Systems and methods for transparently accessing Web applications remotely and locally

• US 20040003054A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Becker, Craig Henry, Vicknair, Wayne Elmo, Nickolas, Stewart Earle
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements

Abstract

A method, computer program product and system for accessing a Web application. The Web application may be accessed by receiving a request for the Web application where the request includes an identifier of the Web application. In response to the identifier of the Web application, one of a local and a remote target of the Web application may be determined. The request may be dispatched to a target in response to input data identifying the Web application and, alternatively, form selection input.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a Web application comprising:

receiving a request for a Web application operation;

dispatching the request to one of a locally deployed and remotely deployed instance of the Web application, wherein the step of dispatching the request is mediated by a method in a first page of the Web application, and wherein the request is selectively dispatched in response to first input data; and

if, the request includes second input data for the Web application, the step of dispatching the request further comprises;

reducing the request to a set of parameters in response to the second input data; and

passing the set of parameters to the Web application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, if the request is dispatched to the locally deployed instance of the Web application, the method further comprises passing the request to the locally deployed instance of the Web application via an interprocess communication interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the interprocess communication interface comprises an ActiveX control.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the ActiveX control resides in an invisible frame of a page of the Web application.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

executing the Web application operation;

generating a second page in response to the step of executing the Web application operation, wherein the second page includes a result of the Web application operation; and

returning the page to a client.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first input data is selected from the group consisting of a URI scheme and a form selector operable for selecting a target instance of the Web application.

7. A computer program product embodied in a machine readable storage medium including programming instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving a request for a Web application operation;

dispatching the request to one of a locally deployed and remotely deployed instance of the Web application, wherein the step of dispatching the request is mediated by a method in a first page of the Web application, and wherein the request is selectively dispatched in response to first input data; and

if, the request includes second input data for the Web application, the step of dispatching the request further comprises;

reducing the request to a set of parameters in response to the second input data; and

passing the set of parameters to the Web application.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein, if the request is dispatched to the locally deployed instance of the Web application, the method further comprises passing the request to the locally deployed instance of the Web application via an interprocess communication interface.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the interprocess communication interface comprises an ActiveX control.

10. The program product of claim 9 wherein the ActiveX control resides in an invisible frame of a page of the Web application.

11. The program product of claim 7 executing the Web application operation;

generating a second page in response to the step of executing the Web application operation, wherein the second page includes a result of the Web application operation; and

returning the page to a client.

12. The program product of claim 7 wherein the first input data is selected from the group consisting of a URI scheme and a form selector operable for selecting a target instance of the Web application.

13. A data processing system for accessing a Web application comprising:

circuitry operable for receiving a request for a Web application operation;

circuitry operable for dispatching the request to one of a locally deployed and remotely deployed instance of the Web application, wherein the step of dispatching the request is mediated by a method in a first page of the Web application, and wherein the request is selectively dispatched in response to first input data; and

wherein the circuitry operable for dispatching the request further comprises;

circuitry operable for reducing the request to a set of parameters in response to the second input data; and

circuitry operable for passing the set of parameters to the Web application.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising circuitry operable for passing the request to the locally deployed instance of the Web application via an interprocess communication interface.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the interprocess communication interface comprises an ActiveX control.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the ActiveX control resides in an invisible frame of a page of the Web application.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

circuitry operable for executing the Web application operation;

circuitry operable for generating a second page in response to the step of executing the Web application operation, wherein the second page includes a result of the Web application operation; and

circuitry operable for returning the page to a client.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the first input data is selected from the group consisting of a URI scheme and a form selector operable for selecting a target instance of the Web application.