METHOD OF COMBINING ARCHITECTURALLY DISSIMILAR COMPUTING NETWORKS INTO A SINGLE LOGICAL NETWORK

• Main Authors: SANDICK; HALDON J, KRAMER; DIRK K, DINKIN; JOEL E, HARTER; JOHNATHAN L, HENDERSON; JULIE M, LERNER; MICHAEL A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.06.1993
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; PHYSICS; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

A method and arrangement for searching for a resource across two architecturally dissimilar computing networks which are connected by one or more interface nodes. An interface node is divided into a first section associated with a first network and a second section associated with a second network. In response to a resource search request arriving at one of the sections of the interface node from either the first or second network with which the section is associated, a directory of resources known by the respective section of the interface node is first searched. If the resource is not found in the directory of the section, the search request is translated into a format compatible with the other network, and the translated search request is transmitted to the section of the interface node associated with the other network. If the resource is not found among the resources known to the interface node, the resources known by the end nodes served by the interface node in the first network are next searched. If the resource is not found within these end nodes, the resources known by each of the remaining network and end nodes in the first network are next searched. If the resource is still not found, a search of the nodes of the second network is initiated.