Granted Patent B1

US 7,181,506 · App. 09/921,521 · Granted Feb 20, 2007

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

broadcasting a request over the network by a requesting peer for a task with respect to a remote non-local backend server;

receiving a response to the request containing a local alias URL, the local alias URL pointing to a local upload directory for a vendor HTTP service server residing on a responding server node, where the vendor HTTP service server uploads files from the local upload directory to the remote non-local backend server;

forwarding the task to the local alias URL for performance of the task by the responding server node;

verifying a digital signature of any receipt packet received from the responding server node to ensure that the receipt packet is from the remote non-local backend server; and

awaiting a maximum upload receipt time period for receiving the receipt packet;

wherein the maximum upload receipt time period is set based on a frequency of which an uploading service at the responding server node performs an upload, a size of a file being uploaded, and a transmission speed;

wherein the server node is placed in a black list of the requesting peer if said verifying is unsuccessful;

wherein, after said receiving, a message is broadcasted indicating that the requesting peer has located the responding server node;

wherein the task is an uploading task and wherein said forwarding the task to the local alias URL includes forwarding a file to be uploaded to the remote non-local backend server, and uniquely identifying the forwarded file.

2. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1 , further comprising placing the server node in the black list of the requesting peer if a receipt packet fails to arrive within said maximum upload receipt time period.

3. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1 , wherein the digitally signed response is signed by a 1024-bit VeriSign digital certificate.

4. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1 , wherein the method reduces a number of service clients that have to obtain files via the Internet.

5. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1 , wherein the task includes updating security files.

6. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 5 , wherein the security files include firewall files and anti-virus application files.

7. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1 , wherein the packet includes the following format: <service type=“X” version=“X” ID=“X” method=“X” href=http://X acceptprotoco=“X”/>.

8. A method for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 1 , wherein the files each include an XML file.

9. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

computer code of a requesting peer that broadcasts a request over the network for a task with respect to a remote non-local backend server;

computer code that receives a response to the request, the response containing a local alias URL, the local alias URL pointing to a local upload directory for a vendor HTTP service server residing on a responding server node, where the vendor HTTP service server unloads files from the local upload directory to the remote non-local backend server;

computer code that forwards the task to the local alias URL for performance of the task by the responding server node; and

computer code that verifies a digital signature of any receipt packet received from the responding server node to ensure that the receipt packet is from the remote non-local backend server;

computer code that awaits a maximum upload receipt time period for receiving the receipt packet; and

a computer readable medium that stores said computer codes;

wherein the maximum upload receipt time period is set based on a frequency of which an uploading service at the responding server node performs an upload, a size of a file being uploaded, and a transmission speed;

wherein the server node is placed in a black list of the requesting peer if said verifying is unsuccessful;

wherein, after said receiving, a message is broadcasted indicating that the requesting peer has located the responding server node;

wherein the task is an uploading task and wherein said forwarding the task to the local alias URL includes forwarding a file to be uploaded to the remote non-local backend server, and uniquely identifying the forwarded file.

10. A computer program product for securely confining performance of task by a peer of claim 9 , further comprising computer code that places the server node in the black list of the requesting peer if a receipt packet fails to arrive within said maximum upload receipt time period.

11. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 9 , wherein the digitally signed response is signed by a 1024-bit VeriSign digital certificate.

12. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 9 , wherein the packet includes the following format: <service type=“X” version=“X” ID=“X” method=“X” href=http://X acceptprotoco=“X”/>.

13. A computer program product for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 9 , wherein the files each include an XML file.

14. A system for securely confirming performance of task by a peer in a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

means for broadcasting a request over the network by a requesting peer for a task with respect to a remote non-local backend server;

means for receiving a response to the request containing a local alias URL, the local alias URL pointing to a local upload directory for a vendor HTTP service server residing on a responding server node, where the vendor HTTP service server uploads files from the local upload directory to the remote non-local backend server;

means for forwarding the task to the local alias URL for performance of the task by the responding server node;

means for verifying a digital signature of any receipt packet received from the responding server node to ensure that the receipt packet is from the remote non-local backend server; and

means for awaiting a maximum upload receipt time period for receiving the receipt packet;

wherein the maximum upload receipt time period is set based on a frequency of which an uploading service at the responding server node performs an upload, a size of a file being uploaded, and a transmission speed;

wherein the server node is placed in a black list of the requesting peer if said verifying is unsuccessful;

wherein, after said receiving, a message is broadcasted indicating that the requesting peer has located the responding server node;

wherein the task is an uploading task and wherein said forwarding the task to the local alias URL includes forwarding a file to be uploaded to the remote non-local backend server, and uniquely identifying the forwarded file.

15. A system for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 14 , wherein the packet includes the following format: <service type=“X” version=“X” ID=“X” method=“X” href=http://X acceptprotoco=“X”/>.

16. A system for securely confirming performance of task by a peer of claim 14 , wherein the files each include an XML file.

Assignments (7)