Application management

• US 20050022157A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Brunswig, Frank, Brendle, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/482 Application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for application management. Application management may include managing a context of an executing application such that the application is isolated from contexts of other executing applications. Furthermore, application management may include providing methods for accessing resources for the context of the executing application, the resources to process application tasks, and managing the resources.

Claims

1. A system for managing an application, the system comprising:

an application framework comprising an accessor interface to provide methods for accessing resources for a context of an executing application, the resources to perform application tasks; and

a server framework comprising a resource manager to manage the resources.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the accessor interface provides methods for accessing variables of a context of an executing application.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the methods for accessing context variables allow the executing application to generate, set values of, get values of, and remove variables.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the variables are accessed from all levels of the executing application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more resources are borrowed from resource providers that are integrated and published at runtime.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the resources are specified by their types and parameters, and the source of the resource providers is unknown to an executing application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein resources comprise back end and operating system resources.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the methods for accessing resources allow for the specification of resource lifetimes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the lifetime of an allocated resource is bound to the lifetime of a request.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein managing the resources comprises integrating and publishing the resources.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein managing the resources comprises monitoring lifetime scopes of the resources.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein managing the resources comprises releasing a resource when the resource is out of scope.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the application framework defines and controls transactional boundaries.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein defining and controlling transactional boundaries comprises defining a transactional boundary for a request-response cycle such that system resources are not allocated to the context of the executing application while waiting for an external input.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein managing the resources comprises determining dependency of resources on other resources.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein determining dependency of resources on other resources comprises mapping resources into a resource tree.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a root node of the resource tree comprises a lifetime resource.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein managing the resources comprises notifying children of a resource when the resource is to be released.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the resource tree is associated with the application context.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein synchronized front end and back end life cycles are provided.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein managing the resources comprises recovering from an application failure.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein recovering from an application failure comprises releasing resources associated with a failed application.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the accessor interface provides methods for accessing services for a context of an executing application, the services for manipulating the resources; and

the server framework manages the services.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the services are provided by service providers.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the application framework comprises an event dispatcher, the event dispatcher publishing and subscribing events in a context of an executing application.

26. A method for managing an application, the method comprising:

managing a context of an executing application so the application is isolated from contexts of other executing applications;

providing methods for accessing resources for the context of the executing application, the resources to perform application tasks; and

managing the resources.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing methods for accessing variables of the context of the executing application.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the variables are accessed from all levels of the executing application.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising borrowing one or more resources from a resource provider that is integrated and published at runtime.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein resources are specified by their types and parameters, and the source of the resource providers is unknown to the executing application.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the methods for accessing resources allow for specification of resource lifetimes.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the lifetime of an allocated resource is bound to a lifetime of a request.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein managing the resources comprises monitoring lifetime scopes of the resources.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein managing the resources further comprises releasing a resource when the resource is out of scope.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising defining and controlling transactional boundaries.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein defining and controlling transactional boundaries comprises defining a transactional boundary for a request-response cycle so system resources are not allocated to an application context while waiting for an external input.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein managing the resources comprises determining a dependency of resources on other resources.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein determining the dependency of resources on other resources comprises mapping resources into a resource tree.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein a root node of the resource tree comprises a lifetime resource.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein managing the resources further comprises notifying children of a resource when the resource is to be released.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the resource tree is associated with the context of the executing application.

42. The method of claim 26, wherein managing the resources comprises recovering from an application failure.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein recovering from an application failure comprises releasing resources associated with a failed application.

44. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing methods for accessing services for the context of the executing application, the services operable to manipulate the resources; and

managing the services.

45. The method of claim 26, further comprising publishing and subscribing events in a context of an executing application.

46. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

managing a context of an executing application so the application is isolated from contexts of other executing applications;

providing methods for accessing resources for the context of the executing application, the resources to perform application tasks; and

managing the resources.

47. The article of claim 46, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising providing methods for accessing variables of the context of the executing application.

48. The article of claim 47, wherein the variables are accessed from all levels of the executing application.

49. The article of claim 46, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising borrowing one or more resources from a resource provider that is integrated and published at runtime.

50. The article of claim 49, wherein resources are specified by their types and parameters, and the source of the resource providers is unknown to the executing application.

51. The article of claim 46, wherein the methods for accessing resources allow for specification of resource lifetimes.

52. The article of claim 51, wherein the lifetime of an allocated resource is bound to a lifetime of a request.

53. The article of claim 46, wherein managing the resources comprises monitoring lifetime scopes of the resources.

54. The article of claim 53, wherein managing the resources further comprises releasing a resource when the resource is out of scope.

55. The article of claim 46, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising defining and controlling transactional boundaries.

56. The article of claim 55, wherein defining and controlling transactional boundaries comprises defining a transactional boundary for a request-response cycle so system resources are not allocated to an application context while waiting for an external input.

57. The article of claim 46, wherein managing the resources comprises determining a dependency of resources on other resources.

58. The article of claim 57, wherein determining the dependency of resources on other resources comprises mapping resources into a resource tree.

59. The article of claim 58, wherein a root node of the resource tree comprises a lifetime resource.

60. The article of claim 58, wherein managing resources further comprises notifying children of a resource when the resource is to be released.

61. The article of claim 58, wherein the resource tree is associated with an context of the executing application.

62. The article of claim 46, wherein managing the resources comprises recovering from an application failure.

63. The article of claim 62, wherein recovering from an application failure comprises releasing resources associated with a failed application.

64. The article of claim 46, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

providing methods for accessing services for the context of the executing application, the services operable to manipulate the resources; and

managing the services.

65. The article of claim 46, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising publishing and subscribing events in a context of the executing application.

66. A system for managing an application, the system comprising:

an application framework comprising;

an accessor interface to;

provide methods for accessing variables of a context for an executing application;

provide methods for accessing resources associated with the application context, the resources to perform application tasks, wherein the methods allow for the specification of resource lifetimes; and

define and control transactional boundaries, wherein a transactional boundary for a request-response cycle is provided such that system resources are not allocated to the application context while waiting for an external input, and

an event dispatcher, the event dispatcher to publish and subscribe events in the context of the executing application; and

a server framework comprising;

a resource manager to manage the resources, the resource manager operable to;

integrate and publish the resources;

monitor lifetime scopes of the resources;

release a resource when the resource is out of scope;

determine dependency of the resources on each other by mapping the resources into one or more resource trees, wherein the root node of at least one resource tree comprises a lifetime resource and the resource tree is associated with the application context; and

notify children of a resource when the resource is to be released.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the variables of the context are accessed from all levels of the executing application.

68. The system of claim 66, wherein one or more resources are borrowed from resource providers that are integrated and published at runtime.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the resources are specified by their types and parameters, and the source of the resource providers is unknown to the executing application.

70. The system of claim 66, wherein the lifetime of an allocated resource is bound to the lifetime of a request.

71. The system of claim 66, wherein managing the resources comprises recovering from an application failure.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein recovering from the application failure comprises releasing resources associated with a failed application.