Method and system for using mobile code in a global ecosystem of interrelated services

• US 20020174191A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EKMK Limited Liability Company
• Original Assignee: EKMK Limited Liability Company
• Inventors: Robertson, James A., Greene, William S.
• Application Number:
  US10/113,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174191A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing

Abstract

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, mobile code is used for implementing a global ecosystem of interrelated services. Both service code and service configuration information should be accessible at runtime configurations from anywhere in the world. This is accomplished by storing mobile code on web servers and configuration information in an enterprise repository which are both visible enterprise-wide. Many HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) servers are deployed to serve up code, that is, Java class files and resources, which may be physically located within the enterprise or essentially anywhere on the Internet. Through administrative APIs, the service supplier indicates the URL address that identifies in which one of the servers a particular service code resides. The API method allows any requestor to start a service executing in the service container by supplying parameters that identify the URL for the code-base of the service code, the fully-qualified class name of the Java object that is the service'"'"'s root object and initialization payload object. A service may need a particular resource to be local to the service as it runs (e.g., as database, rules engine, etc.) or might run in a generic container. All service containers'"'"' configuration information in the enterprise are analyzed for necessary attributes and select only the service container(s) that have attributes matching the service'"'"'s requirements (the service'"'"'s configuration requirements are also available in a registry if the service is being restarted). Further distinctions between specific service containers may be made by logical locations based on the URL address of the containers matching the requirements. Once an appropriate service container is selected, the service is launched in the selected service container by passing a reference (URL address or host name) for the HTTP server holding the service code to the service container. Using a reference to the code server for the service code, the service container fetches the service code from the HTTP server at runtime and the service begins running in the container.

Claims

1. A method for using mobile code for implementing a service in a global ecosystem of interrelated services in an enterprise, said enterprise comprising:

a plurality of network domains, each of said plurality of network domains further comprising;

a plurality of a plurality of servers;

at least one service container, said at least service container running on each of the plurality of servers; and

a plurality of interrelated services, each of the plurality of interrelated services running on any of the at least one service container;

said method comprising;

loading mobile service code for implementing a service on a code server, wherein the code server is accessible to at least some of the plurality of servers in the enterprise;

determining configuration information for the service; and

launching the service in a network domain.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein determining configuration information for the service further comprises:

determining a codebase for the service, wherein the codebase contains an address for the code server holding the service code for the service;

determining service configuration information needed for the service container to launch the service; and

determining service container requirements for the service.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein launching the service comprises:

accessing the configuration information for the service;

locating a service container running on a server in the plurality of servers of the enterprise;

passing the configuration information to the service container;

loading the mobile service code on the service container; and

running the service on the service container.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the configuration information includes service configuration information needed for the service container to launch the service and running the service on the service container further comprises:

configuring at least one resource in accordance with the service configuration information.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein the service configuration information needed for the service comprises:

a schema for creating tables in a database resource; and

an address of a source from data in which to populate the database resource.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein running the service on the service container further comprises:

creating tables in a database resource;

sending a request to the address of a source requesting the source data; and

populating the tables in the database resource with the requested data.

7. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the configuration information includes a codebase containing an address for the code server holding the service code and loading the mobile service code on the service container further comprises:

sending a request for the service code to the address of the code server holding the service code for the service; and

receiving the service code from the code server in response to sending the request.

8. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the configuration information includes service container requirements for the service and locating a service container running on a server in the plurality of servers of the enterprise:

accessing a registry; and

looking up a service container listed in the registry based on the service container requirements for the service.

9. The method recited in claim 3, wherein accessing the configuration information for the service further comprises:

accessing a registry;

looking up a service listing for the service in the registry, wherein the registry comprises a plurality of service listings; and

finding configuration information in the registry, wherein the configuration information is associated with the service listing.

10. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the registry is a global lookup and accessing a registry is performed manually by an administrator.

11. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the registry is a local registrar and accessing a registry is performed by a service by monitoring the local registrar.

12. The method recited in claim 8, wherein accessing a registry further comprises:

broadcasting a ping( ) to the network domain;

waiting a predetermined time period;

establishing the service did not respond to the ping( ); and

accessing a domain registrar in the network domain.

13. The method recited in claim 8, wherein accessing a registry further comprises:

sending a healthCheck( ) request to the service;

receiving a response from the service;

establishing the service did not appropriately respond to the healthCheck( ) request; and

accessing the domain registrar in the network domain.

14. The method recited in claim 12, wherein launching the service further comprises:

registering the service with the local domain registrar by passing information related to the service to the domain register; and

registering the service with the global lookup by passing information related to the service to the global lookup.

15. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the information related to the service includes the configuration information and a proxy reference for the service.

16. The method recited in claim 15 wherein the proxy reference further comprises:

a codebase, wherein the codebase contains an address for a code server holding mobile proxy code of the proxy for the service.

17. The method recited in claim 16 further comprises:

interacting with the service by;

looking up the service in the local domain registrar;

receiving the mobile code for the proxy;

running the mobile code for the proxy; and

interacting with the proxy.

19. The method recited in claim 18 further comprises:

discovering a domain registrar, wherein the domain registrar is in the network domain;

registering the service with the domain registrar by passing information related to the service to the domain register, wherein said information related to the service is visible to a client from the domain register;

finding a global lookup in the enterprise, wherein the global lookup is outside the network domain; and

listing the service with the global lookup by passing information related to the service to the global lookup, wherein said information related to the service is visible to a client from the global lookup.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein information related to the service further comprises:

a codebase for the service, wherein the codebase contains an address for the code server holding the service code for the service;

service configuration information needed for the service container to launch the service; and

service container requirements for the service.

18. A method for using mobile code for implementing a service in a global ecosystem of interrelated services in an enterprise comprising:

receiving configuration information for a service;

identifying a service container for the service to run in based on the configuration information;

passing the configuration information to the service container;

parsing a codebase from the configuration information for a service;

sending a request to a code server for mobile service code for the service based on a code server address in the codebase;

receiving the mobile service code for the service from the code server; and

executing the mobile service code in the service container.

21. A data processing system implemented program product embodied on a processing system readable medium for implementing a method for using mobile code for implementing a service in a global ecosystem of interrelated services in an enterprise, said enterprise comprising:

a plurality of network domains, each of said plurality of network domains further comprising;

a plurality of a plurality of servers;

at least one service container, said at least service container running on each of the plurality of servers; and

a plurality of interrelated services, each of the plurality of interrelated services running on any of the at least one service container;

said program product comprising;

instructions for loading mobile service code for implementing a service on a code server, wherein the code server is accessible to at least some of the plurality of servers in the enterprise;

instructions for determining configuration information for the service; and

instructions for launching the service in a network domain.

22. The program product recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions for determining configuration information for the service further comprises:

instructions for determining a codebase for the service, wherein the codebase contains an address for the code server holding the service code for the service;

instructions for determining service configuration information needed for the service container to launch the service; and

instructions for determining service container requirements for the service.

23. The program product recited in claim 22, wherein the instructions for launching the service comprises:

instructions for accessing the configuration information for the service;

instructions for locating a service container running on a server in the plurality of servers of the enterprise;

instructions for passing the configuration information to the service container;

instructions for loading the mobile service code on the service container; and

instructions for running the service on the service container.

24. The program product recited in claim 23, wherein the configuration information includes service configuration information needed for the service container to launch the service and the instructions for running the service on the service container further comprises:

instructions for configuring at least one resource in accordance with the service configuration information.

25. The program product recited in claim 24, wherein the service configuration information needed for the service comprises:

a schema for creating tables in a database resource; and

an address of a source from data in which to populate the database resource.

26. The program product recited in claim 25, wherein the instructions for running the service on the service container further comprises:

instructions for creating tables in a database resource;

instructions for sending a request to the address of a source requesting the source data; and

populating the tables in the database resource with the requested data.

27. The program product recited in claim 23, wherein the configuration information includes a codebase containing an address for the code server holding the service code and the instructions for loading the mobile service code on the service container further comprises:

instructions for sending a request for the service code to the address of the code server holding the service code for the service; and

instructions for receiving the service code from the code server in response to sending the request.

28. The program product recited in claim 23, wherein the configuration information includes service container requirements for the service and the instructions for locating a service container running on a server in the plurality of servers of the enterprise:

instructions for accessing a registry; and

instructions for looking up a service container listed in the registry based on the service container requirements for the service.

29. The program product recited in claim 23, wherein instructions for accessing the configuration information for the service further comprises:

instructions for accessing a registry;

instructions for looking up a service listing for the service in the registry, wherein the registry comprises a plurality of service listings; and

instructions for finding configuration information in the registry, wherein the configuration information is associated with the service listing.

30. The program product recited in claim 28, wherein the registry is a global lookup and the instructions for accessing a registry are executed manually by an administrator.

31. The program product recited in claim 28, wherein the registry is a local registrar and the instructions for accessing a registry are executed by a service monitoring the local registrar.

32. The program product recited in claim 28, wherein the instructions for accessing a registry further comprises:

instructions for broadcasting a ping( ) to the network domain;

instructions for waiting a predetermined time period;

instructions for establishing the service did not respond to the ping( ); and

instructions for accessing a domain registrar in the network domain.

33. The program product recited in claim 28, wherein the instructions for accessing a registry further comprises:

instructions for sending a healthCheck( ) request to the service;

instructions for receiving a response from the service;

instructions for establishing the service did not appropriately respond to the healthCheck( ) request; and

instructions for accessing domain registrar in the network domain.

34. The program product recited in claim 22, wherein the instructions for launching the service further comprises:

instructions for registering the service with the local domain registrar by passing information related to the service to the domain register; and

instructions for registering the service with the global lookup by passing information related to the service to the global lookup.

35. The program product recited in claim 34, wherein the information related to the service includes the configuration information and a proxy reference for the service.

36. The program product recited in claim 35 wherein the proxy reference further comprises:

a codebase, wherein the codebase contains an address for a code server holding mobile proxy code for the proxy for the service.

37. The program product recited in claim 36 further comprises:

instructions for interacting with the service including;

instructions for looking up the service in the local domain registrar;

instructions for receiving the mobile code for the proxy;

instructions for running the mobile code for the proxy; and

instructions for interacting with the proxy.

39. The program product recited in claim 38 further comprises:

instructions for discovering a domain registrar, wherein the domain registrar is in the network domain;

instructions for registering the service with the domain registrar by passing information related to the service to the domain register, wherein said information related to the service is visible to a client from the domain register;

instructions for finding a global lookup in the enterprise, wherein the global lookup is outside the network domain; and

instructions for listing the service with the global lookup by passing information related to the service to the global lookup, wherein said information related to the service is visible to a client from the global lookup.

40. The program product recited in claim 39, wherein information related to the service further comprises:

a codebase for the service, wherein the codebase contains an address for the code server holding the service code for the service;

service configuration information needed for the service container to launch the service; and

service container requirements for the service.

38. A data processing system implemented program product embodied on a processing system readable medium for implementing a method for using mobile code for implementing a service in a global ecosystem of interrelated services comprising:

instructions for receiving configuration information for a service;

instructions for identifying a service container for the service to run in based on the configuration information;

instructions for passing the configuration information to the service container;

instructions for parsing a codebase from the configuration information for a service;

instructions for sending a request to a code server for mobile service code for the service based on a code server address in the codebase;

instructions for receiving the mobile service code for the service from the code server; and

instructions for executing the mobile service code in the service container.