System and method for client-server communication

• US 20030172092A1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Epicor Software Corporation (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Epicor Software Corporation (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Turner, Larry J., Wilcox, Andrew E., Berger, Kenneth A.
• Application Number:
  US10/387,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20030172092A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system for facilitating data communications between a client and a server is provided. The system includes a server thread system that receives client logon data and a request packet. The server thread system maintains a client process while the client is logged on to the server that allows the state of client-server communications to be determined. The system also includes a process thread system that is connected to the server thread system. The process thread system receives process initiation data from the server thread system and initiates a process in response to the process initiation data.

Claims

1. A system for communicating between a client and a server comprising:

a server thread system receiving client logon data and a request packet and managing the client using a server thread process while the client is logged on to the server; and

a process thread system coupled to the server thread system, the process thread system receiving the request packet from the server thread system and initiating a process thread process in response to the request packet.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more helper systems coupled to the process thread system, each helper system receiving helper initiation data from the process thread system and returning response data to the process thread system.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a client access system coupled to the server thread system, the client access system providing logon data to the server thread system and receiving communications system files from the server thread system.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the client access system further comprises a request packet system receiving request data from a client and forming one or more request packets in response to the request data.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the client access system further comprises a synchronization thread system initiating a synchronization thread process when a request packet is transmitted and terminating the synchronization thread process when a corresponding response packet is received.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a sender system coupled to the liaison system, the sender system receiving the request packet from the liaison system and transmitting the request packet to the server thread system.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising a listener system coupled to the liaison system, the listener system receiving a response packet from the process thread system and providing the response packet to the liaison system.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the client access system further comprises a request packet system receiving request data from a client and forming one or more request packets from the request data.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a response packet system coupled to the process thread system, the response packet system receiving response data, forming one or more response packets from the response data, and providing the response packets to the process thread system.

10. A method for communicating between a client and a server comprising:

initiating a server thread process when the client logs onto the server to manage the client connection to the server; and

initiating a process thread process in response to a request packet, to manage the generation of a response packet in response to the request packet.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

instantiating a helper in response to the client request; and

managing the helper with the process thread process.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein initiating the server thread when the;

client logs onto the server comprises;

sending a logon request from the client to the server;

determining whether the client requires a communications software update; and

transmitting the communications software update if the client requires the communications software update.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein initiating the process thread process in response to the client request further comprises initiating a synchronization thread process at the client when the client request is generated to manage the client request.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein initiating the process thread process in response to the client request comprises:

generating a request packet in response to the client request at the client;

transmitting the request packet to the server; and

initiating the process thread process in response to the client request.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating a response packet;

transmitting the response packet to the client; and

terminating the process thread process when the response packet is transmitted.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a second client request;

determining whether the second client request is identical to the first client request from the process thread;

ignoring the second client request if it is identical to the first client request; and

initiating a second process thread process if the second client request is not identical to the first client request.

17. A method for communicating between a client and a server comprising:

generating a request packet;

initiating a synchronization thread process;

transmitting the request packet to the server;

receiving a response packet in response to the request packet; and

terminating the synchronization thread process after receiving the request packet.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining that no response packet has been received; and

retransmitting the request packet to the server.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein transmitting the request packet to the server further comprises transmitting the request packet to a server thread system.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving the response packet in response to the request packet further comprises receiving the response packet from a process thread system.