System and method for performing version negotiation of a network protocol and associated interfaces

A system configured to efficiently perform version negotiation of a network protocol, the system comprising:

• a plurality of nodes;
• a highest network protocol version number of a first node of the plurality of nodes;
• a highest network protocol version number of a second node of the plurality of nodes, the highest network protocol version number less than the highest network protocol version number of the first node;
• and
• a session layer of each node configured to create a session between the first node and the second node, the session layer configured to negotiate a highest network protocol version number common to both the first and second node with a create session exchange by using contents of protocol tag and version fields of headers associated with request and response messages exchanged between the nodes.

A method for efficiently performing version negotiation of a network protocol, the method comprising:

• transmitting, by a first node of a pair of nodes, a highest protocol version number of the first node to a second node of the pair of nodes;
• receiving, by the second node, the highest protocol version number of the first node transmitting, by the second node to the first node, a highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node that is less than the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• creating a session between session layers of the first node and the second node;
• performing protocol versioning negotiation of session layer operations;
• and
• performing interface versioning negotiation of additional interface protocols independent of performing session protocol versioning to thereby allow separately-versioned interface protocols in addition to an underlying set of session layer operations.

Apparatus configured to efficiently perform version negotiation of a network protocol, the apparatus comprising:

• means for transmitting, by a first node of a pair of nodes, a highest protocol version number of the first node to a second node of the pair of nodes;
• means for receiving, by the second node, the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• means for transmitting, by the second node to the first node, a highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node that is less than the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• means for negotiating a version of the network protocol using a create session exchange between the nodes;
• and
• means for creating a session between the first node and the second node using the highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node.

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions when executed by a computer for efficiently performing version negotiation of a network protocol, the executable instructions comprising one or more program instructions for:

• transmitting, by a first node of a pair of nodes, a highest protocol version number of the first node to a second node of the pair of nodes;
• receiving, by the second node, the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• transmitting, by the second node to the first node, a highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node that is less than the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• negotiating a version of the network protocol using a create session exchange between the nodes;
• and
• creating a session between the first node and the second node using the highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node.

A method comprising:

• transmitting, by a first node of a pair of nodes, a highest protocol version number of the first node to a second node of the pair of nodes;
• receiving, by the second node, the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• transmitting, by the second node to the first node, a highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node, the highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node less than the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• receiving, by the first node, the highest acceptable protocol version of the second node;
• transmitting, by the first node to the second node, a highest acceptable protocol version number of the first node, the highest acceptable protocol version number of the first node less than the highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node;
• and
• creating a session between the first node and the second node using the highest acceptable protocol version number of the of the first node.

A method comprising:

• (a) transmitting, by a first node of a pair of nodes, a highest protocol version number of the first node to a second node of the pair of nodes;
• (b) receiving, by the second node, the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• (c) transmitting, by the second node to the first node, a highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node, the highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node less than the highest protocol version number of the first node;
• (d) receiving, by the first node, the highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node;
• (e) transmitting, by the first node to the second node, a next highest acceptable protocol version number of the first node, the next highest acceptable protocol version number of the first node less than the most recent acceptable protocol version number transmitted by the second node;
• (f) receiving, by the second node, the next highest acceptable protocol version number of the first node;
• (g) transmitting, by the second node to the first node, a next highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node, the next highest acceptable protocol version number less than the most recent acceptable protocol version number transmitted by the first node;
• (h) receiving, by the first node, the next highest acceptable protocol version number of the second node;
• repeating (e) through (h) until a highest acceptable protocol version number common to the first and second node is determined;
• and
• in response to determining the highest acceptable protocol version number common to the first and second node, creating a session between the first node and the second node using the highest acceptable protocol version number common the first and second node.

A method:

• transmitting, by a node, a highest protocol version number of the node;
• receiving, by the node, a proposed protocol version number, the proposed protocol version number less than the highest protocol version number of the node;
• determining if the proposed protocol version number is acceptable to the node;
• and
• in response to determining that the proposed protocol version number is acceptable to the node, accepting the proposed protocol version number for a communication session.

A method comprising:

• sending a first message from a first node to a second node, a header of the first message containing a first proposed protocol version number, the first proposed protocol version number a highest protocol version number of the first node;
• sending a second message to the first node from the second node, a header of the second message containing a second proposed protocol version number, the second proposed protocol version number less than the first proposed protocol version number;
• determining if the second proposed protocol version number is acceptable by the first node;
• and
• in response to determining that the second proposed protocol version number is acceptable by the first node, sending a message from the first node to the second node, the message with a header, the header of the message without a protocol version number.

A system comprising:

• a first node;
• a second node;
• one or more messages, the one or more messages configured to exchange information between the first and second nodes;
• headers of the one or more messages, the headers comprising proposed protocol version numbers for establishing a session between the first and second nodes;
• and
• a highest protocol version number common to both the first node and the second node, the highest protocol version number common to both the first and second node determined by the proposed protocol version numbers in the headers of the one or more messages.