Apparatus and method for control of one computer system by another computer system
First Claim
1. In a digital data processing system which has a destination data processing means coupled by message transport means to a source data processing means and wherein the source data processing means has remote call providing means for providing a remote call to a callable program in the destination data processing means and the destination data processing means has remote call receiving means for receiving the remote call and performing a call to the callable program,a call message which is produced by the remote call providing means in the source data processing means, transferred via the message transport means to the destination data processing means, and received by the remote call receiving means comprising:
- a callable program specifier for specifying the callable program; and
an optional data part containing one or more optional items representing parameter values, the parameter values not being required in every call to the callable program but being used by the remote call receiving means in making the call when the optional items representing the parameter values are present in the call message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method whereby a first digital computer system may be controlled by a second digital computer system. The two digital computer systems are connected by data transfer apparatus. A program in the second digital computer system constructs a call protocol specifying a routine to be called in the first digital computer system. The data transfer apparatus transfers the call protocol to the first digital computer system, and a program in the first digital computer system performs the call. Also disclosed are a return protocol which may be employed to return data from the called routine to the second computer system, call protocols containing arguments, the use of call and return protocols to call system and user routines, and preferred forms of the call and return protocols.
96 Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a digital data processing system which has a destination data processing means coupled by message transport means to a source data processing means and wherein the source data processing means has remote call providing means for providing a remote call to a callable program in the destination data processing means and the destination data processing means has remote call receiving means for receiving the remote call and performing a call to the callable program,
a call message which is produced by the remote call providing means in the source data processing means, transferred via the message transport means to the destination data processing means, and received by the remote call receiving means comprising: - a callable program specifier for specifying the callable program; and
an optional data part containing one or more optional items representing parameter values, the parameter values not being required in every call to the callable program but being used by the remote call receiving means in making the call when the optional items representing the parameter values are present in the call message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- a callable program specifier for specifying the callable program; and
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6. A method of performing a remote call of a callable program which may be called with one or more optional arguments which are not required in every call to the program comprising the steps of:
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in a source data processing means which is the source of the remote call, forming a call message which specifies the callable program and includes an optional item representing each optional argument used in the call; sending the call message via message transport means to a destination data processing system at which the callable program is located; and in the destination data processing system, responding to the call message by calling the callable program using each of the optional items as an optional argument. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. Apparatus for performing a remote call from a source data processing means of a callable program belonging to one of a plurality of sets of callable programs stored in a destination data processing means where the source data processing means is coupled to the destination data processing means by message transport means comprising:
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remote call providing means in the source data processing means for providing a first call message specifying one of the sets of callable programs followed by a second call message specifying one program in the set specified by the first call message to the message transport means; a plurality of handler means in the destination data processing means corresponding to the plurality of sets of callable programs for calling a callable program in response to the second call message; and remote call receiving means in the destination data processing means responsive to the first call message for receiving the following second call message and providing the following second call message to the handler means specified in the first call message. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification