Creating a geographic database for network devices

Details Creating a geographic database for network devices Creating a geographic database for network devices

2000-06-09

2004-08-17

Cangialosi, Salvatore (Department: 2661)

Multiplex communications

Pathfinding or routing

C370S248000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06778524

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the creation of a database that identifies geographic locations of devices connected to a network, such as devices communicating over the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet is a decentralized global network of millions computers. Each computer connected to the Internet is independent and may be capable of operating as a host computer (host) that primarily provides data over the Internet or a client computer (client) that primarily receives data over the Internet. A host computer may receive a data request from any other computer on the Internet and respond to the request by transmitting any of various types of data, such as hypertext markup language (HTML) code, back to the client. A client computer may send data requests to various hosts on the Internet and then download data in response. Typically, host computers are used by information providers for various commercial, educational, or governmental purposes and are dedicated host computers (servers or Web servers).
Ordinarily, the client computers are used by individuals to connect to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or, more generically, a network service provider (NSP). ISPs are companies that provide access to the Internet, typically for a fee. For example, a client computer may establish a dial-in connection to an ISP over an ordinary telephone line. ISPs are also called IAPs (Internet Access Providers).
Each host and client on the Internet is identified by a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address which is a series of numbers, such as 24.130.64.154. Because the IP address, in its numeric form, is difficult to memorize and use, a domain name may be assigned to a host and, therefore, associated with the numeric IP address. For example, a server having an address of 24.130.64.154 may be associated with domain name server.npeponis.com. It is noted that multiple IP addresses may be associated with the same domain name and, similarly, many domain names may be associated with the same IP address or addresses. A domain name server (DNS) performs the task of converting the domain names to IP addresses. Most frequently, separate domain names are not permanently assigned to individual clients but, rather, blocks of IP addresses are assigned to the ISPs that serve those clients.
FIG. 1
illustrates a client
101
communicating with a server
103
. In the instant example, the client
101
first connects to its local ISP
105
(e.g., using a modem via a dial-in connection). For purposes of the current connection only, ISP
105
assigns one of its IP addresses to client
101
. Upon completion of this connection, client
101
may begin communicating over the Internet. For example, the client
101
may send a request for file main.html to the server
103
having the domain name server.npeponis.com. Such a request might be initiated, for example, by the user typing http.//server.npeponis.com/main.html in the address field of a web browser running on client computer
101
and then pressing the “Enter” key. Alternatively, such a request might be initiated by the user simply clicking on a graphic, image or text item that serves as a hyperlink to that address. In response, the browser sends out one or more data packets (or datagrams) addressed to IP address 24.130.64.154 (possibly, after having obtained that IP address from a DNS), with such data packets including a request to retrieve file main.html.
Communication between two entities on the Internet is conducted in accordance with certain protocols. The most commonly used protocols are the Internet Protocol (IP), which is a connectionless-mode communications protocol, and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which is a connection-oriented protocol. In accordance with TCP/IP, messages are divided into smaller packets. Each such packet includes, in addition to the destination address and data corresponding to at least a portion of the message, an IP address identifying the source of the packet and various other fields necessary for communication in accordance with TCP/IP and other established protocols. Some of these other protocols and fields are described below. As noted above, the IP address for a client computer connecting through an ISP typically is dynamically assigned by the ISP each time the client computer connects to the ISP and then reassigned after the client using it logs off.
Upon receipt of request
102
, the server
103
typically first initiates handshaking communications to establish a TCP connection and then responds to the request by sending to the client one or more data packets that together contain the contents of the file main.html. In this manner, communications can occur between two nodes on the Internet, with TCP/IP specifying the protocols for separating each message into data packets, routing the packets between the two nodes, reassembling the packets at the destination, and verifying that each message was properly received.
Another commonly used protocol is the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) format. The HTTP format is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web on the Internet and defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, as well as what actions Web servers and browsers take in response to various commands.
On the Internet, most data packets, including requests and responses, need to go through several routers before they reach their final destination. Each forwarding of a packet to the next router is termed a “hop”. A router (or gateway) is a device that connects one network to another. Each router includes a dynamically updated routing table that is used by the router to identify the next router to which any given packet should be forwarded. Specifically, the receiving router attempts to identify the router that is most likely to be closest (geographically and/or in terms of number of hops) to the packet's ultimate destination.
In the example of
FIG. 1
, client
101
sends a request
102
to server
103
. The request is delivered to the server
103
via routers
105
,
107
,
109
,
111
,
113
, and
115
. As indicated by the ellipsis
117
, the request may go through other routers as well. In other words, the request may make many hops before reaching the intended server
103
. As noted above, the precise path taken by request
102
will be determined by the individual routers along the way. In the event that a receiving router determines that it is unable to forward a packet closer to its final destination, it will send a message to that effect back to the router from which it received the packet. Then, that router will attempt to route the packet through a different router, adjust its routing table accordingly, and send a message to the router from which it received the packet. Such a situation might be temporary (e.g., in the case where a router is temporarily inoperable) or permanent (e.g., where a router has been permanently taken off line). Other communications, such as periodically broadcasting a router's entire routing table, also occur among the routers on the Internet, permitting them to coordinate their routing activities. Propagation of changes in the network topology through the various routers in the network can permit communications to occur fairly reliably, even in the presence of constantly changing network conditions. Among the tools commonly used are the Routing Information Protocol (RIP) and the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP).
Irrespective of the route through which the request
102
is made or the number of hops taken by the request
102
, the preferred end result is the receipt of the request
102
by the host
103
and the response by server
103
sending the requested data file via the Internet. Like the request, the data file is divided among appropriately sized (e.g., using conventional algorithms to identify an appropriate size) data packets and may travel through several routers to arrive at the client
101
. Generally, the route taken by the response
104
will be th

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