Method and apparatus for managing and facilitating communications in a distributed hetergeneous network

What is claimed:

1. A method of communicating between communications managers of a distributed heterogeneous network, each communications manager being connected to a respective plurality of privileged and non-privileged end users, comprising:

transferring information distribution units from an origin non-privileged end user to a corresponding communications manager, each information distribution unit including a first priority designation and indicia of a destination non-privileged end user;

transferring system management distribution units from a privileged end user to said corresponding communications manager, each system management distribution unit including a second priority designation greater than or equal to said first priority designation and indicia of a destination privileged end user;

for each of said information and system management distribution units, determining respective adjacent communications managers along at least one path between respective origin privileged or non-privileged end users and respective destination privileged or non-privileged end users;

configuring each of said information and system management distribution units according to a convention of network protocol stacks between said corresponding communications manager and said respective adjacent communications managers, at least two of said network protocol stacks capable of being different from one another; and

transmitting said information and system management distribution units to said respective adjacent communications managers according to priority designations included in said information and system management distribution units.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step comprises transmitting said system management distribution units before said information distribution units.

3. The method of claim wherein said indicia of said destination privileged end user includes indicia of a destination communications manager connected to said destination privileged end user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said indicia of said destination privileged end user is in mnemonic form.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said indicia of said destination privileged end user is in character form.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said indicia of said destination privileged end user is in numeric form.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining within each respective adjacent communications manager whether said indicia of said destination communications manager is indicative of said respective adjacent communications manager;

if so, transferring said distribution unit to said destination end user connected to said adjacent communications manager; and

if not,

determining within said adjacent communications manager a next adjacent communications manager along a path between said origin end user and said destination end user,

configuring each said distribution unit according to a convention of a network protocol stack between said adjacent communications manager and said next adjacent communications manager, and

transmitting said distribution units to said next adjacent communications manager according to priority designations included in said distribution units.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said indicia of said destination non-privileged end user includes indicia of a destination communications manager connected to said destination non-privileged end user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining within each respective adjacent communications manager whether said indicia of said destination communications manager is indicative of said respective adjacent communications manager;

if so, transferring said distribution unit to said destination end user connected to said adjacent communications manager; and

if not,

determining within said adjacent communications manager a next adjacent communications manager along a path between said origin end user and said destination end user,

configuring each said distribution unit according to a convention of a network protocol stack between said adjacent communications manager and said next adjacent communications manager, and

transmitting said distribution units to said next adjacent communications manager.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, within each said respective adjacent communications manager, whether said destination end user is connected to said adjacent communications manager;

if so, transferring said distribution unit to said destination end user connected to said adjacent communications manager; and

if not, determining within said adjacent communications manager a next adjacent communications manager along a path between said origin end user and said destination end user, configuring each said distribution unit according to conventions of a network protocol stack between said adjacent communications manager and said next adjacent communications manager, and transmitting said distribution unit to said next adjacent communications manager.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing management information related to each communications manager in a respective management information base;

modifying said management information base with information contained in a relevant system management distribution unit; and

preventing modification of said management information base by information contained within said information distribution units.

12. A method of communicating between communications managers of a distributed heterogeneous network, each communications manager being connected to a respective plurality of privileged and non-privileged end users, comprising;

transferring information distribution units from an origin non-privileged end user to a corresponding communications manager, each said information distribution unit including a first priority designation and indicia of a destination non-privileged end user;

transferring system management distribution units from a privileged end user to said corresponding communications manager, each said system management distribution unit including a second priority designation greater than or equal to said first priority designation and indicia of a destination privileged end user;

segmenting each said information and system management distribution unit into information packets, each information packet including said indicia of a respective destination privileged or non-privileged end user and including said priority designation;

for each of said information packets, determining respective adjacent communications managers along at least one path between respective origin privileged or non-privileged end users and respective destination privileged or non-privileged end users;

configuring each of said information packets according to conventions of network protocol stacks between said corresponding communications manager and each said respective adjacent communications managers, at least two of said network protocol stacks capable of being different from one another; and

transmitting said information packets to said respective adjacent communications managers according to said priority designations included in said information packets.

13. The method of claim 12, said segmenting step comprising:

dividing each said distribution unit into segments of a length determined according to said conventions of said network protocol stack.

14. The method of claim 12, said segmenting step comprising:

providing an order indication in each information packet indicative of an order of said information packet within said distribution unit being segmented.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

assembling, within destination communications managers connected to said destination end users, said information packets into said distribution units according to order indications included in each information packet.

16. A method of communicating between communications managers of a distributed heterogeneous network, each communications manager being connected to a respective plurality of privileged and non-privileged end users, comprising:

transferring information distribution units from an origin non-privileged end user to a corresponding origin communications manager, each said information distribution unit including a first priority designation and indicia of a destination communications manager to which a destination non-privileged end user is connected;

transferring system management distribution units from a privileged end user to said corresponding origin communications manager, each said system management distribution unit including a second priority designation greater than or equal to said first priority designation and indicia of a destination communications manager to which a destination privileged end user is connected;

for each of said information and system management distribution units, determining respective adjacent communications managers along at least one path between said origin communications manager and said destination communications managers;

configuring each of said information and system management distribution units according to conventions of network protocol stacks between said corresponding origin communications manager and each said respective adjacent communications managers, at least two of said network protocol stacks capable of being different from one another; and

transmitting said information and system management distribution units to said respective adjacent communications managers according to said priority designations.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining within each respective adjacent communications manager whether said indicia of said destination communications manager is indicative of said respective adjacent communications manager;

if so, transferring said distribution unit to said destination end user connected to said adjacent communications manager; and

if not,

determining within said adjacent communications manager a next adjacent communications manager along a path between said origin communications manager and said destination communications manager,

configuring each said distribution unit according to conventions of a network protocol stack between said adjacent communications manager and said next adjacent communications manager, and

transmitting said distribution units to said next adjacent communications manager.

18. An apparatus for use in a distributed heterogeneous communications network for communicating between communications managers of the network, each communications manager being connected to a respective plurality of privileged and non-privileged end users, comprising:

a first interface for transferring information distribution units from an origin non-privileged end user to an origin communications manager connected to said non-privileged end user, each information distribution unit including a first priority designation and indicia of a destination non-privileged end user;

a second interface for transferring system management distribution units from a privileged end user to said origin communications manager connected to said privileged end user, each system management distribution unit including a second priority designation greater than or equal to said first priority designation and indicia of a destination privileged end user;

means, within said origin communications manager, for determining, for each of said information and system management distribution units, respective adjacent communications managers along communications paths between respective origin privileged or non-privileged end users and respective destination privileged or non-privileged end users;

network protocol stack interface means for configuring each of said information and system management distribution units according to conventions of network protocol stacks between said origin communications manager and said respective adjacent communications managers, at least two of said network protocol stacks capable of being different from one another; and

means for transmitting said information and system management distribution units from said origin communications manager to said respective adjacent communications managers in accordance with said conventions of said network protocol stacks and in accordance with priority designations included in said information and system management distribution units.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said indicia of said destination end user includes indicia of a destination communications manager connected to said destination end user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means, within each respective adjacent communications manager responsive to an indication that said destination communications manager is the same as said respective adjacent communications manger, for transferring said distribution unit to said destination end user connected to said adjacent communications manager; and

means, within each respective adjacent communications manager and responsive to an indication that said destination communications manager is not the same as said respective adjacent communications manager, for determining respective next adjacent communications managers along communications paths between said origin end user and said destination end users, for configuring each said distribution unit according to conventions of network protocol stacks between said adjacent communications manager and said respective next adjacent communications manager, and for transmitting said distribution units from said adjacent communications manager to said respective next adjacent communications manager according to said conventions of said network protocol stacks and according to priority designations included in said distribution units.

Description Submit all comments and votes

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing and facilitating communications in a distributed heterogeneous network.

Information system planners are faced with a wealth of new technology including powerful processes at every level of the system. Such processes include, for example, desktop systems, main frame systems, cooperative processing, graphical user interfaces, distributed data bases and so-called "open" operating systems, which are just a few of the technological advances that promise to propel computing even more fully into the daily activities of people in organizations. The proliferation of communication networks to connect these processes over the past several years has increased the potential for users of the information systems to share information.

Such computer networking resulted in gains in productivity and efficiency, and networked computer systems provide access to a vast information repository. Every major hardware and software vendor in the world has created networked platforms and applications. With such proliferation, connecting these disparate communication networks and operating platforms so that they can cooperate and interoperate to allow information in physically separate networks to be integrated seamlessly has been a problem.

Corporations are moving rapidly toward implementing large scale strategic computing systems that integrate all components of an enterprise. These complex computer systems will be based on networks capable of supporting large numbers of personal computers, file servers, and multiple links to disparate main frame systems. Data and processing will be distributed throughout the network in cooperative processing applications. In addition, such distributive cooperative processing will allow enterprises to keep pace with rapid technological change while protecting past investment in information structure. Enterprise connectivity, transparent seamless data transfer, and increased transaction processing are just some of the growing requirements facing modern enterprises.

In conjunction with the increased demand for distributed environments, there has been an increase in on-line transaction processing. With the advent of high performance hardware and improved operating systems, on-line, mission critical applications are being developed and implemented outside of the main frame environment. It has been projected by the Vertical Systems Group that local area network originated messages across Wide Area Network Systems will increase in size 690% (21K to 145K) by 1994 with a corresponding 30% reduction in transport time (1.5 seconds to 1.05 seconds).

In addition to these factors, there is an increasing requirement for interoperability among various vendor hardware platforms and across unlike networks. The desire for vendor independence without the associated costs (both in development and productivity), is driving the support of open systems and common communication interfaces.

In a traditional environment, applications are forced to perform the activities that are not only germane to the business needs, but also to the communications network needs. If an application were viewed as a column with the user interface at the top of the column, the interface development at the bottom of the column becomes a customization process specific to the communications network environment. This customization inhibits the movement of the application to other environments, and it limits change to the communications network or operating environment without impact to the application. Typically, this impact is two-fold, first the cost of the application rewrite, and second, the cost of supporting two applications performing the same tasks during cut-over. For a single platform change in a reasonably-sized environment, hundreds of applications may be affected, significantly impacting development and computing resources.

In order to avoid such customization of application, it would be desirable to have a standard communications network interface independent of the different types of communications networks used in the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the above-noted problems by providing an enterprise-wide virtual communications network with seamless access to applications across multiple communication networks. The present invention normalizes the application interface to the communications network, thus relieving the application of performing network-type services, allowing the application developer to concentrate on the business need and contributing to making the application portable across multiple environments which utilize the standard interface.

The present invention can be made to work with all major communications network architectures worldwide. With the present invention, the benefits of standard application interfaces, application portability, and virtual communication networks, can be applied on a global basis, across any number of disparate systems and architectures with end-to-end network management capability being provided, independent of the underlying networks.

The present invention normalizes application interaction with communications channels through a simplified three-verb interface: SEND, RECEIVE and STATUS. This allows applications to interact with a single communications interface, regardless of the number of underlying communications networks that exist. In addition, selectable levels of assurance and selectable levels of message priority are provided.

Also according to the present invention, virtual addresses for computing complexes can be created, and these virtual addresses can then be resolved to a physical address by an intermediate network node. This provides a simple, yet effective enterprise-wide scheme for resource management from within each complex. The present invention also provides priority queuing, message correlation, message segmentation and message reassembly.

These features, and others that will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description, provide several distinct benefits. First, the interface to applications is normalized across all environments. The application is not required to compensate for the existing network services, but instead only needs to interact with the SEND, RECEIVE and STATUS primitives. The primitives offer parameters for functional customization of the individual communications managers dependent upon the user needs, but this does not disrupt the applications in any way.

In addition, the present invention provides seamless, cross-system access to any user application on the network, and an end user application is no longer required to know where data and applications reside. The protocol interface function of the present invention handles the multi-system access specifics.

Further, because of the ability of the present invention to work across the major communications networks existing worldwide, it can be ported to any number of platforms, regardless of their individual communication traits. This portability of the present invention allows the benefits of the present invention to be applied to a system or systems of any size.

More particularly, the present invention includes a method and apparatus for communicating between communications managers of a distributed heterogeneous network. Within the network, at least one of the communications managers operates on an operating platform which is different from the operating platforms of other communications managers in the heterogeneous network.

To each communications manager are connected a number of end users including privileged end users and non-privileged end users. The privileged end users typically perform system management functions and communicate through the heterogeneous network by use of system management distribution units, whereas non-privileged end users typically transfer information or data distribution units between one another.

When sending distribution units, an origin end user transfers the distribution unit to an origin communications manager along with a priority designation for the distribution unit and an indication of the destination end user that is to receive the distribution unit. The priority designations available to privileged end users for application to distribution units include all of those available to non-privileged end users and additional designations of higher priority.

For each distribution unit, the communications manager determines an adjacent communications manager along a communication path within the heterogeneous network from the origin end user to the destination end user. After determining the adjacent communications manager, the distribution unit is configured according to the conventions of a network protocol stack existing between the two communications managers.

The distribution units are then transmitted from the origin communications manager to the adjacent communications manager with system management distribution units typically being transmitted before any data or information distribution units.

Within the adjacent communications manager, it is determined whether the destination end user is connected to the adjacent communications manager. This can be performed by comparing the identity of the destination communications manager with the identity of the adjacent communications manager.

If it is determined that the destination end user is connected to the adjacent communications manager, the distribution unit is forwarded to that destination end user. If, on the other hand, it is determined that the destination communications manager is not the adjacent communications manager, the adjacent communications manager determines a next adjacent communications manager along the path to the destination end user, and configures the distribution unit according to the conventions of a network protocol stack existing between the adjacent communications manager and the next adjacent communications manager. This procedure is repeated until the distribution unit arrives at the end user.

Within each communications manager there exists a management information base which includes system management information including, for example, tables used to assess the identity of adjacent communications managers, indicators of local resource usage, and the like. The management information base of each communications manager can only be modified by privileged end users either locally or through system management distribution units transmitted from remotely located privileged end users.

The present invention also contemplates load distribution among information processors that share common functions, for example, data base searching functions. Thus, the information processors which are distributed throughout the heterogeneous network can be collected into subsets or complexes of information processors when the information processors within a complex perform common functions. Each complex is assigned a load distribution record and is also assigned a virtual communications manager address.

Then, an origin end user which desires to use the functions common to the processors in a complex need only indicate the address of the virtual communications manager in distribution units being transmitted. Then, within one of the chain of communications managers between the origin information processor and the information processor which ultimately will perform the task, the virtual communications manager address is translated into an actual communications manager address by use of the information in a load distribution record corresponding to the complex of processors. Each load distribution record can be adjusted to reconfigure the distribution of processing load among processors in a complex. In addition, processors within a complex can themselves be grouped into subcomplexes, each with virtual communications manager addresses. In other words, a virtual communications manager address can either be resolved into an actual communications manager address, or into another virtual communications manager address.

The pacing of communications between adjacent communications managers is also contemplated by the present invention. To pace communications, pacing requests are formulated in a prior adjacent communications manager and appended to information packets being transmitted to a next adjacent communications manager. Those pacing requests typically include a request to increase the amount of information that can be transferred from the prior adjacent to next adjacent communications manager.

The prior adjacent communications manager then configures the information packet and pacing request in accordance with a convention of a network protocol stack existing between the prior adjacent and next adjacent communications managers. Pacing requests typically call for the increase in information flow from prior adjacent to next adjacent communications manager. The information packets with pacing requests are then transmitted from the prior adjacent to the next adjacent communications manager, and the next adjacent communications manager determines whether the request to increase transmission should be honored, or whether transmission should be reduced, based on availability of local resources. A pacing response is then formulated and configured according to the conventions of the network protocol stack existing between the next adjacent and prior adjacent communications manager, and the pacing response is transferred from next to prior adjacent communications manager over the network protocol stack.

If local resources are particularly scarce, the pacing response can indicate that the next adjacent communications manager refuses all communication from the prior adjacent communications manager, with the exception of the highest priority system management communications. In addition, since a particular communications manager can have a number of adjacent communications manager, a communications manager can apply different pacing restrictions on different adjacent communications managers, typically as a function of intensity of use of local resources by the adjacent communications managers.

The detailed features and functions of the present invention will be more clearly understood by those skilled in the art with reference to the drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a distributed heterogeneous network embodying the communications manager of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary configuration of vendor specific hardware and software embodying the communications manager of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a more detailed exemplary configuration of hardware and software embodying the communications manager of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the flexibility of the present invention to allow applications to communicate over various network transport services.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the layering of the communications manager environment according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the major functions of the communications manager of the present invention connecting end users to one another.

FIG. 7 is a more detailed schematic representation of the functions of the communications manager of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is yet another detailed schematic representation of the functions of the communications manager of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is the data flow through multiple communications managers according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is the data flow control from adjacent communications manager to adjacent communications manager in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows the resource management of the communications manager/network layer of the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows asynchronous traffic flow from one end user to another according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows synchronous traffic flow from one end user to another for a query according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 shows synchronous traffic flow from one end user to another for a reply according to the present invention.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate CM to CM protocol flow according to the present invention.

FIGS. 16A and 16B show query-reply and query-relay/query-reply correlation flow according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an example of a Load Distribution Record (LDR) according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is the format of a communications manager Interchange Unit (CMIU) according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram of the CMIU component field introducer according to the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of the CMIU element subfield introducer according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram of the CMIU fields and subfields according to the present invention.

FIGS. 22, 23 and 24 are diagrams of the CMIU Formats 1, 2 and 3 in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a diagram of the CMIU prefix component as used in the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a diagram of the CMIU transmission services component as used in the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a diagram of the CMIU control component as used in the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a diagram of the CMIU environment component as used in the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a diagram of the CMIU distribution component as used in the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a diagram of the CMIU response component as used in the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a diagram of a Systems Management Distribution Unit (SMDU) component field introducer according to the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a diagram of another SMDU component field introducer according to the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a diagram of a SMDU element subfield introducer according to the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a diagram of another SMDU element subfield introducer according to the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a diagram of SMDU fields and subfields according to the present invention.

FIG. 36 illustrates the cooperation of local and remote communications managers.

FIG. 37 illustrates category 1 data exchange.

FIG. 38 illustrates category 2 data exchange.

FIG. 39 illustrates category 3 data exchange.

FIG. 40 illustrates category 4 data exchange.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A. DEFINITIONS

ACF/NCP--IBM's Advanced Communications Facility/Network Control Program

API--Application Program Interface

APPC--IBM's Advanced Program-to-Program Communications

AS--Application Services

CM--Communications Manager. An application level entity which manages the common Network Protocol Stack resource on behalf of the other applications in the invention. Communications between applications residing in separate physical systems are co-managed by the Communications Manager counterparts residing in the individual systems.

CM#--Communications Manager Number. A unique number assigned to each Communications Manager by which it is known by all other Communications Managers.

CMAPI--Communications Manager Applications Program Interface. The command boundary between the application and the Communications Manager.

CMIU--Communications Manager Interchange Unit. An envelope which the Communications Manager appends to a distribution or distribution segment.

DIA--IBM's Document Interchange Architecture

DU--Distribution Unit. Data which the End User has passed to the Communications Manager for delivery to a counterpart End User.

EU--End User. An applications program using the Communications Manager in order to communicate with a counterpart End User.

EU#--End User Number. A number assigned to each End User within the network.

GTID--Global Terminal ID

HLH--Host Link Handler

INET--Integrated Network

IRD--Intermediate Routing and Distribution Node

IWS--Intelligent Workstation

LAN--Local Area Network

LCN--Local Computer Network

LDR--Load Distribution Record

LU--Logical Unit within IBM's SNA

MIB--Management Information Base. CM operational data base containing routing information, CM local data elements and CM activity status.

MPIF--IBM's Multiprocessor Interconnect Facility

MVS--IBM's Multiple Virtual Storage

NPH--Network Protocol Header

NPS--Network Protocol Stack. Any set of network transport services which facilitates the ability of applications to communicate with other applications.

NPT--Network Protocol Trailer

PSAPI--Protocol Stack Applications Program Interface. The underlying transport mechanism interface utilized in Communications Manager network transfers.

SMAP--Systems Management Applications Program. The most significant privileged End User to be invoked in support of Communications Manager Management Command type functions. The SMAP is the single focal point through which to coordinate the management of the Communications Manager "Virtual Network" environment and resources.

SMAPI--Systems Management Applications Program Interface

SMDU--Systems Management Distribution Unit. A distribution which flows between partner SMAPs, and which is made up of a series of self-defining fields that may themselves be broken into self-defining sub-fields.

SNA--IBM's Systems Network Architecture

SSCP--System Services Control Point within IBM's SNA

TCP/IP--Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

TCU--Terminal Control Unit

TPF--IBM's Transaction Processing Facility

WANS--Wide Area Network Services

B. DESCRIPTION

1. Introduction

FIG. 1 illustrates, without reference to specific vendor products, a configuration of the Communications Manager of the present invention. It illustrates the Communications Manager as a connection facility for connecting any computing device to any other computing device on a peer-to-peer basis. FIG. 1 also illustrates that this connection can be carried over various communications networks. The only restriction to these connections being that two computing devices that are immediately adjacent, using the Communications Manager of the present "invention to communicate with each other, are required to use the same underlying network.

Referring to FIG. 1, host computers 101 using Communications Managers 102 communicate directly with other host computers 101 over an unspecified Local Computer Network 103. Host computers 101 using Communications Managers 104 communicate directly with each other and with computers with a Unix derivative operating system 106, personal computers 107, mini computers 108, and an unspecified computing device 109, each with their own Communi