Executing business logic extensions on a client computing system

• US 20080271059A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ott, Michael James, Janedittakarn, Akezyt, Tkatch, Alexander M., Ghanaie-Sicanie, Arash
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• 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 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for executing business logic extensions on a client computing system. A server platform exposes server-hosted application services to client applications. Calls to the server-hosted application services may be executed along with custom business logic extensions. A client platform is also provided that exposes client-hosted application services to a client application. The same business logic extensions that execute on the server platform can be utilized by the client platform. When a client application is online and connected to the server platform, the client application utilizes the server-hosted application services in the manner described above. When the client application is offline, the client application utilizes the client-hosted application services. The server platform synchronizes the business logic extensions to the client platform.

Claims

1. A system for executing business logic extensions in a client application, the system comprising:

a server platform operative to expose one or more server-hosted application services to the client application, to receive a request from the client application to perform one of the server-hosted application services and, in response to the request, to execute one or more business logic extensions on a server computer; and

a client platform operative to expose one or more client-hosted application services to the client application, to receive a request from the client application to execute one of the client-hosted application services and, in response to the request, to execute one or more of the business logic extensions on a client computer.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a client application operative to determine whether a connection can be established to the server platform, to utilize the server-hosted application services when a connection can be established to the server platform, and to utilize the client-hosted application services when a connection cannot be established to the server platform.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more business logic extensions comprise one or more plug-ins to an execution pipeline.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the client platform and the server platform are further operative to synchronize the one or more plug-ins between the client computer and the server computer.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein executing the one or more business logic extensions comprises executing one or more of the plug-ins synchronously with the execution pipeline.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein executing the one or more business logic extensions comprises executing one or more of the plug-ins asynchronously from the execution pipeline.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more plug-ins comprise compiled program code.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the server-hosted application services and the client-hosted application services expose an identical application programming interface (API) to the client application.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the API comprises a message-based API.

10. A method for executing business logic extensions in a client application, the method comprising:

providing a client platform, the client platform operative to expose one or more client-provided application services to a client application executing on a client computer; and

executing the client application on the client computer, the client application operative to determine whether a connection can be established to a server platform exposing one or more server-provided application services to the client application, to utilize the server-provided application services to execute the business logic extensions on the server platform if a connection can be established to the server platform, and to utilize the client-provided application services to execute the business logic extensions on the client computer if a connection cannot be established to the server platform.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the business logic extensions comprise one or more plug-ins to an execution pipeline.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the client platform is further operative to synchronize the one or more plug-ins with plug-ins stored at the server computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the client-provided application services are exposed through a message-based application programming interface (API) that is identical to an API exposed by the server-provided application services.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plug-ins are executed synchronously with the execution pipeline or asynchronously from the execution pipeline.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 10.

16. A method for executing business logic extensions in a client application, the method comprising:

providing a server platform, the server platform operative to expose a message-based application programming interface (API) to a plurality of client computers;

maintaining one or more business logic extensions in the server platform, the business logic extensions executable on a server computer and on the client computers;

executing one or more of the business logic extensions on the server computer in response to calls to the API from client applications executing on the client computers; and

periodically synchronizing the business logic extensions to the client computers for execution within the client applications.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the business logic extensions comprise plug-ins to an execution pipeline on the client computers and the server computer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plug-ins comprise compiled program code.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plug-ins may be executed synchronously or asynchronously.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 16.