Patent Application
20070073859
Peer-to-peer networking allows peers to communicate directly with each other without having to communicate through a central server. As such, many of the services provided by a central server are distributed to the nodes on the peer-to-peer network. This distribution of services has the advantage of ensuring that there is no single point of failure. At the same time, the authentication, categorization and rapid name discovery and resolution services commonly provided by a server may be lost.
By adding a server as a node on a peer-to-peer network, the network may become more scalable, more reliable and more manageable, especially when the peer-to-peer network becomes very large. The server may be a node on the network and may receive and store registration data in a memory. The server may also keep the registration data current in a manner that would not be taxing on the network, may authenticate users to ensure malicious nodes do not cause problems and may allow authenticated nodes to communicate with other authenticated nodes as well as forbid non-authenticated nodes from communicating with authenticated nodes. The server may also categorize the users of the peer-to-peer network, making searches for similar users more efficient.
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘_’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term by limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph.
The steps of the claimed method and apparatus are operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with the methods or apparatus of the claims include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
The steps of the claimed method and apparatus may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The methods and apparatus may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.
With reference to
Computer 110 typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 110 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can accessed by computer 110. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
The system memory 130 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 131 and random access memory (RAM) 132. A basic input/output system 133 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 110, such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 131. RAM 132 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 120. By way of example, and not limitation,
The computer 110 may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,
The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in
The computer 110 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 180. The remote computer 180 may be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 110, although only a memory storage device 181 has been illustrated in
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 110 is connected to the LAN 171 through a network interface or adapter 170. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 110 typically includes a modem 172 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 173, such as the Internet. The modem 172, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system bus 121 via the user input interface 160, or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 110, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not limitation,
In a peer-to-peer network 200, usually each node has to create, store and update a list of all or a subset of other nodes that are part of the network. This list may contain a name (or an encoding of a name, a numeric identifier, or some other unique representation for the node) for each node and an address which may be used to reach the node. Names and addresses can be obtained by a node broadcasting its name and address or by a node inquiring of other nodes on the network for name and address information. The process to obtain and maintain a list of peer names can take up bandwidth on the peer-to-peer network 200, particularly because the active nodes and their addresses are dynamic. Further, when each node only maintains a list of a subset of other nodes, requests to find another node may have to rotate through a significant number of nodes until the desired node is located.
At block 320, a method is established to translate the peer name registration data and/or protocol 260 to a first format. For example, some people on the peer-to-peer network 200 may use the DNS host name format to identify other nodes in the peer-to-peer network and use the DNS protocol to query for addresses corresponding to DNS host names; others with more modern systems may use Peer Name Resolution Protocol (“PNRP”) name format and protocol to respectively identify hosts and retrieve their addresses. In a first embodiment, the method may be established through the designation of a well-known server (for example, a DNS server with responsibility for a well-known domain name). In a second embodiment, the method may be established through translation services provided by an arbitrary collection of hosts (for example, by all hosts participating in the PNRP protocol). It should be noted that the translation provided by the established method may not actually require an actual change in protocol or format; for example, the translation might map data received from one authoritative domain into data transmitted to a second authoritative domain without specifically changing the protocol or format of that data.
At block 330, the method may allow nodes using name registration data and/or protocols in the first format to access the registration data and/or protocol 260. For example (and in illustration of the aforementioned second embodiment), Greg Brady may work on the computer in the attic and may be on the peer-to-peer network 200 (
As an illustration of the aforementioned first embodiment, a server (such as server 250 from
One of the possible differences of having a server as part of the peer-to-peer 200 network may be that obtaining registration data 260 may be better controlled. Instead of having multiple nodes requesting and announcing registration data 260, a single node may take on this role.
At block 400, the node, which may be a server node, may query nodes in the peer-to-peer network 200 for registration data 260. The query may be dependent of the format of the peer-to-peer network. Methods of querying or obtaining addresses are well known and do not affect the invention herein described.
At block 410, the querying may be performed in a periodic basis. For example, the node may determine to query for addresses every thirty seconds. By periodically querying, network performance may be more predictable (because the queries are issued on a regular basis, independently of the data access queries actually received by the server which may arrive in an unpredictable manner) and the node storing the addresses may have more up-to-date registration data 260 on a consistent basis in the long run, on average.
At block 420, the method may monitor the traffic in the peer-to-peer network 200 and query the nodes during periods of lower network traffic. For example, the node may observe the network to determine an average of network activity. During periods when network traffic is below the average, the node may query for registration information. In this manner, the traffic on the peer-to-peer network 200 may be more smooth and predictable as address queries may not be sent during times of high network traffic.
At block 430, the node may answer queries from additional nodes for peer name registration data 260. Instead of having to individually collect registration data 260, the other nodes on the peer-to-peer network 200 may know to query the node, which may be a server. The registration data 260 may be mirrored and stored in a second memory.
As a result of adding a server 250 to a peer-to-peer network, the network may be more scalable as nodes do not have to take such great care in tracking network overhead such as ensuring that network addresses are valid. The server 250 can take care of this overhead. In addition, it may be easier to find peers on the peer network 200 performing the same activity. For example, the server 250 may categorize the peers by activity and Greg Brady could easily find other musicians that are attempting to start a rock and roll band, if such a category existed. The time required to find matching nodes may be greatly reduced. Finally, projects that require enormous computing power such as mapping the human genome may be able to manage the vast number of nodes that would be required to perform such operations.
Although the forgoing text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the scope of the patent is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment because describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
Thus, many modifications and variations may be made in the techniques and structures described and illustrated herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present claims. Accordingly, it should be understood that the methods and apparatus described herein are illustrative only and are not limiting upon the scope of the claims.
