公开(公告)号：EP0618708A3

公开(公告)日：1998-06-24

申请号：EP94480016

申请日：1994-02-22

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： BOYLES RAY WILLIAM ,  GIERLACH MICHAEL FRANCIS ,  GOPAL PRABANDHAM MADAN ,  SULTAN ROBERT ,  VACEK GARY MICHAEL

IPC: G06F13/00 ,  H04L29/06 ,  H04L29/08

CPC classification number: H04L29/06 ,  H04L67/10 ,  H04L67/16

Abstract: A computer network in which resources are dynamically located through the use of LOCATE requests includes multiple cache server nodes, network nodes which have an additional obligation to build and maintain large caches of directory entries. Cache server nodes play a key role in the LOCATE process and can prevent redundant network-wide broadcasts of LOCATE requests. Where an origin cache server node receives a request from a served node, the cache server node searches its local directories first, then forwards the request to alternate cache server nodes if necessary. If the necessary information isn't found locally or in alternate cache server nodes, the LOCATE request is then broadcast to all network nodes in the network. If the broadcast results are negative, the request is forwarded to selected gateway nodes to permit the search to continue in adjacent networks.