Network dynamic service availability

• US 20020111814A1
• Filed: 12/12/2000
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Barnett, Janet A., Oksoy, Osmon R., Williams, Bassel O., Schechter, Jesse N., Interrante, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A Jini™-based distributed computing platform architecture constructed to facilitate dynamic availability of eCommerce services over the Internet by which new services made available by a service provider are instantly accessible to a user through a web server.

Claims

1. A distributed computing platform constructed to facilitate a dynamic availability of eCommerce services to a user over the Internet, comprising:

A) an eCommerce service provider;

B) a web server in communication with the user and the eCommerce services provided whereby new services made available by the eCommerce service provider are instantly accessible.

2. The distributed computing platform of claim 1, wherein said eCommerce services are comprised of:

a) remote event notification;

b) service registration; and

c) dynamic downloading of software from anywhere at anytime.

3. The distributed computing platform of claim 1, wherein said eCommerce services includes use of a variety of payment models, further facilitating transactions and dynamic pricing.

4. The distributed computing platform of claim 1, wherein user access to eCommerce services registered with the web server is controlled by exchange of a client applet between the user and web server.

5. The distributed computing platform of claim 4, where user information is compared by the web server with user information stored in a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) database.

6. The distributed computing platform of claim 1, wherein said web server provides for the sale of commercial software products.

7. The distributed computer platform of claim 1 where said platform is Jini™

based.

8. A system for providing remote access to services available on a network, the system comprising:

a network server;

at least one client browser in communication with the network server; and

a database in communication with the network server and including user, group and services information,

wherein client information is stored in the database, services are made available to a client through the network server based on said client'"'"'s stored user information, and computational intensive jobs are distributed as directed for execution by the LoadBalancer/ComputeServer(s).

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said server further comprises means for providing a client applet to facilitate dynamic updating and access of client information.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a LoadBalancer.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said database is a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) database.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein information is stored in said database to facilitate information updating.

14. The method of claim 12, further including a step of dynamically relocating code from one network node to another.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said services may include one of sub-classes LocalService and RemoteService.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein communication with said server is provided by using HTTP and Java RMI.

17. The method of claim 12, further including a step of distributing compute-intensive jobs across various ComputeServers associated with a web browser.

18. The method of claim 17, further including a step of providing a servelet at the web server to read an executable object that is passed therethrough.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein if said executable object is valid, it is passed to a LoadBalancer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the LoadBalancer maintains a list of Lookup Servers it finds when it registers itself, using the list to find all of said ComputeServers available for a job.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein said database includes a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) database.

12. A method for providing dynamic availability of eCommerce services via a web server, comprising the steps of:

maintaining database of user information, including authentication and access control information, in communication with a web server;

logging a user in with the web server using a client applet; and

using an authentication servlet to conduct user authentication and display available servers to the user;

wherein if a new service is created and started while the user is logged in with the web server, and the user has permission to access said new service, the information pertaining to the new services will dynamically appear in the client applet.

22. An article of manufacture, comprising, a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for implementing a method for providing dynamic availability of eCommerce services via a web server, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database of user information, including authentication and access control information, in communication with a web server;

logging a user in with the web server using a client applet; and

using a servlet to conduct user authentication and display available services to the user;

wherein if a new service is created and started while the user is in communication with the web server, and the user has permission to access said new service, the information pertaining to the new service will dynamically appear in the client applet.