Method and data processing system for managing a plurality of interfaces

• US 20070245005A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Venkatsubra, Venkat, Banerjee, Dwip, Srihari, Prithvi, Ramalingam, Kavitha
• Application Number:
  US11/406,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245005A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product for managing a plurality of interfaces. An application selects a subset of the plurality of interfaces. In response to the selection, the application is bound to the subset of interfaces, wherein the application listens to the subset of interfaces.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing a plurality of interfaces, the computer implemented method comprising:

selecting a subset of the plurality of interfaces by an application to form a subset of interfaces; and

responsive to the selection for a subset of the plurality of interfaces by the application, binding the application to the subset of interfaces, wherein the application listens to the subset of the interfaces.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

opening a master socket; and

opening a child socket for each interface within the subset of interfaces, wherein the master socket and child sockets are opened by the application.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

configuring the child sockets.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of configuring the child sockets comprises:

binding the child socket with the each interface within the subset of interfaces; and

associating the master socket with the child sockets.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the step of associating the master socket with the child sockets comprises:

adding the child sockets to an association list maintained by the master socket; and

linking the master socket with the child sockets in the association list.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets, disassociating the one of the child sockets.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the step of disassociating one of the child sockets comprises:

removing the one of the child sockets from the association list.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket, associating the new child socket with the master socket.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

managing a queue of requests for an application by the master socket; and

forwarding a request from one of the child sockets to an end of the queue of requests, wherein the request from one of the child sockets is a first request in a queue of requests for the one of the child sockets.

10. A data processing system for managing a plurality of interfaces, the system comprising:

an application server connected to a network;

the plurality of interfaces within an application server; and

an application within the application server, wherein the application is bound to the network through the plurality of interfaces.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, further comprising:

a socket bound to each interface in the plurality of interfaces to form a child socket; and

a master socket associated with each child socket, wherein the master socket is connected to the application.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer usable program code for managing a plurality of interfaces, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for selecting a subset of the plurality of interfaces by an application to form a subset of interfaces; and

responsive to the selection for a subset of the plurality of interfaces by the application, computer usable program code for binding the application to the subset of interfaces, wherein the application listens to the subset of interfaces.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

computer usable program code for opening a master socket; and

computer usable program code for opening a child socket for each interface within the subset of interfaces, wherein the master socket and child sockets are opened by the application.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

computer usable program code for configuring the child sockets.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable program code for configuring the child sockets comprises:

computer usable program code for binding the child socket with the each interface in the subset of interfaces; and

computer usable program code for associating the master socket with the child sockets.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for associating the master socket with the child sockets comprises:

computer usable program code for adding the child sockets to an association list maintained by the master socket; and

computer usable program code for linking the master socket with the child sockets in the association list.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets, computer usable program code for disassociating the one of the child sockets.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer usable program code for disassociating the one of the child sockets comprises:

computer usable program code for removing the one of the child sockets from the association list.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket, computer usable program code for associating the new child socket with the master socket.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

computer usable program code for managing a queue of requests for an application by the master socket; and

computer usable program code for forwarding a request from one of the child sockets to an end of the queue of requests, wherein the request from one of the child sockets is a first request in a queue of requests for the one of the child sockets.

21. A computer implemented method for an application to communicate with a subset of network addresses, the computer implemented method comprising:

identifying the subset of network addresses by an application;

establishing a connection to the subset of network addresses; and

accepting the connection to the subset of network addresses by an application.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 21 wherein the step of establishing a connection to the subset of network addresses comprises:

opening a master socket; and

opening a child socket for each network address within the subset of network addresses, wherein the master socket and child sockets are opened by the application.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 22 further comprising:

binding each network address within the subset of network addresses with the child socket; and

listening to the child sockets.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 22 further comprising:

associating the master socket with the child sockets.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 24, wherein the step of associating the master socket with the child socket comprises:

filling an association list with the child sockets; and

listing the master socket with the child sockets in the association list.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 25 further comprising:

receiving a request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets, disassociating the one of the child sockets.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 26, wherein the step of disassociating one of the child sockets comprises:

removing the one of the child sockets from the association list.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 25 further comprising:

receiving a request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket, associating the new child socket with the master socket.

29. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for an application to communicate with a subset of network addresses, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying the subset of network addresses by an application;

computer usable program code for establishing a connection to the subset of network addresses; and

computer usable program code for accepting the connection to the subset of network addresses by an application.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the computer usable program code for establishing a connection to the subset of network addresses comprises:

computer usable program code for opening a master socket; and

computer usable program code for opening a child socket for each network address within the subset of network addresses, wherein the master socket and child sockets are opened by the application.

31. The computer program product of claim 30 further comprising:

computer usable program code for binding each network address within the subset of network addresses with the child socket; and

computer usable program code for listening to the child sockets.

32. The computer usable program code of claim 30 further comprising:

computer usable program code for associating the master socket with the child sockets.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the instructions for associating the master socket with the child socket comprises:

computer usable program code for filling an association list with the child sockets; and

computer usable program code for listing the master socket with the child sockets in the association list.

34. The computer program product of claim 33 further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically close one of the child sockets, computer usable program code for disassociating the one of the child sockets, wherein the computer usable program code for disassociating one of the child sockets comprises instructions for removing the one of the child sockets from the association list.

35. The computer program product of claim 33 further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket; and

responsive to the request from the application to dynamically add a new child socket, computer usable program code for associating the new child socket with the master socket.