Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-23
2001-11-27
Maung, Zarni (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
C709S241000, C709S206000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324587
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention is that of sharing data messages and other data objects between different users on different machines over a wide area network, such as the Internet, wherein multiple copies of the data objects exist. Further, any modifications made to the data messages or data objects are propagated outward to each of the replicated copies. More specifically, the present invention deals with data replication over a store and forward protocol, such as Internet email messages according to the RFC 822 specification, that are entirely client-based and do not rely on a particular type of server or server protocol in order to implement data object replication between the different users.
2. Present State of the Art
One of the great benefits of network computing is the ability to share information between different users. While most network solutions allow a single file to be shared or accessed by various clients, a replication of files (or other data objects such as email messages, facsimiles, etc.) over the network allows copies of a file to reside at each client. Indeed, full data replication allows each user to have a copy of a particular data object that may be manipulated and edited at will or may simply be reviewed as a read-only data object. Naturally, it is beneficial, for those items that are edited or otherwise modified, to have such changes replicated to the other copies of the data objects so that all clients or users of the information will have the most current and up-to-date version of a particular data object.
One early example of such replication-based information sharing are Internet news groups that allow users to post and receive messages to a news server. A user will access and browse titles of various news articles found in a database managed by the news server and then download those which are selected. Further, if the user submits an article to be read by others, it will be “posted” to the news server that will in turn distribute the article to other news servers thereby making the article available to all clients by replicating the article to each and every news server. In order to benefit from such a system, each client must communicate with a news server through the particular news server protocol. Note that the actual replication of the news articles is done by the news servers rather than the clients that access the news servers.
Another example of a server-based replication scheme may be seen with many electronic mail (email) servers used as a component in a corporate communications solution. For example, a Microsoft Exchange email server supports the concept of “public” folders that replicate messages out among different individual users. Messages placed in a public folder will be forwarded automatically to others that have access to the public folder so that each user will then have a copy of the message. In this manner, one person may receive a message, copy it to the public folder, and all others will be able to receive the message in their respective Exchange inbox.
While automatic controls may omit the step of requiring a user to manually copy the message to the public folder, the common Exchange server is required in order to replicate the message to the different clients. Furthermore, each client must be an “Exchange” client so that it may communicate with the Exchange email server. Again, much of the actual replication mechanics are performed at the server rather than at the individual clients.
FIG. 1
logically illustrates the client/server model predominate in the prior art for replicating data objects between clients. A plurality of clients
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a
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e
are connected to a server
22
in order to communicate one with another. Each client
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a
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e
, for example, could be an Exchange client while the server
22
could be an Exchange email server. In this arrangement, all replication is handled by the server
22
and only those clients that can communicate or are compatible with the server
22
may take advantage of any form of replication service. This allows for homogeneous clients to replicate data messages or other data objects and have changes made to the messages automatically reflected to each and every client by the particular server through which they communicate. Again, the clients have no responsibility for the replication service.
A major disadvantage results from the prior art structure in that heterogeneous clients may not participate in replication since compatibility with the particular server performing the replication services is required. This means that an Exchange client could not share replicated email messages with a Novell Groupwise client. Further, even clients of the same type may not be able to share replicated data messages if connected to different servers unless the servers can replicate the messages between themselves.
What is needed is a way to provide client-to-client replication of data objects without regard to the specific mechanics of communication therebetween through servers, special transport layers, protocols with a particular server for replication functionality, etc. In other words, a common protocol may allow communication between the clients that can in turn be used for building a replication scheme controlled by the clients themselves that use the communications protocol solely for delivering messages between the different clients.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide data object sharing and change maintenance that is entirely client-based without the need of a specific type of server.
It is another object of the present invention to utilize a store and forward transport for communication so that clients of disparate system types and network connections may participate in a replicating data objects and change maintenance to those data objects.
It is a further object of one embodiment of the present invention to replicate folders of data objects from an originating publication client to one or more subscription clients.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein a method, computer program product, and data structure for publishing a data object over a store and forward transport is provided. The invention is entirely client-based in that a particular server is not required for performing the replication. The services of servers are only used for communication between the clients, typically under a store and forward arrangement using a standard protocol such as the Internet message protocol described in the RFC 822 specification that is widely implemented today.
The data object may be a file containing the current address, phone number, birthdates, etc. for a number of family members living throughout the country. The original publisher may be the grandparents and the subscribers could be each family where one parent is a child to the grandparents. As each family has a child, moves, or otherwise has reason to update the file, there is a need to send the file to the publisher for distribution to each of the subscribers.
Using the present invention, the publication client would be software running on a personal computer operated by the grandparents and each family would operate subscription client software on computers in their home. Each client would have an email address so that communication between the clients is accomplished using the store and forward transport inherent in Internet communications. A subscription client would submit, though email, the modified family information file to the publication client which would replace the p
Bliss William J.
Braun Kevin J.
Dozier David R.
Huber Eric N.
Krishnan Vilayanur Parameswaran
Maung Zarni
Microsoft Corporation
Workman & Nydegger & Seeley
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