Method for transparent, location-independent, remote procedure calls in a hetrogeneous network environment

• US 20020144020A1
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gooding, Thomas Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,986,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A method for executing location independent procedure calls in a network system, wherein the method may be embodied upon a computer readable medium and executed transparently to the user at a local node. The method includes determining a remote node to execute a function, if the function cannot be run on a local node and executing a route function. Further, the method includes transmitting the function and related data to the remote node, executing the function on the remote node, and transmitting the results of the function to the local node.

Claims

1. A method for executing location independent procedure calls in a network system, comprising:

determining a remote node to execute a function, if the function cannot be run on a local node;

executing a route function;

transmitting the function and related data to the remote node;

executing the function on the remote node; and

transmitting the results of the function to the local node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a route function further comprises:

generating a parameter representative of the function related data; and

packaging the function related data and the generated parameter for transmission to the remote node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the parameter representative of the function related data further comprises a text string, wherein each character in the text string corresponds to a particular data type.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining if the packaged function related data is cacheable;

determining if the packaged function related data is available in cache memory if it is determined to be cacheable; and

retrieving a cached reply from the cache memory of the packaged function related data is determined to be cacheable and available in cache memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a remote node to execute a function further comprises reading a parameter associated with the function, wherein the parameter associated with the function indicates where the function may be executed.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein packaging the function related data and the generated parameter further comprises flattening each variable argument indicated in the route function into a buffer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the function on the remote node further comprises:

receiving the function and related data on the remote node;

unpackaging the function related data on the remote node;

computing the function on the remote node; and

packaging a function reply.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein packaging a function reply further comprises flattening the reply.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein unpackaging the function related data further comprises unflattening the function related data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the transmitted results of the function on the local node;

determining if the transmitted results are cacheable; and

storing the transmitted results in a cache memory if the transmitted results are determined to be cacheable.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing at least one of pre-flattened commands and flattened commands prior to transmission to a remote node; and

cooperatively executing the queued commands in a single network transaction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining a remote node further comprises reading a parameter associated with the function, wherein the parameter indicates the remote node for execution of the function.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein calling a route function further comprises:

generating a text string, wherein each element of the text string identifies the data type of a portion of the function related data; and

bundling the function related data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the text string further comprises a DTSTRUCT string.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein bundling further comprises flattening the function related data.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein executing the function on the remote node further comprises:

unbundling the function related data;

computing the function; and

bundling the reply to the function.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein unbundling and bundling further comprise unflattening and flattening, respectively.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising looking up a function pointer that indicates the location of the function to the remote node.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining if the function related data is cacheable and storing the function related data in cache memory if the function related data is determined to be cacheable.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining if the results of the function are cacheable and storing the results of the function in cache memory is the results of the function are determined to be cacheable.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the results of the function to the remote node further comprises unflattening the results.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

queuing at least one of pre-flattened commands and flattened commands prior to transmission to a remote node; and

cooperatively executing the queued commands in a single network transaction.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein executing a route function further comprises:

generating a parameter representative of the function related data; and

packaging the function related data and the generated parameter for transmission to the remote node.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the parameter representative of the function related data further comprises a text string, wherein each character in the text string corresponds to a particular data type.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:

determining if the packaged function related data is cacheable;

determining if the packaged function related data is available in cache memory if it is determined to be cacheable; and

retrieving a cached reply from the cache memory of the packaged function related data is determined to be cacheable and available in cache memory.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein determining a remote node to execute a function further comprises reading a parameter associated with the function, wherein the parameter associated with the function indicates where the function may be executed.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein packaging the function related data and the generated parameter further comprises flattening each variable argument indicated in the route function into a buffer.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein executing the function on the remote node further comprises:

receiving the function and related data on the remote node;

unpackaging the function related data on the remote node;

computing the function on the remote node; and

packaging a function reply.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein packaging a function reply further comprises flattening the reply.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein unpackaging the function related data further comprises unflattening the function related data.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving the transmitted results of the function on the local node;

determining if the transmitted results are cacheable; and

storing the transmitted results in a cache memory if the transmitted results are determined to be cacheable.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

queuing at least one of pre-flattened commands and flattened commands prior to transmission to a remote node; and

cooperatively executing the queued commands in a single network transaction.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein determining a remote node further comprises reading a parameter associated with the function, wherein the parameter indicates the remote node for execution of the function.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein calling a route function further comprises:

generating a text string, wherein each element of the text string identifies the data type of a portion of the function related data; and

bundling the function related data.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the text string further comprises a DTSTRUCT string.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein bundling further comprises flattening the function related data.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein executing the function on the remote node further comprises:

unbundling the function related data;

computing the function; and

bundling the reply to the function.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, wherein unbundling and bundling further comprise unflattening and flattening, respectively.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 40, further comprising looking up a function pointer that indicates the location of the function to the remote node.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 35, further comprising determining if the function related data is cacheable and storing the function related data in cache memory if the function related data is determined to be cacheable.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 35, further comprising determining if the results of the function are cacheable and storing the results of the function in cache memory is the results of the function are determined to be cacheable.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein transmitting the results of the function to the remote node further comprises unflattening the results.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 35, comprising:

queuing at least one of pre-flattened commands and flattened commands prior to transmission to a remote node; and

cooperatively executing the queued commands in a single network transaction.

12. A method for transparently executing function calls from a local node on a remote node, comprising:

determining a remote node for execution of a function;

calling a route function;

transmitting function related data from the local node to the remote node;

executing the function on the remote node; and

transmitting results of the function to the local node.

24. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining a remote node to execute a function, if the function cannot be run on a local node;

executing a route function;

transmitting the function and related data to the remote node;

executing the function on the remote node; and

transmitting the results of the function to the local node.

35. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining a remote node for execution of a function;

calling a route function;

transmitting function related data from the local node to the remote node;

executing the function on the remote node; and

transmitting results of the function to the local node.