Remote processing of a plurality of commands during a session between a first computer and a host computer

• US 5,375,207 A
• Filed: 11/22/1991
• Issued: 12/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Scaccia, Jim, Hall, Guy T., Blakely, Frank W., Winkleblack, Sherry, Umezawa, Yukihiko, Iwamoto, Shinichi, Nojiri, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AN, MENG AI T
• Application Number:
  US07/796,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/200, 395/275, 395/725, 395/600, 395/325, 395/700, 395/500, 364/200, 364/900
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1794 Details of file format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4484 Executing subprograms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a computer system having a host computer connected to one or more personal computers, a data transport system sends data back and forth between the host computer and the personal computers. Individual applications on a personal computer utilize resources on the host computer by use of a requester process existing on the personal computer. The requester process translates or reformats commands and associated information for sending to the host computer. A host server oversees the execution of such commands received by the host computer, and may call database intrinsics, operating system intrinsics, or remote procedure intrinsics to obtain execution of the command.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a first computer, a host computer and a data transport system, the data transport system coupled to the first computer and the host computer, a method for facilitating execution of a plurality of commands by the host computer, the plurality of commands being originated by an application process which resides on the first computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a function call from the application process to the host computer establishing a session which is dedicated specifically to execution of the plurality of commands being originated by the application process, step (a) being initiated by the application process upon the application process determining at least one of the plurality of commands is to be executed by the host computer;

(b) transferring, by the application process, the plurality of commands from the application process to a requester program segment, the requester program segment being dedicated to preparing information to be transported to the host computer;

(c) preparing the plurality of commands, by the requester program segment, to be transported to the host computer by translating the plurality of commands to produce translated commands the requester program segment running on the first computer;

(d) transporting the translated commands during the session from the first computer to the host computer over the data transport system;

(e) receiving of the translated commands by a host server program residing on the host computer; and

(f) calling of intrinsic program segments by the host server program to execute the translated commands, the intrinsic program segments running on the host computer wherein step (f) comprises the substeps of

(f1) calling data base intrinsic program segments to execute commands which operate on a data base,

(f2) calling system intrinsic program segment to execute commands which are commands normally executed by an operating system of the host computer, and

(f3) calling remote procedure intrinsic program segments for the execution of commands specific to the application process.

2. A computer system with a host computer connected to one or more smaller computer through a data transport system, the data transport system for transferring data between the host computer and the one or more smaller computers, the computer system comprising:

at least one smaller computer for running PC-based applications;

a PC-based application which includes a first group of calls and procedures which are intended to be executed by the at least one smaller computer, and a second group of calls and procedures which the PC-based application intends to be executed by the host computer during a session initiated by said PC-based application, the session being dedicated specifically to the second group of calls and procedures originated by the PC-based application and the session being originated by the PC-based application upon the PC-based application determining at least one call or procedure of the second group of calls and procedures is to be executed by the host computer; and

,

a requester process running on the at least one smaller computer, the requester process being dedicated to preparing information to be transported to the host computer, the requester process including

means for starting the session on the host computer in response to a request from the PC-based application, and

means, in response to the PC-based application, for forwarding the second group of calls and procedures to the data transport system for transfer to the host computer for immediate execution by the host computer during the session;

wherein the second group of calls and procedures are executed by the host computer using intrinsic program segments residing in the host computer and wherein said intrinsic program segments are taken from a group composed of system intrinsics, database intrinsics, and remote procedure call intrinsics.