Protocol-Neutral Channel-Based Application Communication

• US 20080151932A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wormer, Joel, Gonzalez-Banos, Hector H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A system is presented that enables applications in a distributed system to communicate through a channel-based communication system. The applications use adaptors which communicate through a communication mechanism, resulting in application independence from the communication mechanism. In one embodiment, the communication mechanism consists of transmission media, logical channels, and brokers. The adaptors communicate with each other over the transmission media. Groups of adaptors involved in a particular type of communication from a communication channel. Channel profiles, which include channel properties and a list of adaptor members, are stored in brokers which can be queried by adaptors. Adaptors can support channel-specific data processing operations specified in the channel profile. Adaptors can join a channel, leave a channel, and communicate with other adaptors over the channel.

Claims

1. A system for enabling communication between applications, comprising:

a plurality of adaptors, each adaptor associated with a different application;

one or more channels, a channel specifying one or more connections between adaptors that are members of the channel; and

a broker configured to maintain a repository of one or more profiles, each profile associated with a different channel and including information about one or more properties of the channel and information about one or more adaptors that are members of the channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein applications communicate with each other through their associated adaptors, and wherein the adaptors implement a channel-based communication mechanism, and wherein each adaptor provides the associated application with an interface to send data, receive data, perform channel operations, and configure the adaptor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each adaptor has a role within each channel of which it is a member, and wherein the role is either self-complementary or complementary to another role, and wherein an adaptor of a particular role communicates only with adaptors having a complementary role on the channel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the role is a server role or a complementary client role.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the role is a self-complementary peer role.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein an adaptor communicates asynchronously.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a first adaptor communicates with a second adaptor using an untyped byte stream.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein an adaptor communicates with the broker to receive a channel profile, join a channel, and leave a channel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein an adaptor supports a channel-specific data processing operation specified in the channel profile.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the channel-specific data processing operation includes one of quality of service, total ordering, encryption, and logging.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a first adaptor determines a protocol for communication with a second adaptor based on a type of transmission media.

12. In a system for communicating between applications that comprises a plurality of adaptors, each adaptor associated with a different application;

one or more channels, a channel specifying one or more connections between adaptors that are members of the channel; and

a broker configured to maintain a repository of one or more profiles, each profile associated with a different channel and including information about one or more properties of the channel and information about one or more adaptors that are members of the channel;

a method for joining a channel, the method comprising;

receiving a request from an application to subscribe to the channel;

retrieving, from the broker, a channel profile associated with the channel;

establishing a connection to a complementary adaptor identified in the channel profile; and

notifying the broker that an adaptor has joined the channel.

13. In a system for communicating between applications that comprises a plurality of adaptors, each adaptor associated with a different application;

one or more channels, a channel specifying one or more connections between adaptors that are members of the channel; and

a broker configured to maintain a repository of one or more profiles, each profile associated with a different channel and including information about one or more properties of the channel and information about one or more adaptors that are members of the channel;

a method for leaving a channel, the method comprising;

receiving a request from an application to unsubscribe from the channel;

closing a connection to a complementary adaptor that is a member of the channel; and

notifying the broker that an adaptor has left the channel.