Patent Abstract:
A network server for communicating with a network client over a network comprising: a client configuration detector for detecting a configuration of the network client; a server configurator for changing the configuration of the network server; a comparator for determining if the configuration of the network client is compatible with the configuration of the network server; and a server communications component for connecting with the network client using a connection-oriented protocol, wherein the server communications component is operable to disconnect the network client responsive to said comparator.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to connection-oriented network connections between network clients and a network server. In particular it relates to disconnecting network clients with an incompatible client configuration when a server configuration is changed. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Network applications employ network protocols for communication between a network client and a network server. Network protocols can be classified into two main categories: connectionless protocols; and connection-oriented protocols. A connectionless protocol is an asynchronous protocol without a persistent connection between the network client and the network server. For example, a web browser client communicates with a web server using a connectionless protocol known as the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP). Using HTTP, the web browser client can make requests of the web server, such as a request for a particular web page. The web server receives each request as a distinct request which is independent of all other requests, and responds to each request independently. A connection exists between the web browser client and the web server for only as long as it takes to send a request and receive a response. Thus, there is no persistent connection between the web browser client and the web server for multiple requests and responses, and HTTP is therefore considered to be a connectionless protocol. 
   In contrast, a connection-oriented protocol provides a persistent connection for the transmission of data between a network client and a network server. Connection-oriented protocols also usually include facilities for error, sequence and flow control. Error control refers to a combination of error detection, correction and acknowledgement sufficient to compensate for any unreliability inherent to the network. Sequence control ensures that the network client and the network server are able to reconstruct data received over the network in the proper order in which they were intended to be received, and is essential in the transmission of large volumes of data. Flow control ensures that network clients and network servers do not overrun each other with too much data. An example of a connection-oriented protocol is the transmission control protocol (TCP) which provides these facilities. An application of TCP is video streaming over a network where a streaming video client can create a persistent connection with a streaming video server for the receipt of streaming video data using TCP. The TCP connection is used by the streaming video server to send large streams of video data for receipt by the streaming video client. Other applications of connection-oriented communications include mobile telephone connections to cellular base stations, digital set-top box connections to a digital television service provider and connections between network chat clients such as Lotus Sametime Connect (Lotus is a registered trade mark of International Business Machines Corp.) and AOL Instant Messenger (a registered trade mark of America Online Inc). 
   Connection-oriented protocols offer effective and reliable communication between network clients and network servers, and support applications requiring long lived connections or connections over which large quantities of data can be transferred A technique for creating a connection-oriented connection between a network client and a network server is outlined below. A network server will include a server configuration comprising one or more  server parameters. Similarly, a network client will include a client  configuration comprising one or more client parameters. For example, in a streaming video application, a streaming video server may include a server configuration with a video frame rate parameter corresponding to the frame rate of video data streamed from the server. Similarly, a streaming video client may include a client configuration with a maximum frame rate parameter corresponding to a maximum frame rate of video data the client is able to receive. A network client requests a new connection to a network server using the connection-oriented protocol. This can involve an initial message being sent from the network client to the network server with an indication that a new connection is requested. The network server responds to the initial message with a connection acceptance message, including details of the network server configuration. The network client receives the network server configuration and determines if the client configuration is compatible with the server configuration. For example, the server configuration may include a frame rate which exceeds a maximum frame rate of the client configuration, and the network server configuration is therefore incompatible with the network client configuration. If the client configuration is compatible with the server configuration, a connection is created between the network client and the network server. If the client configuration is not compatible with the server configuration, the network client may abandon the request to create a connection. 
   A server configuration can also be changed during a connection-oriented Network connection, and such a change can affect connected network clients. For example, one or more connected network clients may be incompatible with a new server configuration, such as a new value of a frame rate parameter of a streaming video server. When a server configuration is changed, the network server must determine a course of action for connected network clients. One technique for changing a server configuration involves disconnecting all connected network clients before the server configuration is changed. Network clients are then able to reconnect and determine if the client configuration is compatible with the new server configuration. This technique has the disadvantage that connected network clients which are compatible with a new server configuration are disconnected unnecessarily, and the quality of service provided by the network client is consequently reduced. An alternative technique for changing a server configuration involves only introducing a new server configuration for new connections. Existing connections continue to operate under the original server configuration (i.e. prior to a change to the configuration). This alternative technique has the advantage that existing connected network clients are not disconnected. However, this alternative technique has the disadvantage that the server must Support both an original server configuration for existing connected network clients, and a new server configuration for new network client connections. This can increase the processing requirements of the network server and reduce the performance of the network server. Furthermore, existing connected network clients which support the new server configuration continue to communicate with the server using the original server configuration. This is a particular disadvantage where the new server configuration offers advantages over the original configuration which are to the benefit of existing connected network clients (such as an increase in communications speed). 
   It would be desirable to provide a way to change a server configuration of a network server with connected network clients without disconnecting the connected network clients which are compatible with the changed server configuration, and without the need for the network server to support multiple server configurations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention accordingly provides, in a first aspect, a method for network communication by a network server over a network using a connection-oriented protocol with a network client, wherein the network server has a first server configuration and the network client has a client configuration, the method comprising the step of: detecting the network client configuration; replacing said first server configuration with a second Server configuration; responsive to a determination that the client configuration is incompatibles with the second server configuration, disconnecting the network client. 
   Thus, the network client is only disconnected from the network server if the client configuration is incompatible with the second server configuration. If the client configuration is compatible with the second server configuration the network connection between the network client and the network server persists using the second server configuration, In this way the server configuration can be changed (from the first server configuration to the second server configuration) without disconnecting the network client when the client configuration is compatible with the new server configuration, and without the need for the network server to support multiple server configuration. 
   The present invention accordingly provides, in a second aspect, a network server for communicating with a network client over a network comprising: a client configuration detector for detecting a configuration of the network client; a server configuration for changing the configuration of the network server; a comparator for determining if the configuration of the network client is compatible with the configuration of the network server; and a server communication component for connecting with the network client using a connection-oriented protocol, wherein the server communications component is operable to disconnect the network client responsive to said comparator. 
   The present invention accordingly provides, in a third aspect, a computer program product comprising computer program code stored on a computer readable storage medium which, when executed on a data processing system, instructs the data processing system to carry out the method as described above. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a network client connected to a network server using a connection-oriented protocol in the prior art; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a network client connected to a network server using a connection-oriented protocol in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a client computer system including a streaming video client connected to a server computer system including a streaming video server using the TCP connection-oriented protocol in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method of communication between a network client and a network server over a network in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a network client connected to a network server using a connection-oriented protocol in the prior art. Network client  102  is a hardware or software implementation of a client component of a network application. For example, the network client  102  is a streaming video network client intended to receive streaming video data. Alternatively, the network client  102  can be a mobile telephone or other wireless communications device, a digital set top box, a computer system including a network interface card (NIC) or any other network connected device. 
   The network client  102  includes a client communications component  104 . The client communications component  104  is a software or hardware component of the network client  102  which provides connection-oriented network connections between the network client  102  and other network devices. For example, the client communications component  104  is a TCP software library, or a software library providing a proprietary connection-oriented network protocol. Network client  102  further includes a client configuration  106 . The client configuration  106  is a set of client parameters specific to a particular network application of the network client  102 . For example, if the network client  102  is a streaming video network client, the client configuration  106  can include a maximum frame rate parameter corresponding to a maximum frame rate of video data which can be received by the network client  102 . Alternatively, the client configuration  106  can include parameters relating to data compression standards, data encryption standards, signal strength requirements, data communications speeds, data communications rates, media encoding standards such as audio or video encoding standards or any other parameter required by the network client  102 . Furthermore, the client configuration  106  can include parameters specific to a particular business application, such as financial details (including financial limits), authorisation details (such as access control lists) and business rules. The client configuration  106  is stored in a memory of the network client  102 , such as a volatile random access memory, a non-volatile memory or a disk storage device. 
   The network client  102  is connected to a network server  108  over a network connection  110 . The network server  108  is a hardware or software implementation of a server component of a network application. For example, the network server  108  is a streaming video network server for sending streaming video data. Alternatively, the network server  108  can be a mobile telephone or other wireless communications access point, a digital set top box service provider, a computer system including a network interface card (NIC) or any other network connected server device. The network connection  110  is a connection-oriented network connection between the client communications component  104  of the network client  102  and a server communications component  112  of the network server  108 . The network connection  110  is implemented using a connection-oriented network protocol. The network connection  110  can be a connection-oriented network connection which operates on a connectionless protocol, with connection-oriented services provided jointly by the client communications component  104  and the server communications component  112 . An example of a connection-oriented protocol used by network connection  110  is TCP. The server communications component  112  is a software or hardware component of the network server  108  which provides connection-oriented network connections between the network server  108  and other network devices. The network server  108  further includes a server configuration  114 . The server configuration  114  is a set of server parameters specific to a particular network application of the network server  108 . For example, if the network server  108  is a streaming video network server, the server configuration  114  can include a frame rate parameter corresponding to a frame rate of video data stream distributed by the network server  108 . Alternatively, the server configuration  114  can include any of the parameters described above with respect to the client configuration  106 . The server configuration  114  is stored in a memory of the network server  108 , such as a volatile random access memory, a non-volatile memory or a magnetic or non-magnetic storage device. The network server  108  further includes a server configurator  116  for changing the server configuration  114 . The server configurator  116  can be a hardware or software component of the network server  108 , such as a software application providing a user interface for a user to specify a new server configuration  114 . 
   In use, the network client  102  creates the network connection  110  to the network server  108  using a connection-oriented network protocol. The creation of the network connection  110  can involve the client communications component  104  sending an initialization message to the server communications component  112  requesting the creation of a new network connection. In response to the initialisation message, the server communications component  112  provides a response message to the client communications component  104  with details of the server configuration  114 . The client communications component  104  receives the details of the server configuration  114  and determines if the client configuration  106  is compatible with the server configuration  114 . If the client configuration  106  is compatible with the server configuration  114 , the network connection  110  is created between the network client  102  and the network server  108 . If the client configuration  106  is not compatible with the server configuration  114 , the network client  102  may abandon the request to create the network connection  110 . Subsequently, if the network connection  110  is successfully created, the network client  102  is able to send data to, and receive data from, the network server  108  over the network connection  110  using the connection-oriented protocol. Subsequently, when the server configurator  116  changes the server configuration  114 , the network client  102  is disconnected by the server communications component  112  which closes the network connection  110 . Subsequently, the network client  102  is able to attempt to re-create the network connection  110 . 
     FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a network client connected to a network server using a connection-oriented protocol in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Many elements of  FIG. 2  are identical to those described with respect to  FIG. 1  and these will not be further described here in the description of  FIG. 2 . The network server  208  of  FIG. 2  further includes a client configuration detector  218  which detects the client configuration  206  and generates a copy of the client configuration  220 . In the preferred embodiment, the client configuration detector  218  is a software module operable to communicate with the server communications component  212  using an application programming interface (API), such as a TCP API. Alternatively, the client configuration detector  218  can be a component of the server communications component  212 . The copy of the client configuration  220  is stored in a memory of the network server  208 , such as a volatile random access memory, a non-volatile memory or a magnetic or non-magnetic storage device. The copy of the client configuration  220  can be a complete copy of the client configuration  206 , or alternatively can be a partial copy of only relevant parameters of client configuration  206 . For example, if the network server  208  is a streaming video server, the client configuration detector  218  may only copy parameters of the client configuration  206  which pertain to streaming video. The network server  208  further includes a comparator  222  for comparing the copy of the client configuration  220  and the server configuration  214 . In the preferred embodiment the comparator  222  is a software module. The comparator  222  determines if the copy of the client configuration  220  is compatible with the server configuration  214 . The results of this determination made by the comparator  222  are used by the server communications component  212 . 
   In use, the network client  202  creates the network connection  210  to the network server  208  using the method of the prior art described with respect to  FIG. 1  above. On creation of the network connection  210 , the client configuration detector  218  detects the client configuration  206 . This detection can be achieved using an API, such as a TCP APL which requests that the server communications component  212  sends a network message to the client communications component  204  requesting details of the client configuration  206 . The client communications component  204  subsequently sends details of the client configuration  206  to the server communications component over the network connection  210 . Alternatively, the client configuration detector  218  can detect the client configuration  206  by requesting that the server communications component  212  sends “sampling” network messages to the client communications component  204 . A response received by the server communications component  212  from the client communications component  204  following these sampling network messages can be used by the client configuration detector  218  to determine the client configuration  206 . For example, if the client configuration  206  includes a parameter for a data transfer speed for messages sent by the client communications component  204 , the client configuration detector  218  can request that the server communications component  212  sends a sampling message to the client communications component  204 , and that the server communications component  212  determines the data transfer speed of a response message sent by the client communications component  204 . In this way, the client configuration detector  218  can determine the data transfer speed specified in the client configuration  206 . The client configuration detector  218  then creates a copy of the client configuration  220  in a memory of the network server. Subsequently, the server configurator  216  changes the server configuration  214 . For example, a value of a parameter in the server configuration  214  is changed to a new value. The comparator  222  then determines if the copy of the client configuration  220  is compatible with the changed server configuration  214 . Subsequently, the server communications component  212  disconnects the network client  202  only if the comparator  222  determines that the copy of the client configuration  220  is not compatible with the server configuration  214 . Thus, in this way, the network client  202  is only disconnected from the network server  208  if the client configuration  206  is incompatible with a changed server configuration  214 . 
   The preferred embodiment will now be described in use for a streaming video application with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 .  FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a client computer system including a streaming video client connected to a server computer system including a streaming video server using the TCP connection-oriented protocol in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The elements of  FIG. 3  are specific examples of the elements described with respect to  FIG. 2 . In particular,  FIG. 3  includes three client computer systems  302   a ,  302   b  and  302   c  connected to a server computer system  308  using a TCP network connection  310 . Each computer system includes a streaming video client  304 , and a maximum frame rate parameter  306 . The streaming video client  304  is a communications software module configured to receive a data stream of video data for use by a presentation module (not shown) for displaying the video data on a screen. The streaming video client  304  offers facilities for error, sequence and flow control to ensure the video data arrives without error and in a correct sequence. For example, the streaming video client  304  is Microsoft Media Player (Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation). The maximum frame rate parameter  306  is a parameter which is assigned a numeric value corresponding to a maximum frame rate of video data which the client computer systems  302  are capable of receiving and displaying. Thus, video data with a frame rate exceeding the maximum frame rate parameter  306   a  for computer system  302   a  is incompatible with computer system  302   a.    
   Server computer system  308  includes video data  324  which is recorded on a storage device of the server computer system, such as a fixed disk storage device. The video data  324  is encoded using a video encoding standard such as one of the Motion Picture Experts Group standards (MPEG) or QuickTime (MPEG is a registered trademark of the Motion Picture Experts Group, Inc and QuickTime is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc). The server computer system  308  further includes a streaming video server  312  which is a communications software module configured to send a data stream of the video data  324  for receipt by each of the client computers  302 . The streaming video server  312  offers facilities for error, sequence and flow control to ensure the video data  324  arrives without error and in a correct sequence. For example, the streaming video server  312  is the Unreal Media Server developed by the Unreal Streaming Technologies group. The server computer system  308  also includes a server frame rate parameter  314  which is assigned a numeric value corresponding to a frame rate of the video data  324 . The value of the server frame rate parameter  314  can be changed by the streaming video server configurator  316 . The server computer system  308  also includes a client frame rate detector  318  which detects the maximum frame rate  306  of each of the client computer systems  302  and stores the maximum frame rates in a memory of the server computer system  308  as a copy of the client frame rates  320 . For example, this detection can be achieved using an API, such as a TCP API, which requests that the streaming video server  312  sends a network message to the streaming video clients  304  requesting details of the client configurations  306 . The streaming video clients  304  subsequently send details of the client configurations  306  to the streaming video server  312  over the TCP network connection  310 . The copy of the client frame rates  320  is organised in a table data structure in the memory of the server computer system  308 , and each frame rate in the copy of the client frame rates  320  includes an indicator of which of the clients  302   a ,  302   b  or  302   c  the frame rate corresponds to. Alternatively, the copy of the client frame rates  320  can be stored in a file, a database or in any other data structure in the memory of the server computer system  308 . When the value of the server frame rate  314  is changed by the streaming video server configurator  316 , a comparator  322  determines if each of the frame rates in the copy of the client frame rates  320  is compatible with the server frame rate  314 . A client frame rate in the copy of the client frame rates  320  is considered incompatible if it has a numerical value which is lower than the server frame rate  314 . If the comparator  322  determines that a client frame rate in the copy of the client frame rates  320  is incompatible with the changed server frame rate  314 , the streaming video server  312  disconnects the client  302  corresponding to the incompatible frame rate. In this way, changes to the server frame rate  314  result in the disconnection of only those client computer systems  302  with a maximum frame rate parameter  306  which is incompatible with the changed server frame rate  314 . 
     FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method of communication between a network client and a network server over a network in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The method of  FIG. 4  will be explained with respect to the configuration of the client computer systems  302  and the server computer system  308  of  FIG. 3 . At step  402 , the client computer systems  302  connect to the server computer system  308  using a connection-oriented protocol such as TCP. These connections can be made using the method to create a connection in the prior art described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . At step  404 , the client frame rate detector  318  detects the maximum frame rate  306  of each of the clients  302  and generates a copy of the client frame rates  320  in the memory of the server computer system  308 . Subsequently, at step  406 , the streaming video server configurator  316  changes the value of the server frame rate  314  to a new value. At step  408  a loop is initiated through each client frame rate for each client computer system  302  in the copy of the client frame rates  320 . At step  410 , for each client frame rate for each client computer system  302  in the copy of the client frame rates  320 , a determination is made by the comparator  322  as to whether the client frame rate satisfies the new value of the server frame rate  314 . If the comparator  322  determines that the frame rate is not compatible with the new value of the server frame rate  314 , the streaming video server  312  disconnects the client computer system  302  corresponding to the incompatible frame rate at step  412 . Step  416  repeats the loop of step  408  until all frame rates in the copy of client frame rates  320  has been processed. In this way, changes to the server frame rate  314  result in the disconnection of only those client computer systems  302  with a maximum frame rate parameter  314  which is incompatible with the new value of the server frame rate  314 . Consequently, those client computer systems  302  with a maximum frame rate parameter  306  which is compatible with the new value of the server frame rate parameter  306  continue to be connected to the server computer system  308 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 7