Optimizing client code through automated server specialization

• US 20040103407A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Blaukopf, Daniel, Zandman, Dov
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/00 Arrangements for software engineering testing or debugging G06F11/36; administrative, planning or organisation aspects of software project management G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• 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 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Improved end-to-end server-client communication is achieved, wherein a thin client requests services from a server using a condensed optimized protocol. A mediator is provided on the server, which translates encoded messages from the client into standard web service request formats. Results are re-encoded at the server and returned to the client. A code generator is provided to automatically create optimized and specialized client and server code using templates, in which the code is optimized according to the characteristics of the client and the specified services. Grouped messages are supported. Bandwidth consumption is reduced by the technique, which increases the performance of resource-constrained clients, such as small wireless devices.

Claims

1. A method of communication between a client operating in a first platform-independent environment to a server operating in a second platform-independent environment to obtain a service for said client via said server, comprising the steps of:

compiling a program for said client from a platform-independent source code;

using said program to generate a request for said service by said client;

at said client encoding said request according to a first format to define an encoded message;

transmitting said encoded message to a mediator;

at said mediator re-encoding said encoded message into a second format to define a re-encoded message, wherein a size of said re-encoded message exceeds a size of said encoded message; and

transmitting said re-encoded message to a provider of said service.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said program has only a minimum code that is required to produce said first format.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of re-encoding said encoded message is performed by decoding said encoded message to define a decoded message, and re-encoding said decoded message into said second format.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said request comprises a plurality of requests that are assembled into an encoded message group in said encoded message.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of delaying performance of said step of encoding said request for a latency interval to await pendency of additional ones of said plurality of requests.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of requests are asynchronously initiated.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second format is SOAP.

8. A method of establishing access by a client to predetermined server-side services, comprising the steps of:

installing proxy code in said client to provide an interface with an application program executing therein, wherein requests for said server-side services are generated by said application program and said proxy code is adapted to reformulate said requests as first messages according to a first protocol; and

executing a mediator program in a computing device external to said client, said mediator program accepting input from said client according to said first protocol and being further adapted to reformulate said first messages as second messages according to a second protocol, said computing device being capable of communicating said second messages to a provider of said server-side services.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first messages are smaller than corresponding ones of said second messages.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first messages each comprise a plurality of said requests.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of installing proxy code comprises automatically generating said proxy code substantially without human intervention.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of generating said proxy code is performed according to a predefined template.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of executing a mediator program comprises automatically generating said mediator program substantially without human intervention.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of generating said mediator program is performed according to a predefined template.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein said second protocol is SOAP.

16. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of installing an API in said client for access by said application program.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein said proxy code comprises a synchronous stub.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein said proxy code comprises an asynchronous stub.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein said proxy code comprises a grouped stub.

20. The method according to claim 8, wherein said proxy code comprises instructions for enablement of HTTP for transport of said first messages.

21. The method according to claim 8, wherein said proxy code comprises instructions for enablement of HTTPS for transport of said first messages.

22. The method according to claim 8, wherein said proxy code comprises no more than one procedure for accessing said server-side services.

23. The method according to claim 8, wherein said proxy code comprises a plurality of Java classes.

24. A method of communication between a client operating in a first platform-independent environment and a server operating in a second platform-independent environment over a data network to obtain a supported service for said client via said server, comprising the steps of:

at said client encoding a request for said service according to a first format to define an encoded message;

transmitting said encoded message to a mediator via said data network;

at said mediator re-encoding said encoded message into a second format to define a re-encoded message, wherein a size of said re-encoded message exceeds a size of said encoded message; and

transmitting said re-encoded message to a provider of said service via said data network.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said step of re-encoding said encoded message is performed by decoding said encoded message to define a decoded message;

and re-encoding said decoded message into said second format.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein said request comprises a plurality of requests that are assembled into an encoded message group in said encoded message.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of delaying performance of said step of encoding a request for a latency interval to await pendency of additional ones of said plurality of requests.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein said plurality of requests are asynchronously initiated.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein said second format is SOAP.

30. A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of communication between a client operating in a first platform-independent environment and a server operating in a second platform-independent environment to obtain a service for said client via said server, comprising the steps of:

at said client encoding a request for said service according to a first format to define an encoded message;

transmitting said encoded message to a mediator;

at said mediator re-encoding said encoded message into a second format to define a re-encoded message, wherein a size of said re-encoded message exceeds a size of said encoded message; and

transmitting said re-encoded message to a provider of said service.

31. The computer software product according to claim 30, wherein said step of re-encoding said encoded message is performed by decoding said encoded message to define a decoded message;

and re-encoding said decoded message into said second format.

32. The computer software product according to claim 30, wherein said request comprises a plurality of requests that are assembled into an encoded message group in said encoded message.

33. The computer software product according to claim 32, wherein said computer is further instructed to delay performance of said step of encoding a request for a latency interval to await pendency of additional ones of said plurality of requests.

34. The computer software product according to claim 32, wherein said plurality of requests are asynchronously initiated.

35. The computer software product according to claim 30, wherein said second format is SOAP.

36. A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of establishing access by a client operating in a first platform-independent environment to a server operating in a second platform-independent environment to obtain predetermined server-side services, comprising the steps of:

generating proxy code for installation in said client to provide an interface with an application program executing therein, wherein requests for said server-side services are generated, by said application program and said proxy code is adapted to reformulate said requests as first messages according to a first protocol; and

generating a mediator program for installation in a computing device external to said client, said mediator program accepting input from said client according to said first protocol and being further adapted to reformulate said first messages as second messages according to a second protocol, said computing device being capable of communicating said second messages to a provider of said server-side services.

37. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said application program has only a minimum protocol generation code that is required to produce said first messages in said first protocol.

38. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said first messages are smaller than corresponding ones of said second messages.

39. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said first messages each comprise a plurality of said requests.

40. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said step of generating proxy code is performed substantially without human intervention.

41. The computer software product according to claim 40, wherein said step of generating proxy code is performed according to a predefined template.

42. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said step of generating a mediator program is performed substantially without human intervention.

43. The computer software product according to claim 42, wherein said step of generating a mediator program is performed according to a predefined template.

44. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said second protocol is SOAP.

45. The computer software product according to claim 36, further comprising the step of installing an API in said client for access by said application program.

46. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said proxy code comprises a synchronous stub.

47. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said proxy code comprises an asynchronous stub.

48. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said proxy code comprises a grouped stub.

49. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said proxy code comprises instructions for enablement of HTTP for transport of said first messages.

50. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said proxy code comprises instructions for enablement of HTTPS for transport of said first messages.

51. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said proxy code comprises no more than one procedure for accessing said server-side services.

52. The computer software product according to claim 36, wherein said proxy code comprises a plurality of Java classes.

53. A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of establishing an interaction between a client operating in a first platform-independent environment to a server operating in a second platform-independent environment over a data network to obtain a supported service for said client via said server, comprising the steps of:

generating a first program for installation in said client, which when executed by said client causes said client to perform the steps of;

encoding a request for said service according to a first format to define an encoded message; and

transmitting said encoded message to said server via said data network; and

generating a second program for installation in said server, which when executed by said server causes said server to perform the steps of;

re-encoding said encoded message into a second format to define a re-encoded message, wherein a size of said re-encoded message exceeds a size of said encoded message; and

transmitting said re-encoded message to a provider of said service via said data network.

54. The computer software product according to claim 53, wherein said step of re-encoding said encoded message is performed by decoding said encoded message to define a decoded message;

and re-encoding said decoded message into said second format.

55. The computer software product according to claim 53, wherein said request comprises a plurality of requests that are assembled into an encoded message group in said encoded message.

56. The computer software product according to claim 55, wherein said client is further instructed to delay performance of said step of encoding a request for a latency interval to await pendency of additional ones of said plurality of requests.

57. The computer software product according to claim 55, wherein said plurality of requests are asynchronously initiated.

58. The computer software product according to claim 53, wherein said second format is SOAP.

59. A development system for establishing access by a client to predetermined server-side services, comprising:

a computer having a code generator executing therein within a first platform-independent environment, said code generator being adapted to generate proxy code executable in said client to provide an interface with an application program executing in said client, wherein requests for said server-side services are generated by said application program and said proxy code is adapted to reformulate said requests as first messages according to a first protocol, wherein said client operates in a second platform-independent environment; and

said code generator being further adapted to generate a mediator program for a computing device external to said client, said mediator program accepting input from said client according to said first protocol and being further adapted to reformulate said first messages as second messages according to a second protocol, said computing device being capable of communicating said second messages to a provider of said server-side services.

60. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said code generator is actuated using a command line interface.

61. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said code generator is linked to an integrated development program.

62. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said provider of said server-side services is a Java-enabled server.

63. The development system according to claim 62, wherein said client is a Java-enabled client.

64. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said mediator program is compiled from Java source code by said code generator.

65. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said first messages are smaller than corresponding ones of said second messages.

66. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said first messages each comprise a plurality of said requests.

67. The development system according to claim 59, wherein an input of said code generator comprises a predefined template.

68. The development system according to claim 67, wherein said template comprises Java source code, wherein at least a part of said Java source code is copied by said code generator to an output file.

69. The development system according to claim 68, wherein said template further comprises a logical directive that specifies said part of said Java source code.

70. The development system according to claim 68, wherein said mediator program is generated by said code generator responsively to said template.

71. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said second protocol is SOAP.

72. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said proxy code comprises proxy classes.

73. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said proxy code comprises a synchronous stub.

74. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said proxy code comprises an asynchronous stub.

75. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said proxy code comprises a grouped stub.

76. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said proxy code comprises instructions for enablement of HTTP for transport of said first messages.

77. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said proxy code comprises instructions for enablement of HTTPS for transport of said first messages.

78. The development system according to claim 59, wherein said proxy code comprises no more than one procedure for accessing said server-side services.