Adaptive software component techniques

• US 20060129516A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Milliner, Stephen, Vayssiere, Julien J.P., Bradford, Lindsay
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Techniques are presented for dynamically adapting software components. An enhancement for a component is dynamically detected and installed. The enhancement is dynamically processed for requests directed to the component or for responses generated by the component.

Claims

1. A method, including:

dynamically detecting an enhancement to a component within a processing environment;

dynamically installing the enhancement within the processing environment; and

dynamically processing the enhancement for at least one of a request for and a response from the component.

2. The method of claim 1 further including, registering with the environment for receiving a notification on the enhancement once the enhancement is available within the processing environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically detecting further includes receiving notification from the environment that a pre-request or post-response object type was posted in the processing environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically processing further includes posting a new object type within the processing environment, wherein the new object type is recognized and processed by a different dynamically installed component within the environment.

5. The method of claim 4, further including dynamically replacing the component within the environment with a new version of the component in response to conditions or decisions detected by the different dynamically installed component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically processing further includes monitoring responsiveness associated with the component by the enhancement when processed.

7. The method of claim 6, further including processing the component as a content delivering web service within the environment, and wherein the environment is an active object space server platform.

8. A system, including:

an active object space environment (AOS);

a variable-layer object (VLO) adapted to dynamically enhance a first component processing within the AOS; and

a transponder adapted to recognize the VLO, install the VLO, and process the VLO within the AOS.

9. The system of claim 8 further including, a second component that detects and processes output from the VLO within the AOS, and wherein the second component is adapted to cause a newer version of the first component to be dynamically installed and processed within the AOS in response to conditions associated with the output from the VLO.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the output is a new dynamic object produced by the VLO.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the transponder processes the VLO as at least one of a pre-request component and a post-response component.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first component is a web content-delivery service accessed by a client over the Internet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the VLO dynamically tracks response times for client requests from the first component.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the AOS includes request state objects directed from clients to the first component and response state objects produced from the first component and directed to the clients, and wherein the transponder detects and communicates the request and response state objects on behalf of the clients and the first component.

15. A machine-accessible medium including instructions thereon, the instructions when processed by a machine perform the method of:

detecting an enhancement to a processing component;

dynamically installing the enhancement; and

processing the enhancement for requests to or responses generated from the processing component.

16. The medium of claim 15 further including instructions for processing a second component in response to output from the enhancement.

17. The medium of claim 16 further including instructions for dynamically installing and processing a new version of the processing component in response to instructions received from the second component.

18. The medium of claim 15 further including instructions for representing input and output associated with the processing component and the enhancement as objects within an active object space (AOS) platform.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein processing the enhancement further includes processing the requests before the requests are handled by the processing component and processing the responses after the responses are produced by the processing component.

20. The medium of claim 15 further including instructions for processing the component as a content-delivering web service that interacts with clients over the Internet, and wherein the enhancement monitors performance of the web service and is enabled to dynamically replace key web service components with new components.