Generic remote connection to a command line interface application

• US 10,044,824 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Dale H., Peipelman, Jason L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US14/873,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20160028844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A method to establish a generic remote connection to a command line interface (CLI) application is provided. A server is implemented. The server is configured with a data input channel, a data output channel, and an error output channel, each connected to the CLI application. A second socket for routing a dedicated error data stream is configured. The dedicated error stream in the second socket may execute concurrently with data streams being executed in a first socket. At least one client is implemented. The at least one client is configured with the data input channel, data output channel, and the error output channel.

Claims

1. A method to establish a generic remote connection to a command line interface (CLI) application for allowing sporadic communication with the CLI application, comprising:

continuously executing the CLI application as a background process on a server configured with a data input channel, a data output channel, and an error output channel, each connected to the CLI application;

wherein the server tracks at least three of the data streams of the CLI application, and wherein the data streams are a data input stream comprising data obtained from a keyboard, a data output stream comprising data sent to a display monitor, and an error output stream comprising error data sent to the display monitor;

configuring a second socket for routing a dedicated error data stream, wherein the dedicated error stream in the second socket may execute concurrently with data streams being executed in a first socket;

implementing at least one client configured with the data input channel, data output channel, and the error output channel;

attaching, by the server, a unique header to each of the data output and the error output data stream, the data output and the error output data stream multiplexed into a single multiplexed data stream for being identified by the at least one client for demultiplexing; and

demultiplexing the single multiplexed data stream by the at least one client to regenerate the data output and error output data streams by identifying the data output and the error output data stream using the unique header attached to each of the data output and the error output data stream that have been multiplexed into the single multiplexed data stream by the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further including starting the CLI application.

3. The method of claim 1, further including sending input data through the data input channel of the at least one client, through the first socket and data input channel of the server, to the CLI application.

4. The method of claim 1, further including sending output data through the data output channel of the server, through the first socket and data output channel of the client, to a user.

5. The method of claim 1, further including sending the multiplexed data stream through the first socket to the at least one client.

6. A system for establishing a generic remote connection to a command line interface (CLI) application for allowing sporadic communication with the CLI application, comprising:

a server continuously executing the CLI application as a background process, and configured with a data input channel, a data output channel, and an error output channel, each connected to the CLI application;

wherein the server tracks at least three of the data streams of the CLI application, and wherein the data streams are a data input stream comprising data obtained from a keyboard, a data output stream comprising data sent to a display monitor, and an error output stream comprising error data sent to the display monitor;

a second socket connected to the server for routing a dedicated error data stream, wherein the dedicated error stream in the second socket may execute concurrently with data streams being executed in a first socket;

at least one client configured with the data input channel, data output channel, and the error output channel;

the server configured to attach a unique header to each of the data output and the error output data stream, the data output and the error output data stream multiplexed into a single multiplexed data stream for being identified by the at least one client for demultiplexing; and

the at least one client configured to demultiplex the single multiplexed data stream by the at least one client to regenerate the data output and error output data streams by identifying the data output and the error output data stream using the unique header attached to each of the data output and the error output data stream that have been multiplexed into the single multiplexed data stream by the server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is further configured to start the CLI application.

8. A computer program product for establishing a generic remote connection to a command line interface (CLI) application for allowing sporadic communication with the CLI application, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for continuously executing the CLI application as a background process on a server configured with a data input channel, a data output channel, and an error output channel, each connected to the CLI application;

wherein the server tracks at least three of the data streams of the CLI application, and wherein the data streams are a data input stream comprising data obtained from a keyboard, a data output stream comprising data sent to a display monitor, and an error output stream comprising error data sent to the display monitor;

a second executable portion for configuring a second socket for routing a dedicated error data stream, wherein the dedicated error stream in the second socket may execute concurrently with data streams being executed in a first socket;

a third executable portion for implementing at least one client configured with the data input channel, data output channel, and the error output channel;

a fourth executable portion for attaching, by the server, a unique header to each of the data output and the error output data stream, the data output and the error output data stream multiplexed into a single multiplexed data stream for being identified by the at least one client for demultiplexing; and

a fifth executable portion for demultiplexing the single multiplexed data stream by the at least one client to regenerate the data output and error output data streams by identifying the data output and the error output data stream using the unique header attached to each of the data output and the error output data stream that have been multiplexed into the single multiplexed data stream by the server.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further including a sixth executable portion for starting the CLI application.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, further including a sixth executable portion for sending input data through the data input channel of the at least one client, through the first socket and data input channel of the server, to the CLI application.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further including a seventh executable portion for sending output data through the data output channel of the server, through the first socket and data output channel of the client, to a user.

12. The method computer program product of claim 8, further including a sixth executable portion for sending the multiplexed data stream through the first socket to the at least one client.