Method, system, and structure for distributing and executing software and data on different network and computer devices, platforms, and environments

• US 20030051236A1
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Op40 Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: OP40 Incorporated
• Inventors: Pace, Charles P., Chen, Shuang, Pizzorni, Paolo R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• 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 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• 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 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 : for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 : Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for organizing a package involving identifying an asset within an application, wherein the asset is determined by an asset boundary and the asset contains a logic/data part and an extended environment part; identifying the package within the application, wherein the package is a logical division of the application and wherein the package includes a plurality of assets; determining a package boundary identifying the scope of the package, wherein the package boundary may be determined by the asset boundary of at least one asset in the package; and organizing the package according to the package boundary, wherein the package including at least two assets.

Claims

1. A method for organizing a package, comprising the steps of:

identifying an asset within an application, wherein the asset is determined by an asset boundary and the asset contains a logic/data part and an extended environment part;

identifying the package within the application, wherein the package is a logical division of the application and wherein the package includes a plurality of assets;

determining a package boundary identifying the scope of the package, wherein the package boundary may be determined by the asset boundary of at least one asset in the package; and

organizing the package according to the package boundary, wherein the package including at least two assets.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the package is a subapplication of an enterprise information system application.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the package is a nonproprietary subapplication of an enterprise information system application.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asset is at least one of a static content asset, a dynamic content asset, an enterprise JavaBean asset, an entity bean asset, a session bean asset, a relational data asset, a reference data asset, an entity data asset, a Java class asset, a non-Java asset, a performance component asset, and a transaction component asset.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asset boundary includes at least one of an application programming interface, a component boundary, an Internet protocol, a logical division in a software application, at least one edge of an application program call graph for the software application, an open standard application programming interface, a proprietary standard application programming interface, and an extension framework.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the open standard application programming interface includes at least one of a TCP/IP library, a C library, a C++ library, a CORBA library, a Java servlet, a Java server page, an enterprise JavaBean, a Java database connectivity, a Java messaging service, a hypertext markup language, a hypertext transfer protocol, and a wireless markup language.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the proprietary standard application programming interface includes at least one of a Java 2 platform enterprise edition, a Microsoft foundation class, a component object model, a distributed component object, an Oracle call interface, an Oracle Pro*C library, and an Informix ESQL C library.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the extension framework includes at least one of a Unix shell script, a Windows batch file, an IBM customer information control system transaction processing program, an IBM job control language file, a Microsoft visual basic script, and a visual basic program.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the package boundary includes at least one of an application programming interface, a component boundary, an Internet protocol, a logical division in a software application, at least one edge of an application program call graph for the software application, an open standard application programming interface, a proprietary standard application programming interface, and an extension framework.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the open standard application programming interface includes at least one of a TCP/IP library, a C library, a C++ library, a CORBA library, a Java servlet, a Java server page, an enterprise JavaBean, a Java database connectivity, a Java messaging service, a hypertext markup language, a hypertext transfer protocol, and a wireless markup language.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the proprietary standard application programming interface includes at least one of a Java 2 platform enterprise edition, a Microsoft foundation class, a component object model, a distributed component object, an Oracle call interface, an Oracle Pro*C library, and an Informix ESQL C library.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the extension framework includes at least one of a Unix shell script, a Windows batch file, an IBM customer information control system transaction processing program, an IBM job control language file, a Microsoft visual basic script, and a visual basic program.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one asset in the package is a base environment.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the base environment includes at least one of a Web server for a static content asset;

a servlet engine for a Java asset, wherein the Java asset contains a Java server page;

a Java runtime environment for the Java asset, wherein the Java asset contains a Java class;

an application server for an enterprise JavaBean asset; and

a database management system for at least one of a reference data asset, an entity asset, and an entity bean.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one asset in the package includes at least one of a publishing agent, a subscriber agent, a caching agent, and a computational agent.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one asset in the package includes an adapter, the adapter including at least one of a discovery adapter, a versioning adapter, an export adapter, a process adapter, a target adapter, a deployment adapter, a synchronization adapter, a bridging adapter, an adjustment adapter, a streaming adapter, a quality of service adapter, and an asset packaging process.

17. A method for distributing a package over a communications network, comprising the steps of:

organizing the package from within an application, wherein the package is a logical division of the application and the package includes at least two assets, wherein an asset contains a logic/data part and an extended environment part;

transforming the package to function on a target computer node, wherein the target computer node contains at least one of a different computer hardware, software, and operating environment than the computer node for which the application is designed; and

distributing the package over the communications network to the target computer node.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the package is a subapplication of an enterprise information system application.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the package is a nonproprietary subapplication of an enterprise information system application.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the communications network is an Internet.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the communications network is at least one of a local area network, a metropolitan area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, a satellite network, a data network, and a public switch telephone network.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the asset is at least one of a static content asset, a dynamic content asset, an enterprise JavaBean asset, an entity bean asset, a session bean asset, a relational data asset, a reference data asset, an entity data asset, a Java class asset, a non-Java asset, a performance component asset, and a transaction component asset.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one asset in the package is a base environment.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the base environment includes at least one of a Web server for a static content asset;

a servlet engine for a Java asset, wherein the Java asset contains a Java server page;

a Java runtime environment for the Java asset, wherein the Java asset contains a Java class;

an application server for an enterprise JavaBean asset; and

a database management system for at least one of a reference data asset, an entity asset, and an entity bean.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one asset in the package includes at least one of a publishing agent, a subscriber agent, a caching agent, and a computational agent.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one asset in the package includes an adapter, the adapter including at least one of a discovery adapter, a versioning adapter, an export adapter, a process adapter, a target adapter, a deployment adapter, a synchronization adapter, a bridging adapter, an adjustment adapter, a streaming adapter, a quality of service adapter, and an asset packaging process.

27. A package structure distributed over a communications network, the package structure comprising:

a first asset, the first asset including a first logic/data part and a first extended environment part, wherein the first asset is at least one of a relational data asset and a static content asset; and

a second asset, the second asset including a second logic/data part and a second extended environment part, wherein the second asset is a presentation component asset for generating content.

28. The package structure according to claim 27, further comprising:

a third asset, the third asset including a third logic/data part and a third extended environment part, wherein the third asset is at least one of a transaction component asset and a static content asset.

29. The package structure according to claim 27, further comprising:

a fourth asset, the fourth asset including a fourth logic/data part and a fourth extended environment part, wherein the fourth asset is a transaction component asset.

30. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the presentation component asset is at least one of a dynamic content asset, an entity bean, a session bean, and a JavaBean, and a Java server page.

31. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the transaction component asset is at least one of a dynamic content asset, an entity bean, a session bean, a Java bean, a reference data, an entity data, and a naming directory.

32. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the package structure is a subapplication of an enterprise information system application.

33. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the package structure is a nonproprietary subapplication of an enterprise information system application.

34. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein a package structure has a package boundary defined by a boundary of the first asset and a boundary of the second asset.

35. The package structure according to claim 34, wherein the package boundary includes at least one of an application programming interface, a component boundary, an Internet protocol, a logical division in a software application, at least one edge of an application program call graph for the software application, an open standard application programming interface, a proprietary standard application programming interface, and an extension framework.

36. The package structure according to claim 35, wherein the open standard application programming interface includes at least one of a TCP/IP library, a C library, a C++ library, a CORBA library, a Java servlet, a Java server page, an enterprise JavaBean, a Java database connectivity, a Java messaging service, a hypertext markup language, a hypertext transfer protocol, and a wireless markup language.

37. The package structure according to claim 35, wherein the proprietary standard application programming interface includes at least one of a Java 2 platform enterprise edition, a Microsoft foundation class, a component object model, a distributed component object, an oracle call interface, an Oracle Pro*C library, and an Informix ESQL C library.

38. The package structure according to claim 35, wherein the extension framework includes at least one of a Unix shell script, a Windows batch file, an IBM customer information control system transaction processing program, an IBM job control language file, a Microsoft visual basic script, and a visual basic program.

39. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein a package structure has a package boundary defined by at least one of a boundary of the first asset, a boundary of the second asset, and a boundary of the third asset.

40. The package structure according to claim 39, wherein the package boundary includes at least one of an application programming interface, a component boundary, an Internet protocol, a logical division in a software application, at least one edge of an application program call graph for the software application, an open standard application programming interface, a proprietary standard application programming interface, and an extension framework.

41. The package structure according to claim 39, wherein the open standard application programming interface includes at least one of a TCP/IP library, a C library, a C++ library, a CORBA library, a Java servlet, a Java server page, an enterprise JavaBean, a Java database connectivity, a Java messaging service, a hypertext markup language, a hypertext transfer protocol, and a wireless markup language.

42. The package structure according to claim 39, wherein the proprietary standard application programming interface includes at least one of a Java 2 platform enterprise edition, a Microsoft foundation class, a component object model, a distributed component object, an oracle call interface, an Oracle Pro*C library, and an Informix ESQL C library.

43. The package structure according to claim 39, wherein the extension framework includes at least one of a Unix shell script, a Windows batch file, an IBM customer information control system transaction processing program, an IBM job control language file, a Microsoft visual basic script, and a visual basic program.

44. The package structure according to claim 29, wherein a package structure has a package boundary defined by at least one of a boundary of the first asset, a boundary of the second asset, a boundary of the third asset, and a boundary of the fourth asset.

45. The package structure according to claim 44, wherein the package boundary includes at least one of an application programming interface, a component boundary, an Internet protocol, a logical division in a software application, at least one edge of an application program call graph for the software application, an open standard application programming interface, a proprietary standard application programming interface, and an extension framework.

46. The package structure according to claim 45, wherein the open standard application programming interface includes at least one of a TCP/IP library, a C library, a C++ library, a CORBA library, a Java servlet, a Java server page, an enterprise JavaBean, a Java database connectivity, a Java messaging service, a hypertext markup language, a hypertext transfer protocol, and a wireless markup language.

47. The package structure according to claim 45, wherein the proprietary standard application programming interface includes at least one of a Java 2 platform enterprise edition, a Microsoft foundation class, a component object model, a distributed component object, an oracle call interface, an Oracle Pro*C library, and an Informix ESQL C library.

48. The package structure according to claim 45, wherein the extension framework includes at least one of a Unix shell script, a Windows batch file, an IBM customer information control system transaction processing program, an IBM job control language file, a Microsoft visual basic script, and a visual basic program.

49. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the second logic/data part includes at least one of a subsystem, a subapplication, a module, a function, a variable, a data structure, and a subapplication of an enterprise information system.

50. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the second logic/data part is based on an object-oriented language and the second logic/data part includes at least one of a component, an object class, an object method, and a data member associated with the object-oriented language.

51. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the second logic/data part is based on an object-oriented language and the second logic/data part includes at least one of a Java archive file, a Java package, and a Java class.

52. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the second logic/data part is a Java 2 platform enterprise edition object-oriented programming language component including at least one of a Java server page, a Java servlet, and an enterprise JavaBean.

53. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the first asset is a relational data asset and the first logic/data part includes at least one of a data structure, a serialized object, a file, and a set of data from at least one of a relational database, an object-oriented database, a hierarchical database, an enterprise information system, and an XML structure.

54. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the first extended environment part and the second extended environment part is a subset of at least one of an enterprise information system application, a client environment, and an intermediate server environment.

55. The package structure according to claim 27, further comprising:

a first asset interface, the first asset interface capable of enabling communication between an extended environment part of an asset and a base environment of a target computer.

56. The package structure according to claim 28, further comprising:

a first asset interface, the first asset interface capable of enabling communication between an extended environment part of an asset and a base environment of a target computer.

57. The package structure according to claim 29, further comprising:

a first asset interface, the first asset interface capable of enabling communication between an extended environment part of an asset and a base environment of a target computer.

58. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a base environment.

59. The package structure according to claim 58, wherein the base environment includes at least one of a Web server for the static content asset;

a servlet engine for a Java asset wherein the Java asset contains a Java server page;

a Java runtime environment for the Java asset, wherein the Java asset contains a Java class;

an application server for an enterprise JavaBean asset; and

a database management system for at least one of a reference data asset, an entity asset, and an entity bean.

60. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a base environment.

61. The package structure according to claim 60, wherein the base environment includes at least one of a Web server for the static content asset;

a servlet engine for a Java asset wherein the Java asset contains a Java server page;

a Java runtime environment for the Java asset, wherein the Java asset contains a Java class;

an application server for an enterprise JavaBean asset; and

a database management system for at least one of a reference data asset, an entity asset, and an entity bean.

62. The package structure according to claim 29, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a base environment.

63. The package structure according to claim 62, wherein the base environment includes at least one of a Web server for the static content asset;

a servlet engine for a Java asset wherein the Java asset contains a Java server page;

a Java runtime environment for the Java asset, wherein the Java asset contains a Java class;

an application server for an enterprise JavaBean asset; and

a database management system for at least one of a reference data asset, an entity asset, and an entity bean.

64. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure includes at least one of a publishing agent, a subscriber agent, a caching agent, and a computational agent.

65. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure includes at least one of a publishing agent, a subscriber agent, a caching agent, and a computational agent.

66. The package structure according to claim 29, wherein at least one asset in the package structure includes at least one of a publishing agent, a subscriber agent, a caching agent, and a computational agent.

67. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure includes an adapter, the adapter including at least one of a discovery adapter, a versioning adapter, an export adapter, a process adapter, a target adapter, a deployment adapter, a synchronization adapter, a bridging adapter, an adjustment adapter, a streaming adapter, a quality of service adapter, and an asset packaging process.

68. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure includes an adapter, the adapter including at least one of a discovery adapter, a versioning adapter, an export adapter, a process adapter, a target adapter, a deployment adapter, a synchronization adapter, a bridging adapter, an adjustment adapter, a streaming adapter, a quality of service adapter, and an asset packaging process.

69. The package structure according to claim 29, wherein at least one asset in the package structure includes an adapter, the adapter including at least one of a discovery adapter, a versioning adapter, an export adapter, a process adapter, a target adapter, a deployment adapter, a synchronization adapter, a bridging adapter, an adjustment adapter, a streaming adapter, a quality of service adapter, and an asset packaging process.

70. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein the first asset is a reference data asset and the first logic/data part includes data based on at least one database query and the first extended environment part includes a database table schema.

71. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is an entity data asset, the entity data asset containing a logic/data part and an extended environment part, wherein the logic/data part includes data based on at least one database query and the extended environment part includes a database table schema.

72. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure includes an asset adapter based on a CDS adapter and wherein a logic/data part of the asset includes an asset adapter class file and an extended environment part of the asset includes at least one of versioning data and licensing data.

73. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a dynamic content asset, a logic/data part of the dynamic content asset including a Java server page and an extended environment part of the dynamic content asset including a Java naming and directory interface entry.

74. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a dynamic content asset, a logic/data part of the dynamic content asset including a Java server page and an extended environment part of the dynamic content asset including a Java naming and directory interface entry.

75. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a Java class asset, a logic/data part of the Java class asset including a Java class file and an extended environment part of the Java class asset including a Java naming and directory interface entry.

76. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a Java class asset, a logic/data part of the Java class asset including a Java class file and an extended environment part of the Java class asset including a Java naming and directory interface entry.

77. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a session bean asset, a logic/data part of the session bean asset including an enterprise JavaBean implementation and an extended environment part of the session bean asset including at least one of an enterprise JavaBean stub and skeleton deployment descriptor and a Java naming and directory interface entry.

78. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a session bean asset, a logic/data part of the session bean asset including an enterprise JavaBean implementation and an extended environment part of the session bean asset including at least one of an enterprise JavaBean stub and skeleton deployment descriptor and a Java naming and directory interface entry.

79. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is an entity bean asset, a logic/data part of the entity bean asset including an enterprise JavaBean implementation based on a database query and an extended environment part of the entity bean asset including at least one of an enterprise JavaBean stub and skeleton deployment descriptor and a Java naming and directory interface entry.

80. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is an entity bean asset, a logic/data part of the entity bean asset including an enterprise JavaBean implementation based on a database query and an extended environment part of the entity bean asset including at least one of an enterprise JavaBean stub and skeleton deployment descriptor and a Java naming and directory interface entry.

81. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a Smalltalk asset, a logic/data part of the Smalltalk asset including a Smalltalk image.

82. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a Smalltalk asset, a logic/data part of the Smalltalk asset including a Smalltalk image.

83. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a C++ asset, a logic/data part of the C++ asset including at least one of an executable C++ file and a dynamic link library and an extended environment part of the C++ asset including at least one of a Windows registry entry and an environment variable.

84. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a C++ asset, a logic/data part of the C++ asset including at least one of an executable C++ file and a dynamic link library and an extended environment part of the C++ asset including at least one of a Windows registry entry and an environment variable.

85. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a Perl asset, a logic/data part of the Perl asset including a Perl script and an extended environment part of the Perl asset including an environment variable.

86. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a Perl asset, a logic/data part of the Perl asset including a Perl script and an extended environment part of the Perl asset including an environment variable.

87. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein the third asset is a static content asset and the third logic/data part of the third asset includes a hypertext markup language file.

88. The package structure according to claim 87, wherein the third extended environment part includes a Web server alias.

89. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein the third asset is a static content asset and the third logic/data part of the third asset includes at least one of a JPEG file, a GIF file, a Java applet, an scalable vector graphics file, a portable document format file, a tag image file format file, an encapsulated postscript file, a portable network graphics file, an extended markup language file, a wireless markup language file, a bitmap file, an extended hypertext markup language file, a dynamic hypertext markup language file, a motion picture expert group file, and a static content item transferable over a hypertext transfer protocol.

90. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein the third extended environment part includes a Web server alias.

91. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a music asset, a logic/data part of the music asset including an MP3 file and an extended environment part of the music asset including at least one of an album data item and a track data item.

92. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a music asset, a logic/data part of the music asset including an MP3 file and an extended environment part of the music asset including at least one of an album data item and a track data item.

93. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a video asset, a logic/data part of the video asset including an MPEG file and an extended environment part of the video asset including video production note.

94. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a video asset, a logic/data part of the video asset including an MPEG file and an extended environment part of the video asset including video production note.

95. The package structure according to claim 27, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a document asset, a logic/data part of the document asset including a portable document format file and an extended environment part of the document asset including an authentication certificate.

96. The package structure according to claim 28, wherein at least one asset in the package structure is a document asset, a logic/data part of the document asset including a portable document format file and an extended environment part of the document asset including an authentication certificate.

97. A system for organizing a package, comprising:

a program memory;

a storage device, wherein the storage device contains an application; and

a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to;

(i) load the application into the program memory from the storage device;

(ii) identify an asset within the application, wherein the asset is determined by an asset boundary and the asset contains a logic/data part and an extended environment part;

(iii) identify the package within the application, wherein the package is a logical division of the application and wherein the package includes a plurality of assets;

(iv) determine a package boundary identifying the scope of the package, wherein the package boundary may be determined by the asset boundary of at least one asset in the package; and

(v) organize the package according to the package boundary, wherein the package includes at least two assets.

98. A system for distributing a package, comprising:

a first program memory;

a first storage device, wherein the storage device contains at least one of the package and an application;

a first processor, wherein the first processor is adapted to at least one of;

(i) organize the package from the application, wherein the application is initially loaded into the first program memory from the first storage device, and

(ii) distribute the package over the communications network; and

a second processor, wherein the second processor is adapted to;

(i) receive the package from the first processor, and

(ii) at least one of load the package into a second program memory and store the package on a second storage device.

99. A medium for storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform the steps of:

identifying an asset within an application, wherein the asset is determined by an asset boundary and the asset contains a logic/data part and an extended environment part;

identifying a package within the application, wherein the package is a logical division of the application and wherein the package includes a plurality of assets;

determining a package boundary identifying the scope of the package, wherein the package boundary may be determined by the asset boundary of at least one asset in the package; and

organizing the package according to the package boundary, wherein the package including at least two assets.

100. A medium for storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform the steps of:

organizing a package from within an application, wherein the package is a logical division of the application and the package includes at least two assets, wherein an asset contains a logic/data part and an extended environment part;

transforming the package to function on a target computer node, wherein the target computer node contains at least one of a different computer hardware, software, and operating environment than the computer node for which the application is designed; and

distributing the package over the communications network to the target computer node.