US 7,444,409 B2Granted

System and method for determining a designated connection between components of computing devices

AssigneeResearch In Motion Limited

InventorBo Zou

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system and method for identifying a single, designated connection from one or more connections (e.g. TCP connections) that may have been established between two components for data communications. Each component is associated with a component identifier that is generated by an identifier generating algorithm adapted to ensure that component identifiers generated by the algorithm are orderable and substantially unique. For example, Universally Unique Identifiers may be generated for this purpose. Each component in the distributed system can be uniquely identified by its component identifier, and the component identifiers facilitate the identification of each component as either a controller or responder in a determination of whether a particular connection should be identified as the designated connection. In one embodiment, that particular connection is identified as the designated connection unless an earlier established connection exists that neither the first component nor the second component knows to be broken. In that case, the earlier established connection may be identified as the designated connection.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A system for determining a designated connection between a first component residing on a first computing device and a second component residing on a second computing device, each component capable of initiating the establishment of connections that facilitate data communication to the other, wherein the system comprises a first application and a second application associated with the first and second components respectively, and wherein the first and second applications are programmed to co-operate to perform the steps of:

a) generating a component identifier for each of the first and second components in accordance with an identifier generating algorithm;
b) identifying a current connection between the first and second components;
c) transmitting and receiving component identifiers between each of the first and second components to and from the other;
d) comparing a relative order position of the component identifiers for the first and second components to identify one of the first and second components as a controller and the other as a responder;
and
e) determining a designated connection between the first and second components, said step initiated by the component identified as the controller and comprising the substeps of
i) determining whether at least one connection other than the current connection exists between the first and second components that neither the first component nor the second component knows to be broken,
ii) if said at least one connection other than the current connection does not exist, identifying the current connection as the designated connection, and
iii) if said at least one connection other than the current connection exists, identifying a connection as the designated connection from a group that includes the current connection and the at least one connection other than the current connection;
wherein the identifier generating algorithm is adapted to ensure that component identifiers generated by the algorithm are orderable and substantially unique.

7 more elements

A method of determining a designated connection between a first component residing on a first computing device and a second component residing on a second computing device, each component capable of initiating the establishment of connections that facilitate data communication to the other, and wherein the method comprises the following steps performed at each of the first and second components:

a) generating a component identifier for the respective component in accordance with an identifier generating algorithm;
b) identifying a current connection between the respective component and the other of the first and second components;
c) transmitting the component identifier for the respective component to the other component, and receiving a component identifier for the other component from the other component;
d) performing a comparison based on a relative order position of the component identifiers for the respective component and the other component, to identify the respective component as one of a controller and a responder;
and
e) determining a designated connection between the respective component and the other component, said step initiated by the respective component if the respective component is identified as the controller and comprising the substeps of
i) determining whether at least one connection other than the current connection exists between the respective component and the other component that neither the respective component nor the other component knows to be broken,
ii) if said at least one connection other than the current connection does not exist, identifying the current connection as the designated connection, and
iii) if said at least one connection other than the current connection exists, identifying a connection as the designated connection from a group that includes the current connection and the at least one connection other than the current connection;
wherein the identifier generating algorithm is adapted to ensure that component identifiers generated by the algorithm are orderable and substantially unique.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/038,229Filed 21 Jan 2005
Published: US 2006/0168243 A127 Jul 2006
Granted: 28 Oct 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04L 69/16
Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass:…
H04L 67/14
Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications: session management
H04L 69/162
Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields: involving adaptations of sockets…
H04L
Digital communication