Mechanism for locating without search discrete application resources known by common name only in a distributed network computing environment

• US 5,483,652 A
• Filed: 01/24/1994
• Issued: 01/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sudama, Ram, Magid, David L., Ouellette, Kenneth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/185,617
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed

Abstract

Method and apparatus facilitating the processing of a request from a client application for a service, or for access to a resource, in a distributed computing environment. A shared repository is organized in such a manner that binding information, defining how a server is accessed, can be stored in the repository and accessed by multiple clients without their having knowledge of more than the common name for the requested service, or the common name of a specific resource for performing the service. The binding information for each server is stored in a server entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace in the shared repository, and the full names of server entries are stored in a service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace and a resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace. When a client requests access to a service or to a specific resource, the server entry names are accessible from the service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace or the resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, using only common names for the service or resource. Once a server entry name is obtained, the binding information is retrieved for the client, and a logical connection can be established between the client and the requested service or resource, without having to provide each client with detailed information about the location or name of the server binding information.

Claims

1. For use in a distributed computing environment, a method for structuring a hierarchical namespace accessible from all host systems in the environment, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a host sub-hierarchy containing for each host, and each service provided by the host, a list of storage locations to be used by server applications for storing information pertaining to respective servers performing the service; and

defining a service sub-hierarchy containing for each service available in the distributed computing environment a list of the same storage locations defined in the host sub-hierarchy, wherein a client application can access the service sub-hierarchy using a common name of a desired service, and can thereby obtain information from a server application without knowledge of more than the common name of the service.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, and further comprising the steps of:

defining a resource sub-hierarchy containing for each service available in the distributed computing environment a list of resources available through each service; and

defining for each resource a list of the same storage locations defined in the host sub-hierarchy, wherein a client application can access the resource sub-hierarchy using a common name of a desired resource, and can thereby obtain information from a server application without knowledge of more than the common name of the resource.

3. For use in a distributed computing environment, a hierarchical namespace accessible from multiple host systems in the environment, comprising:

a host sub-hierarchy containing for each host, and each service provided by the host, a list of storage locations to be used by server applications for storing information pertaining to respective servers performing the service; and

a service sub-hierarchy containing for each service available in the distributed computing environment a list of the same storage locations defined in the host sub-hierarchy, wherein a client application can access the service sub-hierarchy using a common name of a desired service, and can thereby obtain information from a server application without knowledge of more than the common name of the service.

4. A hierarchical namespace as defined in claim 3, and further comprising:

a resource sub-hierarchy containing for each service available in the distributed computing environment a list of available resources for performing each service;

wherein the resource sub-hierarchy contains for each resource a list of the same storage locations defined in the host sub-hierarchy, and wherein a client application can access the resource sub-hierarchy using a common name of a desired resource, and can thereby obtain information from a server application without knowledge of more than the common name of the resource.

5. For use in a distributed computing environment, a method for transferring information between a server entity and a client entity in such a manner as to avoid conflicts and to permit the client entity to request a service without knowledge of any more than a common name for the service, the method comprising the steps of:

exporting information from a server to a server entry in a shared repository, the server entry being accessed by a name that completely identifies the server by host name and server name;

storing in a service entry of the shared repository the full name of the server entry used in the exporting step, wherein the service entry is accessed by a name that includes a common name for the service provided by the server, and wherein the service entry includes the full name of the server entry; and

importing the exported information into a client entity, using only the common name of the service, wherein the importing step includes retrieving the service entry to obtain the full name of the server entry, then retrieving the server entry before importing the information.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein:

the importing step also includes generating the full name of the service entry from the common name of the service, prior to retrieving the service entry to obtain the full name of the server entry.

7. For use in a distributed computing environment, a method for transferring information between a server entity and a client entity in such a manner as to avoid conflicts and to permit the client entity to request a particular resource without knowledge of any more than a common name for the resource, the method comprising the steps of:

exporting information from a server to a server entry in a shared repository, the server entry being accessed by a name that completely identifies the server by host name and server name;

storing in at least one resource entry of the shared repository the full name of the server entry used in the exporting step, wherein each resource entry is accessed by a name that includes a common name for the resource accessed by the server, and wherein each resource entry, includes the full names of all server entities through which the resource can be accessed; and

importing the exported information into a client entity, using only the common name of the resource, wherein the importing step includes retrieving the resource entry to obtain the full names of all server entries associated with the resource, then selecting one of the server entries and retrieving the server entry before importing the information.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the importing step also includes generating the full name of the resource entry from the common name of the resource, prior to retrieving the resource entry to obtain the full names of the;

server entries.

9. A method utilizing a shared hierarchical storage structure to facilitate passing of information from a server entity to a client entity in a distributed computing environment, comprising the steps of:

defining the shared storage structure to include a server entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace accessible by host name and server name, a service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace accessible by service common name, and a resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace accessible by service common name and resource common name;

for each server entity, storing binding information in the server entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, to define how to access the server entity;

for each service, storing in the service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace a full name for each server providing the service;

for each resource, storing in the resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace a full name for each server providing access to the resource;

requesting, in a client entity, access to a desired service or resource, using only a common name;

retrieving an appropriate server entry name from the service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, if access to a service has been requested;

retrieving an appropriate server entry name from the resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, if access to a particular resource has been requested; and

using the retrieved server entry name to retrieve binding information from the server entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein each of the steps of retrieving an appropriate server entry name includes:

generating a full name from the common name supplied in the requesting step;

using the full name to retrieve at least one server entry name to fulfill the request; and

selecting frown the retrieved server entry names one that will be used to satisfy the request.

11. Apparatus for use in a distributed computing environment, for transferring information between a server entity and a client entity in such a manner as to avoid conflicts and to permit the client entity to request a service without knowledge of any more than a common name for the service, the apparatus comprising:

a shared repository accessible from multiple host systems in a distributed computing environment;

means for exporting information from a server to a server entry in the shared repository, the server entry being accessed by a name that completely identifies the server by host name and server name;

means for storing in a service entry of the shared repository the full name of the server entry used in the means for exporting, wherein the service entry is accessed by a name that includes a common name for the service provided by the server, and wherein the service entry includes the full name of the server entry; and

means for importing the exported information into a client entity, using only the common name of the service, wherein the means for importing includes means for retrieving the service entry to obtain the full name of the server entry, and means for retrieving the server entry before importing the information.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein:

the means for importing also includes means for generating the full name of the service entry from the common name of the service, prior to retrieving the service entry to obtain the full name of the server entry.

13. Apparatus for use in a distributed computing environment, for transferring information between a server entity and a client entity in such a manner as to avoid conflicts and to permit the client entity to request a particular resource without knowledge of any more than a common name for the resource, the apparatus comprising:

a shared repository accessible from multiple host systems in a distributed computing environment;

means for exporting information from a server to a server entry in a shared repository, the server entry being accessed by a name that completely identifies the server by host name and server name;

means for storing in at least one resource entry of the shared repository the full name of the server entry used in the exporting step, wherein each resource entry is accessed by a name that includes a common name for the resource accessed by the server, and wherein each resource entry includes the full names of all server entities through which the resource can be accessed; and

means for importing the exported information into a client entity, using only the common name of the resource, wherein the means for importing includes means for retrieving the resource entry to obtain the full names of all server entries associated with the resource, and means for selecting one of the server entries and retrieving the server entry before importing the information.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein:

the means for importing also includes means for generating the full name of the resource entry from the common name of the resource, prior to retrieving the resource entry to obtain the full names of the server entries.

15. Apparatus utilizing a shared hierarchical storage structure to facilitate passing of information from a server entity to a client entity in a distributed computing environment, the apparatus comprising:

a shared storage structure, including means for defining the shared storage structure to include a server entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace accessible by host name and server name, a service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace accessible by service common name, and a resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace accessible by service common name and resource common name;

means for storing binding information, for each server entity, in the server entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, to define how to access each server entity;

means for storing in the service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, for each service, a full name for each server providing the service;

means for storing in the resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, for each resource, a full name for each server providing access to the resource;

means for requesting, in a client entity, access to a desired service or resource, using only a common name;

means for retrieving an appropriate server entry name from the service entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, if access to a service has been requested;

means for retrieving an appropriate server entry name from the resource entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace, if access to a particular resource has been requested; and

means for using the retrieved server entry name to retrieve binding information from the server entry sub-hierarchy of the namespace.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein each of the means for retrieving an appropriate server entry name includes:

means for generating a full name from the common name supplied by the means for requesting;

means for using the full name to retrieve at least one server entry name to fulfill the request; and

means for selecting from the retrieved server entry names one that will be used to satisfy the request.