Providing access to a resource for a computer from within a restricted network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9973577-B2
Application number	US-201414279350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 28, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and machine readable storage media that cause a storage computer and a client computer to perform a method of providing access to one or more resources on the storage computer for the client computer. The storage computer is operable for initiation of a network connection between the client computer and the storage computer. Initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the storage computer is enabled, and initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer is disabled. The client computer and the storage computer are operable for maintaining the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for providing access to one or more resources on a storage computer for a client computer, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method comprising:
receiving a description of needed resources at the storage computer, wherein said receiving is via a connection oriented protocol network connection to the client computer, wherein the receiving is performed on a periodic basis and the client computer is configured to disable initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer;
determining, by the storage computer, whether the storage computer has one or more resources matching the description of the needed resources;
initiating, by the storage computer, the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer;
providing access to one or more resources matching the description of the needed resources to the client computer via the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer,
wherein the storage computer is operable for initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer, wherein a first initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the storage computer is enabled, and wherein an alternate second initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer is disabled; and
maintaining the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer, by sending data packets between the client computer and the storage computer on a regular basis via the network connection, wherein the data packets may selectively be idle or selectively contain the description of the needed resources.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises preparing the description of the needed resources by software operating on the client computer.

3. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises downloading the description of the needed resources to the storage computer from the client computer via the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer.

4. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer is made using a connection oriented protocol, wherein providing the description of needed resources to the storage computer is performed on a periodic basis.

5. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the client computer is configured to disable initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer.

6. The computer program product according to claim 1 , wherein the client computer is within a restricted network, wherein the storage computer is outside the restricted network, wherein the restricted network is configured to disable initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer.

7. A system comprising:
a client computer; and
a storage computer, wherein the storage computer has one or more resources needed by a client computer, wherein initiation of a connection oriented protocol network connection to the client computer, wherein the receiving is performed on a periodic basis and the client computer is configured to disable initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer, wherein the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the storage computer is enabled, and wherein an alternate initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer is disabled;
the storage computer including a processor operable for:
receiving, at the storage computer, a description of the needed resources, wherein said receiving is via the network connection to the client computer;
determining, by the storage computer, whether the storage computer has one or more resources matching the description of the needed resources;
initiating, by the storage computer, the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer;
providing, to the client computer, access to one or more resources matching the description of the needed resources via the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer; and
maintaining the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer, by sending data packets between the client computer and the storage computer on a regular basis via the network connection, wherein the data packets may selectively be idle or selectively contain the description of the needed resources.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is further operable for preparing the description of the needed resources by software operating on the client computer.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is further operable for downloading the description of the needed resources to the storage computer from the client computer via the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer.

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer is made using a connection oriented protocol, and wherein providing the description of needed resources to the storage computer is performed on a periodic basis.

11. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the client computer is configured to disable initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer.

12. The system according to claim 7 , further comprising a restricted network, wherein the client computer is within the restricted network and the storage computer is outside the restricted network, wherein the restricted network is configured to disable initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer.

13. A computer implemented method for providing access to one or more resources on a storage computer for a client computer, the method comprising:
receiving, at the storage computer, a description of needed resources, wherein said receiving is via a connection oriented protocol network connection to the client computer, wherein the receiving is performed on a periodic basis and the client computer is configured to disable initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the client computer;
determining, by the storage computer, whether the storage computer has one or more resources matching the description of the needed resources;
initiating, by the storage computer, the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer;
providing, to the client computer, access to one or more resources matching the description of the needed resources via the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer,
wherein the storage computer is operable for initiation of a network connection between the client computer and the storage computer, wherein a first initiation of the network connection between the client computer and the storage computer by the storage computer is enabled, and wherein an alternate second initiation of the

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Barc Jakub
• Barczyk Filip
• Grochowski Marek
• Sawina Grzegorz

Classifications

• H04L67/1097 Primary

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title