Collaboration network system

• US 20010013055A1
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsukawa, Shigeru, Kojima, Akio, Murata, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US09/769,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20010013055A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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 Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a collaboration network system CNS which properly distributes a job in accordance with each processing capability of every available resource in a multi-distribution processing type network to secure the job to be efficiently executed, a host server H-SVR includes a guest system program 111 incorporated into an application layer 11. A guest system GS includes a distribution criteria 35 to distribute a sequence operation to the host server H-SVR and a guest net server managing part 34:342 issuing the guest system program 111, in accordance with the distribution criteria 35, with a job execution request for having the host server H-SVR execute a job. When receiving the job execution request, the host server H-SVR executes the job execution request via the guest system program 111.

Claims

1. A collaboration network system in which a first system operating in accordance with a first sequence is connected to a second system operating in accordance with a second sequence, and said second system primarily executes a sequence operation while utilizing a resource of said first system,

said first system comprising

an interface means incorporated into an application layer executing said first sequence,

said second system comprising:

a distribution criteria storing means for storing distribution criteria to distribute said sequence operation to said first system; and

a job execution requesting means for issuing said interface means, in accordance with said distribution criteria, with a job execution request for having said first system execute a job, wherein

when receiving said job execution request, said first system executes said job execution request as a part of said first sequence via said interface means.

2. The collaboration network system according to

claim 1

, wherein said job execution requesting means

comprises a job determining means for determining, in accordance with said distribution criteria, said job to be executed in said first system to generate job request information and

generates said job execution request in accordance with said job request information.

3. The collaboration network system according to

claim 1

, wherein, when receiving said job execution request, said first system executes said job execution request as a part of said first sequence via said interface means, and further returns a result of execution to said second system.

4. The collaboration network system according to

claim 1

, wherein said interface means further comprises an initial program storing means for storing an initialization program,

after said interface means running said initialization program, said first system is caused to detect said resource included in said first system to notify said second system,

said second system determines, in accordance with said resource of said first system detected by said interface means and said distribution criteria stored in said distribution criteria storing means, tasks for every job to be executed as a sequence operation of said first system, and then generates collaboration processing information, and

said job execution requesting means issues said job execution request in accordance with the collaboration processing information.

5. The collaboration network system according to

claim 4

, wherein said interface means further comprises a guest net client information storing means for storing a processing program executing said first sequence registered in said first system,

said initialization program detects initialization information registered in said first system to store in said guest net client information storing means, and

said job execution requesting means generates said collaboration processing information in accordance with initialization information stored in said guest net client information storing means and distribution criteria information reserved in said distribution criteria information storing means.

6. The collaboration network system according to

claim 5

, wherein said collaboration processing information comprises

a procedure to process tasks for every job and addressee information, wherein

said addressee information comprises server information, a program number, version information, and applicable resource information.

7. The collaboration network system according to

claim 6

, wherein said server information

comprises an IP address, a server name, and applicable protocol information of said first system,

said program number comprises an address where a program exists in a server,

said version information comprises available service and a program version, and

said applicable resource information includes information indicating which resource in said first system is used.

8. The collaboration network system according to

claim 7

, wherein said second system further comprises:

a job request accepting means for accepting a job request from a user; and

a service displaying means for displaying a service available by said second system, wherein after said sequence operation primarily executed by said second system being confirmed, said job execution requesting means registers a function which can be put available by said sequence operation in said job request accepting means and said service displaying means.

9. The collaboration network system according to

claim 1

, wherein said interface means further comprises a task executing means for storing a necessitated program including a library of a process task executing said sequence operation, and

executes the program stored in said task executing means to execute said sequence operation in response to said job execution request.

10. The collaboration network system according to

claim 5

, wherein said distribution criteria information comprises:

information peculiar to said first system including basic function, information and versions on basic processing of said first system; and

an externally-available function indicating a sequence to be executed in said second system.

11. The collaboration network system according to

claim 4

, wherein said second system further comprises a service managing means for detecting said resource included in said first system at predetermined time intervals, and

updates said collaboration processing information when there is any change of state in said resource of said first system.

12. The collaboration network system according to

claim 4

, wherein said service managing means detects said resource included in said first system in accordance with a state change notifying signal outputted from said first system.

13. A method of constructing a collaboration network system in which a first system operating in accordance with a first sequence is connected to a second system operating in accordance with a second sequence, and said second system primarily executes a sequence operation while utilizing a resource of said first system, the method comprising:

a system connection step of connecting said second system to said first system;

an interface incorporation step of incorporating an interface means into an application layer executing said first sequence of said first system;

an initialization detection step of, by said interface means, detecting said resource included in said first system and generating initialization information; and

a task distribution determination step of, in accordance with said detected resource information and predetermined distribution criteria, determining tasks for every job to be executed as a sequence operation of said first system to generate and store collaboration processing information, wherein

said interface means causes, in accordance with said collaboration processing information, a part of a sequence operation of said second system to execute as a part of said sequence operation of said first system.

14. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 13

, further comprising

an available function registration step of, in accordance with said collaboration processing information generated in said task distribution determination step, registering an available function by said sequence operation in said second system, wherein

in this stage, a function in collaboration processing is started to serve.

15. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 14

, further comprising

a change of resource state detection step of detecting a state of said resource included in said first system detected by said initialization detection step at predetermined time intervals, wherein

when any change of state in the resource is detected, said initialization detection step, said task distribution determination step, and said available function registration step are executed.

16. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 13

, wherein said system connection step comprises:

a physical connection step of physically connecting said second system to said first system; and

a mutual-communication environment establishment step of establishing a communication path between said physically-connected said first system and said second system.

17. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 16

, wherein said interface incorporation step

incorporates said interface means into said application layer executing said first sequence of said first system via said communication path established by said mutual-communication environment establishment step, and

further incorporates an initialization program into said interface means.

18. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 17

, wherein said initialization detection step comprises:

a collaboration processing environment construction step of running said initialization program to provide said first system with a mechanism for collaboration processing; and

an available function acquisition step of detecting and acquiring a function available by said first system from said resource of said first system disclosed by a service disclosure function of said first system.

19. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 18

, wherein said task distribution determination step

allocates collaboration information, in accordance with said distribution criteria, by registering an execution program, generating and registering said collaboration processing information.

20. A second system being connected to a first system operating in accordance with a first sequence, and primarily executing a second sequence operation while utilizing a resource of said first system in which an application layer is provided with an interface means, wherein

said second system comprises:

a distribution criteria storing means for storing distribution criteria when a part of said second sequence operation is distributed to said first system; and

a job execution requesting means for issuing said interface means with a job execution request for having said first system execute, and

causes said job execution request to execute as a part of said first sequence via said interface means.

21. The second system according to

claim 20

, comprising:

a distribution criteria storing means for storing distribution criteria to distribute said sequence operation to said first system; and

a job execution requesting means for issuing said interface means with said job execution request for having said first system execute in accordance with said distribution criteria, wherein

when receiving said job execution request, said first system executes said job execution request as a part of said first sequence via said interface means.

22. The second system according to

claim 21

, wherein said job execution requesting means

determines, in accordance with said distribution criteria, a job to be executed in said first system, comprises a job determining means for generating job request information, and generates said job execution request in accordance with said job request information.

23. The second system according to

claim 21

, wherein said interface means further comprises an initialization program,

after said interface means running said initialization program, said first system is caused to detect said resource included in the first system to notify said second system,

said second system determines, in accordance with the resource of said first system detected by said interface means and said distribution criteria stored in said distribution reference storing means, tasks for every job to be executed as said sequence operation of said first system to generate collaboration processing information, and

said job execution requesting means, in accordance with said collaboration processing information, issues said job execution request.

24. The second system according to

claim 23

, wherein said interface means further comprises a guest net client information storing means for storing a processing program executing said first sequence registered in said first system,

said initialization program detects initialization information registered in said first system to store in said guest net client information storing means, and

said job execution requesting means, in accordance with said initialization information stored in said guest net client information storing means and said distribution criteria information reserved in said distribution criteria information storing means, generates said collaboration processing information.

25. The second system according to

claim 24

, wherein said collaboration processing information comprises

a procedure to process tasks for every job and addressee information, wherein

said addressee information includes server information, a program number, version information, and applicable resource information.

26. The second system according to

claim 25

, wherein said server information comprises

an IP address, a server name, and applicable protocol information of said first system,

said program number comprises an address where a program exists in a server,

said version information comprises available service and a program version,

said applicable resource information comprises information indicating which resource in said first system is used.

27. The second system according to

claim 25

, further comprising:

a job request accepting means for accepting a job request from a user; and

a service displaying means for displaying a service available by said second system, wherein

after said sequence operation primarily executed by said second system being confirmed, said job execution requesting means registers a function which can be put available by said sequence operation in said job requesting accepting means and said service displaying means.

28. The second system according to

claim 24

, wherein said distribution criteria information comprises:

information peculiar to said first system including basic function, information and version on basic processing of said first system; and

an externally-available function indicating a sequence to be executed in said second system.

29. The second system according to

claim 23

, further comprising a service managing means for detecting said resource included in said first system at predetermined time intervals, and

updates said collaboration processing information when there is any change of state in said resource of said first system.

30. The second system according to

claim 23

, wherein said service managing means detects said resource included in said first system in accordance with a state change notifying signal outputted from said first system.

31. A recording medium including a program incorporated into an application layer of a first system to be executed in a collaboration network system in which said first system operating in accordance with a first sequence is connected to a second system operating in accordance with a second sequence, the program being for realizing an operational environment in the collaboration network system comprising:

an initialization detection step of detecting a resource included in said first system and generating initialization information;

a task distribution determination step of, in accordance with said detected resource information and predetermined distribution criteria previously possessed by said second system, determining tasks for every job to be executed as a sequence operation of said first system to generate and store collaboration processing information; and

a step of, in accordance with said collaboration processing information, causing a part of sequence operation of said second system as a part of the sequence operation of said first system.

32. A guest system being connected to a host system operating in accordance with a first sequence, and operating in accordance with a second sequence constructing a collaboration network system in which a resource of said host system is utilized, said guest system comprising:

a resource detecting means for detecting said resource of said first system; and

a sequence altering means for altering said first sequence in accordance with said detected resource of said host system.

33. The guest system according to

claim 32

, further comprising

a service adding means for, in accordance with said detected resource of a host system, adding a service function of the host system to a service function of said guest system to generate a new service function.

34. The guest system according to

claim 33

, wherein said service adding means further comprises

a task distributing means determining distribution of tasks between said resources of said host system and said guest system for every job executing said new service function.

35. The guest system according to

claim 34

, wherein said service adding means further comprises

a task distribution information storing means for storing information on tasks to be allocated between said host system and said guest system for every job executing said new service function.

36. The guest system according to

claim 34

, wherein said resource detecting means repeatedly detects said resource of said host system at predetermined time intervals.

37. The guest system according to

claim 32

, wherein said resource detecting means displays a change in said resource of said host system, if any.

38. The guest system according to

claim 32

, further comprising

an interpreter layer incorporating means for incorporating said host system with an interpreter layer accepting a command from said guest system.

39. The guest system according to

claim 38

, further comprising

a service adding means for adding, in accordance with said detected resource of said host system, a service function of said host system to a service function of said guest system to generate a new service function.

40. The guest system according to

claim 38

, wherein said interpreter layer incorporating means further comprises

a new service execution sequence incorporating means for incorporating said host system with a sequence executing a new service function.

41. A collaboration network system in which a first system operating in accordance with a first sequence is connected to a second system operating in accordance with a second sequence to distribute a job of said second system to a resource of said first system, said collaboration network system comprising:

a resource detecting means for detecting said resource of said first system; and

a sequence altering means for altering said first sequence in accordance with said detected resource of said first system.

42. The collaboration network system according to

claim 41

, further comprising

a service adding means for adding, in accordance with said detected resource of said first system, a service function of said first system to a service function of said second system to generate a new service function.

43. The collaboration network system according to

claim 42

, wherein said service adding means comprises

a task distribution means for determining distribution of tasks between said resources of said first system and said second system for every job executing said new service function.

44. The collaboration network system according to

claim 43

, wherein said service adding means comprises

a task distribution information storing means for storing information on tasks to be allocated between said host system and said guest system for every job executing said new service function.

45. The collaboration network system according to

claim 41

, wherein said resource detecting means repeatedly detects said resource of said first system at predetermined time intervals.

46. The collaboration network system according to

claim 41

, wherein said resource detecting means displays a change of said resource of said first system, if any.

47. A method of constructing a collaboration network system in which a first system operating in accordance with a first sequence is connected to a second system operating in accordance with a second sequence to distribute a job of said second system to a resource of said first system, the method comprising:

a resource detection step of detecting said resource of said first system; and

a sequence alternation step of altering said first sequence in accordance with said detected resource of a first host system.

48. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 47

, further comprising a service addition step of adding, in accordance with said detected resource of said first system, a service function of said first system to a service function of said second system to generate a new service function.

49. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 48

, wherein said service addition step comprises

a task distribution step of determining distribution of tasks between said resources of said first system and said second system for every job executing said new service function.

50. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 47

, wherein said resource detection step comprises

a resource update detection step of repeatedly detecting the resource of said first system at predetermined time intervals.

51. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 47

, wherein said resource detection step comprises

a resource update display step of displaying a change of said resource of said first system, if any.

52. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 47

, wherein said host system further comprises

an interpreter layer incorporation step of incorporating an interpreter layer accepting a command from said guest system.

53. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 52

, further comprising:

a mutual-communication environment construction step of constructing a mutual-communication environment between said first system and said second system;

a collaboration environment incorporation step of incorporating said first system with a mechanism for achieving collaboration processing with said second system,

a processing allocation determination step of determining, in accordance with said detected resource, processing allocation between said first and second systems; and

a new function offer step of determining a new function in accordance with said determined processing allocation, and putting the same available.

54. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 52

, further comprising

a resource update detection step of repeatedly detecting said resource of said first system at predetermined time intervals.

55. The method of constructing the collaboration network system according to

claim 52

, wherein, when a request for carrying out job is generated in said second system,

said second sequence comprises a job request step of transmitting said request for carrying out said job to said interpreter layer, and

said interpreter layer comprises a step of controlling said second system in accordance with the processing allocation.

56. A collaboration network system, in which three or more systems each run according to a unique sequence are linked, and one system located upper to other systems principally performs the sequence while utilizing resources of the systems therebeneath,

among from said linked three or more systems, two adjacent systems are arbitrarily selected, and the upper system to the other is referred to as an upper system and the other as a lower system, wherein

said upper system comprises:

upper interface means embedded in an application layer which performs a sequence unique thereto;

distribution criteria storing means for storing distribution criteria which is referred to when the sequence operation unique to said upper system is distributed to said lower system; and

job execution requesting means for issuing a job execution request for said lower system to execute according to said distribution criteria, and

said lower system comprises

lower interface means for performing a sequence unique thereto and, in response to said job execution request from said upper system, executing the job execution request as a part of the sequence, and

said linked three or more systems execute, in a distributive manner, said issued job execution request from up to bottom.