Multi-system network addressing

Claim 2

Amethod of operating a distributed data processing system providing information services for a subscriber telephone system, the processing system including a plurality of host systems having processors (58) and storage units (64,66) containing storage locations, at least two of the host systems being located at different physical sites, the method including the steps of: (a) assigning to each subscriber at least one logical domain corresponding to selected storage locations, the or each logical domain being independent of any specific storage unit; (b) storing at least one translation table identifying domains for input addresses; and (c) identifying an address location for each of the input addresses by determining the addressed domain and then determining the addressed location within the addressed domain.

Claim 3

Amethod of addressing in a distributed data processing system having storage units and processors, comprising the steps of: (a) defining domains of storage locations in the storage units without requiring any physical relationship between the domains and the storage units containing the storage locations; (b) storing at least one translation table to identify the domains for input addresses; and (c) identifying an address location for each of the input addresses by determining an addressed domain and then the addressed location within the addressed domain.

Claim 4

Amethod of addressing in a distributed data processing system having storage units and processors, comprising the steps of: (a) defining domains of storage locations in the storage units without requiring any physical relationship between the domains and the storage units containing the storage locations; (b) storing at least one translation table to identify the domains for input addresses; and (c) identifying an address location for each of the input addresses by determining an addressed domain and then the addressed location within the addressed domain.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage locations include application accounts and the distributed data processing system provides information services to subscribers using at least two computer systems separated by at least 100 meters and connected by a telephone switching system.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the storage is formed of host systems each including at least one of the storage units and at least one of the processors, and wherein said defining in step (a) comprises the step of (al) storing an address table for each logical domain included in the domains in at least one of the storage units accessible to all of the processors, the address table defining physical locations of the storage locations within the logical domain, such that each of the storage locations is defined as located on one of the host systems and more than one of the host systems may provide the storage locations within the logical domain.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 4, wherein said storing in step (al) includes storing a range of the address locations having a scope of at least one and a host identifier for each entry in the address table, and wherein said defining in step (a) further comprises the step of (a2) copying the address table for each of the domains to all of the host systems.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising the step of (b) receiving the input addresses to identify the storage locations to be accessed, wherein said storing in step (d) comprises the step of storing in at least one of the storage units entries in an alias table providing one of the at least one translation table for the logical domain included in the domains, each entry in the alias table defining a one-to-one correspondence between a range of address codes and a range of address locations in one of the domains, the ranges of address codes and address locations each having a scope of at least one, and wherein said identifying in step (c) comprises the steps of: (cl) comparing the input addresses with the address codes in the alias table for the logical domain; and (c2) identifying the addressed locations as one of the storage locations having a one-to-one correspondence with a selected address code in the range of address codes in one of the entries of the alias table if the selected address code matches one of the input addresses.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising the step of (d) receiving the input addresses to identify the storage locations to be accessed, wherein said storing in step (b) comprises the step of storing, in at least one of the storage units, entries in a gateway table providing one of the at least one translation table for the logical domain included in the domains, each entry defining a relationship between characteristics of the input addresses and one of the domains, and wherein said identifying in step (c) comprises the steps of: (cl) comparing the input addresses with each entry in the gateway table; and (c2) identifying the address location as within an addressed domain in one of the entries in the gateway table for each of the input addresses having a match with the characteristics in the one of the entries.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 7, wherein said storing in step (b) comprises the step of (bl) storing prefixes of the input addresses as one of the characteristics, and wherein said identifying in step (c) identifies the addressed location as within the addressed domain if one of the prefixes matches an initial part of one of the input addresses.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 8, wherein said storing in step (b) further comprises the step of (b2) storing a number of digits as another of the characteristics, and wherein said identifying in step (c2) identifies the addressed location as within the addressed domain if the number of digits in the one of the entries equals the number of digits in one of the input addresses and none other of the entries provide a closer match to the one of the input addresses.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 9, wherein each of the entries in the gateway table includes space for both the prefixes and the number of digits, and wherein said comparing in step (cl) compares each of the input addresses with both the prefixes and the number of digits in the entries for the entries having both and with only one of the prefixes and the number digits for the entries otherwise.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 7, wherein said storing in step (b) comprises the step of storing a number of digits as one of the characteristics, and wherein said identifying in step (c2) identifies the address location as within the addressed domain if the number of digits in the one of the entries equals the number of digits in one of the input addresses and none other of the entries provide a closer match to the one of the input addresses.

Claim 14

Amethod of operating a distributed data processing system providing information services for subscriber telephone system, the processing system including a plurality of host systems having processors and storage units containing storage locations, with at least one kilometre separating at least two of the host systems, said method comprising the steps of: (a) assigning at least one domain to each of the subscribers, each domain having a unique name within the telephone system; (b) storing for each of the domains:- (bl) an address table having entries, each entry containing an identifier of one of the host systems, a first range of the storage locations provided by the one of the host systems and a second range of addresses within the domain of the address table, corresponding to the range of the storage locations, the first and second ranges having a scope of at least one; (b2) an alias table having entries, each entry containing a first name of an alias domain, a third range of the addresses in the alias domain and a fourth range of address codes in the domain of the alias table, the third and fourth ranges having a one-to-one correspondence and a scope of at least one; and (b3) a gateway table having entries, each entry containing a second name of an alternate domain and at least one of a prefix and a number of digits; (c) receiving an input address from a user of the telephone system currently assigned an originating domain; (d) translating the input address into a first storage location corresponding to an alias address in the address table for the alias domain if the input address contains one of the address codes in the fourth range in one of the entries in the alias table; (e) translating the input address into a second storage location corresponding to an alternate domain address in the address table for the alternate domain if the input address does not include the address codes in the fourth range in any of the entries in the alias table and has a closest match with the prefix, if any, and the number of digits, if any, in one of the entries in the gateway table; (f) identifying a third storage location corresponding to the input address using the address table for the originating domain if said translating in steps (d) and (e) is not performed; and (g) accessing one of the first, second and third storage locations in dependence upon which of steps (d), (e) and (f) was performed.

Claim 15

Amethod of operating a distributed data processing system providing information services for subscriber telephone system, the processing system including a plurality of host systems having processors and storage units containing storage locations, with at least one kilometre separating at least two of the host systems, said method comprising the steps of: (a) assigning at least one domain to each of the subscribers, each domain having a unique name within the telephone system; (b) storing for each of the domains:- (bl) an address table having entries, each entry containing an identifier of one of the host systems, a first range of the storage locations provided by the one of the host systems and a second range of addresses within the domain of the address table, corresponding to the range of the storage locations, the first and second ranges having a scope of at least one; (b2) an alias table having entries, each entry containing a first name of an alias domain, a third range of the addresses in the alias domain and a fourth range of address codes in the domain of the alias table, the third and fourth ranges having a one-to-one correspondence and a scope of at least one; and (b3) a gateway table having entries, each entry containing a second name of an alternate domain and at least one of a prefix and a number of digits; (c) receiving an input address from a user of the telephone system currently assigned an originating domain; (d) translating the input address into a first storage location corresponding to an alias address in the address table for the alias domain if the input address contains one of the address codes in the fourth range in one of the entries in the alias table; (e) translating the input address into a second storage location corresponding to an alternate domain address in the address table for the alternate domain if the input address does not include the address codes in the fourth range in any of the entries in the alias table and has a closest match with the prefix, if any, and the number of digits, if any, in one of the entries in the gateway table; (f) identifying a third storage location corresponding to the input address using the address table for the originating domain if said translating in steps (d) and (e) is not performed; and (g) accessing one of the first, second and third storage locations in dependence upon which of steps (d), (e) and (f) was performed.

Claim 17

A distributed data processing system, comprising: a plurality of storage units (64,66) having storage locations, at least one of the storage units storing an address table defining domains of the storage locations in said storage units without requiring any physical relationship between the domains and said storage units containing the storage locations within the domains and at least one translation table to identify the domains for input addresses; and processors (58) to provide services to subscribers of said distributed data processing system and to identify an address location for each of the input addresses by determining an addressed domain and then the addressed location within the addressed domain.

Claim 18

A distributed data processing system, comprising: a plurality of storage units (64,66) having storage locations, at least one of the storage units storing an address table defining domains of the storage locations in said storage units without requiring any physical relationship between the domains and said storage units containing the storage locations within the domains and at least one translation table to identify the domains for input addresses; and processors (58) to provide services to subscribers of said distributed data processing system and to identify an address location for each of the input addresses by determining an addressed domain and then the addressed location within the addressed domain.