SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSOLIDATING MIDDLEWARE FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20120331045A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: GATHMAN, Jonathan Chester, BERTRAND, William Scott, GULLEDGE, Robert William, RAMESH, Bhanu
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A server manages middleware communication between the server and a plurality of client terminals through a communication network. The server includes a network interface device that communicates with the plurality of client terminals, storage that stores middleware management operational programs and data, and a processor that executes the middle management operational programs. The server implements a multi-layered marshaling process, which marshals middleware communications between the server and the plurality of terminals, and a consolidated middleware management process, which manages execution of middleware, the multi-layered marshaling process. The consolidated middleware management process is accessible to the plurality of client terminals communicating with the server via a plurality of different types of middleware.

Claims

1. A server that manages middleware communication between the server and a plurality of client terminals through a communication network, the server comprising:

a network interface device that communicates with the plurality of client terminals through the communication network;

a storage that stores middleware management operational programs and data; and

a processor that executes the middle management operational programs,

wherein the server implements a multi-layered marshaling process, which marshals middleware communications between the server and the plurality of terminals, and a consolidated middleware management process, which manages execution of middleware, the multi-layered marshaling process and the consolidated middleware management process being accessible to the plurality of client terminals communicating with the server via a plurality of different types of middleware.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the multi-layered marshaling process includes determining a particular type of middleware of the different types of middleware based on a received communication from a client terminal.

3. The server according to claim 2, wherein the determining a particular type of middleware includes identifying the received communication as being one of a text communication and a binary communication.

4. The server according to claim 3, wherein identifying the received communication includes sampling the received communication.

5. The server according to claim 3, wherein when the received communication is determined to be a text communication, the server further determines a particular type of the text communication.

6. The server according to claim 5, wherein the server further processes each particular type of text communication using a different text marshaling sub-process.

7. The server according to claim 3, wherein when the received communication is determined to be a binary communication, the server further determines a particular type of the binary communication.

8. The server according to claim 7, wherein the server further processes each particular type of binary communication using a different binary marshaling sub-process.

9. The server according to claim 3, wherein the server each different type of received text communication and each different type of received binary communication using a different marshaling process, with each different marshaling process producing a processed output communication in a common format.

10. The server according to claim 9, wherein the server uses the processed output communication in the common format to call an implementation.

11. The server according to claim 1, wherein the consolidated middleware management process includes identifying each type of the plurality of different types of middleware that are being used by the server to communicate with the plurality of client terminals.

12. The server according to claim 11, wherein the server selects a main middleware from among identified types of middleware, the main middleware being used by the server to communicate with a first client terminal of the plurality of client terminals.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein the server determines at least one slave middleware from among the identified types of middleware, the at least one slave middleware being used by the server to communicate with a second client terminal of the plurality of client terminals, the main middleware controlling a life cycle of the at least one slave middleware.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein the main middleware is started first and the main middleware starts the life cycle of the at least one slave middleware.

15. The server according to claim 14, wherein the main middleware terminates that life cycle of the at least one slave middleware before shutting down.

16. The server accordingly to claim 13, wherein the main middleware and the at least slave middleware are started at the same time.

17. The server accordingly to claim 13, wherein controlling the life cycle of the at least one slave middleware includes starting and terminating the execution of the at least one slave middleware, without interfering with the operational functions of the at least one slave middleware.

18. The server according to claim 13, wherein the main middleware and the at least one slave middleware share a common implementation.

19. A method for managing middleware communication between a server and a plurality of client terminals through a communication network, the method comprising:

storing middleware management operational programs and data in a storage;

executing the middleware management operational programs by a processor; and

communicating with the plurality of client terminals through the communication network by a network interface device;

wherein executing the middleware management operational programs includes implementing a multi-layered marshaling process, which marshals middleware communications between the server and the plurality of terminals, and a consolidated middleware management process, which manages execution of middleware, the multi-layered marshaling process and the consolidated middleware management process being accessible to the plurality of client terminals communicating with the server via a plurality of different types of middleware.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a computer-executable program for managing middleware communication between a server and a plurality of client terminals through a communication network, comprising:

a storing segment for storing middleware management operational programs and data in a storage;

an execution segment for executing the middleware management operational programs by a processor; and

a communications segment for communicating with the plurality of client terminals through the communication network by a network interface device;

wherein executing the middleware management operational programs includes implementing a multi-layered marshaling process, which marshals middleware communications between the server and the plurality of terminals, and a consolidated middleware management process, which manages execution of middleware, the multi-layered marshaling process and the consolidated middleware management process being accessible to the plurality of client terminals communicating with the server via a plurality of different types of middleware.