Open Network Adapter Abstraction Layer for Software Development
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software application developers face significant challenges in creating applications that utilize multiple network protocols and devices, as they need to manage complex implementation details and interactions across different network resources such as traffic, voice, and storage, which requires expertise in various protocols and devices.
Innovation Solution
The Open Network Adapter (ONA) provides an interface that abstracts network resource access functions, allowing developers to make high-level requests while hiding the underlying implementation details, translating these requests into lower-level actions and directing them to appropriate devices or services, regardless of their location, using a layered architecture that includes an Application Programming Interface (API), Open Network Services protocol interface, and User Interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If developers directly implement network resource access using multiple protocols and devices, then access to network resources is achieved, but the complexity of development increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an Open Network Adapter (ONA) as an intermediary layer between applications and network resources. The ONA provides a unified interface that handles multiple protocols (telephony, network, video, storage) internally, allowing developers to access diverse network resources through a single standardized interface without dealing with protocol-specific complexities.
Solution Approach 2:
The ONA is designed as a universal adapter that can handle multiple types of network resources and protocols through a single interface. It provides multi-functional capabilities including telephony access, network traffic monitoring, video resources, and storage operations, all through the same programming interface, eliminating the need for developers to write separate code for each protocol type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If developers write applications for multiple protocol types, then comprehensive network functionality is achieved, but the difficulty of programming increases greatly
Solution Approach 1:
The system architecture is segmented into distinct layers: the application layer, the ONA interface layer, and the protocol implementation layer. This segmentation allows developers to work at the higher-level ONA interface without needing to understand or implement the complex protocol details below, separating concerns and simplifying the development process.
Solution Approach 2:
The ONA serves as a mediator that translates high-level application requests into protocol-specific operations. Developers interact with the ONA's simplified interface, which then handles the complexity of communicating with multiple protocol types (SIP, H.323, RTP, RTCP, etc.), making programming easier while maintaining comprehensive functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If applications embed network resource functions directly, then access to network features is enabled, but implementation details must be exposed to application creators
Solution Approach 1:
The ONA acts as an intermediary that shields application creators from implementation details. It provides a standardized interface that handles protocol-specific operations internally, so developers can access network features without needing to know or manage the underlying implementation details of each protocol and device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex implementation details of protocol handling from the application layer and places them in the ONA layer. This extraction allows applications to access network features through a simplified interface while the ONA retains and manages all the complex implementation details internally.
Data Source
AI summary
An Open Network Adapter (ONA) provides an interface that provides network resource access functions to application writers and network users while hiding the implementation details from those writers and users. The ONA accepts high-level network resource access function requests and coordinates the lower-level actions necessary to accomplish the high-level requests. These network resource access requests may, for example, be provided via a user interface which may be implemented by a personal computer, telephone, or other device capable of providing a display and receiving user input.