indicating that the file system command is a blocking operation;

determining whether the associated first sequence number is within the valid command window and whether the client has exceeded the maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits;

processing the file system command when it is determined that the associated sequence number is within the valid command window and the client has not exceeded the maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits; and

adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning data indicating the blocking operation'"'"'s progress; and

returning an identifier for the blocking operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number before the blocking operation is completed by the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the blocking operation comprises a long-running operation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising rejecting the file system command if the client has insufficient blocking operation credits.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising decrementing the blocking operation credits granted to the client upon processing the file system command.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising shrinking the valid command window upon determining that the client currently has too many blocking operations in progress.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second file system command with a second associated sequence number;

processing the second file system command;

further adjusting the valid command window only when such further adjusting will not cause the valid command window to exceed a maximum size.

9. A computer readable memory, comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

establishing, by a server, a valid command window comprising at least one sequence number;

granting the client a maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits;

receiving, at the server, a file system command that consumes at least one server resource, the file system command including an associated first sequence number and an operation context value indicating that the file system command is a blocking operation;

determining whether the associated first sequence number is within the valid command window and whether the client has exceeded the maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits;

processing the file system command when it is determined that the associated sequence number is within the valid command window and the client has not exceeded the maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits; and

adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 9, further comprising;

returning data indicating the blocking operation'"'"'s progress; and

returning an identifier for the blocking operation.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 10, wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number before the blocking operation is completed by the server.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 9, wherein the blocking operation comprises a long-running operation.

13. The computer readable memory of claim 9, the method further comprising rejecting the file system command if the client has insufficient blocking operation credits.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 9, the method further comprising decrementing the blocking operation credits granted to the client upon processing the file system command.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 9, the method further comprising shrinking the valid command window upon determining that the client currently has too many blocking operations in progress.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving a second file system command with a second associated sequence number;

processing the second file system command;

further adjusting the valid command window only when such further adjusting will not cause the valid command window to exceed a maximum size.

17. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a computer readable memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

establishing, by a server, a valid command window comprising at least one sequence number;

granting the client a maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits;

receiving, at the server, a file system command that consumes at least one server resource, the file system command including an associated first sequence number and an operation context value indicating that the file system command is a blocking operation;

determining whether the associated first sequence number is within the valid command window and whether the client has exceeded the maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits;

processing the file system command when it is determined that the associated sequence number is within the valid command window and the client has not exceeded the maximum number of one or more blocking operation credits; and

adjusting the valid command window to include an additional unused sequence number.

18. The system of claim 17, the method further comprising:

returning data indicating the blocking operation'"'"'s progress; and

returning an identifier for the blocking operation.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the valid command window to include the additional unused sequence number before the blocking operation is completed by the server.

20. The system of claim 17, the method further comprising:

receiving a second file system command with a second associated sequence number;

processing the second file system command;

further adjusting the valid command window only when such further adjusting will not cause the valid command window to exceed a maximum size.