U.S. patent application number 10/733055 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-30 for computer product and system for establishing network connections.
This patent application is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Challener, David C., Mastrianni, Steven J., Parker, Joseph R., Ray, Ratan, Van Doom, Leendert P..
Application Number | 20050144287 10/733055 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34700384 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050144287 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Challener, David C. ; et
al. |
June 30, 2005 |
Computer product and system for establishing network
connections
Abstract
A computer readable medium and computer system for repairing a
failed network connection between a client system and a network is
disclosed. In a first aspect, the method preferably includes
collecting real time connectivity information by the client system
and utilizing the real time connectivity information by the client
system to establish a connection with the network. In a second
aspect, a computer system coupled to a network includes at least
one network adapter for monitoring and collecting real time
connectivity information from the network, memory for storing the
real time connectivity information, and a processor coupled to the
memory and to the at least one network adapter, where the processor
is configured to execute program instructions for utilizing the
real time connectivity information to repair a failed network
connection between the computer system and the network.
Inventors: |
Challener, David C.;
(Raleigh, NC) ; Mastrianni, Steven J.;
(Unionville, CT) ; Parker, Joseph R.;
(Hillsborough, NC) ; Ray, Ratan; (Durham, NC)
; Van Doom, Leendert P.; (Valhalla, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SAWYER LAW GROUP LLP
PO BOX 51418
PALO ALTO
CA
94303
US
|
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation
Armonk
NY
|
Family ID: |
34700384 |
Appl. No.: |
10/733055 |
Filed: |
December 11, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/227 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 69/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/227 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for
establishing a connection between a client system and a network,
the program instructions for: (a) collecting real time connectivity
information by the client system; and (b) utilizing the real time
connectivity information by the client system to establish a
connection with the network.
2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising: (c)
utilizing data from a local persistent knowledgebase to establish a
connection to the network.
3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising: (d)
utilizing data from a server based database to establish a
connection to the network.
4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the collecting
instruction (a) further includes: (a1) monitoring and collecting
network traffic in real time; (a2) assigning a weight to the real
time network traffic based on popularity; and (a3) creating a
weighted list from the weighted real time network traffic.
5. The computer readable medium of claim 4 further comprising the
instruction for: (c) storing the weighted list in the client
system.
6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the local
persistent knowledgebase is stored in the client system.
7. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising: (c)
utilizing a set of local rules to establish a connection to the
network.
8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the utilizing
instruction (b) includes: (b1) detecting a failed connection; (b2)
determining a cause of the failed connection by the client system;
(b3) generating a solution based on the cause and the real time
connectivity information; and (b4) implementing the solution.
9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the determining
instruction (b2) includes: (b2i) analyzing at least one error
message associated with the failed connection; and (b2ii) auditing
a plurality of communication devices in the client to determine
which of the plurality of communication devices is a potential
candidate for connectivity.
10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the generating
instruction (b3) includes: (b3i) analyzing the real time
connectivity information to determine a range of IP addresses
assigned by a DHCP server; (b3ii) generating a plurality of IP
addresses within the range; (b3iii) selecting one of the plurality
of IP addresses and determining whether it is in use; and (b3iv)
assigning the one IP address to the client system if the one IP
address is not in use.
11. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein the utilizing
instruction (b) includes: (b5) repeating step (b3) for a next
solution if the implementation of a previous solution is
unsuccessful.
12. A computer system coupled to a network comprising: at least one
network adapter for monitoring and collecting real time
connectivity information from the network; memory for storing the
real time connectivity information; and a processor coupled to the
memory and to the at least one network adapter, wherein the
processor is configured to execute program instructions for
utilizing the real time connectivity information to repair a failed
network connection between the computer system and the network.
13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the program
instructions further comprises assigning a weight to the real time
connectivity information based on popularity and creating a
weighted list from the weighted real time connectivity
information.
14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor is
configured to invoke an inference engine for determining a cause of
a failed connection between the computer system and the network and
for generating a solution based on the cause utilizing the real
time connectivity information.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to computer network systems
and in particular to a computer product and system for establishing
a network connection between a client system and the network.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] The subject matter of this application is related to two (2)
U.S. patent application numbers ______ and ______ filed Dec. 11,
2003 as attorney docket numbers RPS920030249US1 and
RPS920030250US1, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Despite advances in hardware and software technology,
computer users frequently encounter situations in which they cannot
establish a connection to a service provider or network. What is
meant by establishing a connection in the context of the present
application is either creating a first connection to a network or
repairing a connection to a network. Repairing a connection to a
network can be the result of an improperly installed or configured
software program or device driver, or the device being used to
attempt the connection may simply be disabled. In the case of a
wired connection, the problem may be caused by a defective
interconnect cable, or in the case of a wireless connection, a bad
transmitter or antenna connection. In addition to such defects,
other problems in the network can prevent the user from getting
connected. For example, in the case of an Ethernet network, the
failure of the network's Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or
DHCP server, can prevent the user from getting connected to the
network.
[0004] Because the majority of these problems are not communicated
to the user, the user cannot determine the cause, and sees the
problem as simply "no connection." Moreover, even if the user was
able to determine the source of the problem, e.g., through an error
message generated by the system, he or she would most likely not
know how to resolve the problem.
[0005] Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for
determining the cause of a connectivity problem and repairing the
connection. The system and method should be automatic and
transparent to the user. The present invention addresses such a
need.
[0006] A method, computer readable medium and computer system for
establishing a network connection between a client system and a
network is disclosed. In a first aspect, the method preferably
includes collecting real time connectivity information by the
client system and utilizing the real time connectivity information
by the client system to establish a connection with the network. In
a second aspect, a computer system coupled to a network includes at
least one network adapter for monitoring and collecting real time
connectivity information from the network, memory for storing the
real time connectivity information, and a processor coupled to the
memory and to the at least one network adapter, where the processor
is configured to execute program instructions for utilizing the
real time connectivity information to repair a failed network
connection between the computer system and the network.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system configuration
for a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a client system according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a logical software block diagram of the
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process for
establishing a network connection according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] The present invention relates to computer network systems,
and in particular to a method and system for establishing a network
connection between a client system and the network. The following
description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art
to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a
patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to
the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features
described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the
art. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to
the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope
consistent with the principles and features described herein.
[0012] The preferred embodiment of the present invention determines
the cause of a connectivity problem and attempts to repair the
connection by applying changes to the operating software and/or
device configuration in an iterative fashion until a connection is
established. It determines the types of changes or repairs to make
by collecting information related to the network and to the status
of system components, and based in part on that information, begins
an iterative process of attempting to establish the connection. The
system and method according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention includes an inference engine that determines the
cause of the connection failure and the appropriate corrective
action based on information contained in several sources, including
but not limited to, a local persistent knowledgebase, a real time
network list, a set of local rules, and a server-resident database.
In a preferred embodiment, the system and method of the present
invention evaluates the conditions of a particular connection, and
by consulting one or more of the above listed sources, determines a
hierarchy of potential solutions and applies each potential
solution iteratively until a connection is established. The result
of each iterative attempt is monitored, and if unsuccessful, the
result, e.g., an error message, is used as feedback to the
inference engine.
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system configuration
for a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Preferably the
present invention is implemented on a client computer systems 100a
and/or 100b. As is shown, a first client computer system 100a is
coupled to a public network 120, such as the Internet. A second
client computer system 100b is coupled to a private network 110
such as a Local Area Network (LAN). The private network 110 is
coupled to the public network 120 via a gateway 103. Nonetheless,
those skilled in the art appreciate that a client system 100 (i.e.,
either client computer system 100a or client computer system 100b)
can be coupled to either a private or public network, and not
necessarily to both. The client computer system 100 can be mobile,
e.g., a laptop or handheld personal computer, or a stationary
desktop. A user uses the client computer system 100 to perform
information management tasks, including sending and receiving
electronic mail from a mail server 140 or from a company server
112, retrieving web pages from a web server 150, and sending and
receiving data files from a file server 130 or the company server
112. The client 100 includes an operating system and appropriate
hardware adapters such as a dial-up modem or wireless card, or a
network adapter such as Token Ring or Ethernet that allows
connection to a network 110, 120 through a cable modem, DSL modem,
hub, or switch.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the client computer system 200
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
client 200 includes a processor or central processing unit (CPU)
212 that is coupled to memory 214 (e.g., system, RAM, ROM), a
display device 216, input/output devices 218, and two network
adapters 219 and 219a for connecting the client 200 to the network
220, e.g., via a wired or wireless connection, respectively. In the
preferred embodiment, the network adapters, e.g., 219 and 219a, are
capable of monitoring and capturing network traffic in real time
using a wired or wireless method, as is well known in the art.
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a logical software block diagram of the
preferred embodiment of the present invention 300. As is shown, the
preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an inference
engine 302, a verify function 304 and a connection manager 306. The
inference engine 302 provides functionality for automatically
determining the cause of a failed connection and for generating a
hierarchy of solutions to repair the connection to the network
220.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the inference engine 302 analyzes
one or more error messages 316 generated by the client 200 relating
to the failed connection to assist it in determining the cause of
the connectivity failure. In addition, the inference engine 302
invokes the verify function 304, which audits each of the
communication devices to determine which, if any, can be potential
candidates for connectivity. Based on the information received from
the verify function 304 and on its analysis of the error messages
316, the inference engine 102 determines the cause of the
connectivity failure.
[0017] The inference engine 302 utilizes connectivity information
stored in the client computer system 200 to repair the connection
based on its diagnosis of the cause for failure. The connectivity
information includes a set of local rules or preferences 308, a
local persistent knowledgebase 310 a real time network list 314 and
optionally, a remote/server-resident knowledgebase. The local rules
308 indicate the client's 200 connection preferences. For example,
if the client 200 is capable of establishing a wired and wireless
connection, but prefers a wireless connection, the inference engine
302 will attempt to establish a wireless connection before other
modes of connectivity. The local persistent knowledgebase 310
includes static configuration information, e.g., parameters and
settings. The local persistent knowledgebase 310 can be downloaded
and/or updated from the remote/server-resident knowledgebase 312
stored on the company server 112 (FIG. 1).
[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the real time network list 314 is a weighted list that
includes connectivity information gathered by the network adapter
219 (FIG. 2). As stated above, the network adapter 219 monitors all
network traffic, not just the traffic directed toward the client
200, and collects certain connectivity information in real time.
Such information includes addresses of DHCP servers 114, DNS
servers 160 and gateways, addresses and names of SOCKS servers,
names and addresses of printers, IP addresses recently assigned by
the DHCP server 114, and other connectivity information. The list
314 is weighted such that the most popular, i.e. most utilized,
addresses appear highest on the list 314.
[0019] With the connectivity information, the inference engine 302
formulates a best solution, which is then passed to the connection
manager 306 and implemented, i.e., a network connection is
attempted using the solution. If the solution fails, such
information is transmitted back to the inference engine 302, e.g.,
via an error message 316, so that a new diagnosis of the connection
failure can be generated if necessary. This process repeats until a
connection is established.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process for
establishing a network connection according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1-4
together, the process begins at step 402, where connectivity
information is collected and stored in memory 214 (FIG. 2). This
step may include downloading or updating the static configuration
information from the remote/server-resident knowledgebase 312 in
the company server 112 for the local persistent knowledgebase 310,
and monitoring and collecting connectivity information from the
network 220 via the network adapter 219 for the real time network
list 314. In step 403, the connectivity information is utilized to
make a connection. In step 404, it is determined if a connection
failure is detected by the client 200.
[0021] If a connection error is determined then an error message is
transmitted and in step 406, the root cause of the connection
failure is determined. In a preferred embodiment, the inference
engine 302 is called automatically once a connection failure is
detected. In another embodiment, the user can invoke the inference
engine 302. In any event, once the inference engine 302 is called,
the inference engine 302 invokes the verify function 304. The
verify function 304 audits each communication device to determine
its status, e.g., functional or failed, thereby determining which
of them are potential candidates for connectivity. The results of
the audit are returned to the inference engine 302, which then
analyzes the results and the error message(s) 316 in order to
determine the root cause of the connection failure.
[0022] Once the root cause has been determined, the inference
engine 102 generates a best solution (in step 408) using the
connectivity information based on the root cause. For example, in
one case, the inference engine 302 monitors the range of IP
addresses that are assigned by a DHCP server 114. It then selects
an address in the range and instructs the connection manager 306 to
"ping" that address to determine if it is in use. If the address is
not in use, the inference engine 302 temporarily assigns the IP
address to the client 200 and sets up its network settings for that
connection. In another example, if the inference engine 302
determines that the root cause of a connection failure is due to a
missing field, e.g., an IP address for the DHCP server 114 or DNS
server 160, from the current discovered configuration, the
inference engine 302 will insert the appropriate IP address from
the real time network list 314, effectively "filling in the
blanks." Because the real time network list 314 is a weighted list,
the inference engine 302 applies the most frequently utilized IP
addresses, which are also those most likely to succeed.
[0023] In step 410, the connection manager 306 implements the best
solution. If the connection is unsuccessful (step 412), i.e., the
best solution fails, then that result is passed back to the
inference engine 302 which reexamines its diagnosis based, in part,
on the previous unsuccessful attempt and generates a next best
solution (step 414). The process ends when the connection is
successful or when all potential solutions have been exhausted.
[0024] In summary, the preferred embodiment of the present
invention automatically determines the root cause of a connection
failure and attempts to repair the connection without intervention
from a user. To do this, the inference engine 302 is invoked to
analyze one or more error messages 316 related to the connection
failure to determine the root cause of the failure. Once the cause
is determined, the inference engine 302 utilizes connectivity
information stored in the client 200 to repair the connection. The
connectivity information includes real time network information,
e.g., IP addresses of the DHCP servers and domain name servers,
collected by the client's network adapter 219. The real time
network information is stored in a weighted list 314, with the most
frequently assigned addresses at the top. By utilizing the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the client 200
seamlessly and transparently repairs a failed network
connection.
[0025] Although the present invention has been described in
accordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the
art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the
embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and
scope of the present invention. Accordingly, many modifications may
be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from
the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *