Ally mechanism for interconnecting non-distributed computing environment (DCE) and DCE systems to operate in a network system

• US 5,497,463 A
• Filed: 09/25/1992
• Issued: 03/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bull HN Information Systems Incorporated (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Bull HN Information Systems Incorporated (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Farrington, Kevin M., Yen, Chung S., Stein, Scott A., Carlson, Bruce M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERVEEN, REHANA
• Application Number:
  US07/951,069
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/200, 395/650, 395/600
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A distributed system includes a non-distributed computing environment (DCE) computer system and at least one DCE computer system which are loosely coupled together through a communications network operating with a standard communications protocol. The non-DCE and DCE computer systems operate under the control of proprietary and UNIX based operating systems respectively. The non-DCE computer system further includes application client software for providing access to distributed DCE service components via a remote procedure call (RPC) mechanism obtained through application server software included on the DCE computer system. A minimum number of software components modules which comprise client RPC runtime component and an import API component included in the non-DCE computer system and an Ally component on the DCE computer systems to operate in conjunction with the client and server software to provide access to DCE services by non-DCE user applications through the RPC mechanisms of both systems eliminating the need to port the DCE software service components onto the non-DCE computer system.

Claims

1. A distributed system including a plurality of computer systems coupled together through a common communication network, a first one of said computer systems corresponding to a non distributed computing environment (DCE) computer system which includes a first type of operating system for running non DCE application programs on said first one of said computer systems and a second one of said systems corresponding to a DCE system including a second type of operating system which is compatible with said DCE system for running application programs compiled on said second system and wherein said distributed system further includes:

an ally component and a distributed computing environment (DCE) application system installed in said second system to run in conjunction with said second type of operating system, said DCE application system including a plurality of basic distributed services and a remote procedure call (RPC) component for processing remote procedure calls between client and server application programs communicating through a pair of RPC stub components according to a predetermined RPC protocol, said ally component including a plurality of management routines for enabling local requests made by said client application programs running on said first system to be processed by accessing said plurality of distributed service components of said DCE system; and

,

an RPC runtime component included in said first computer system, said RPC runtime component including a RPC subcomponent and an application program interface (API) subcomponent operatively coupled to each other, said RPC subcomponent including a minimum number of ported routines responsive to a corresponding number of standard DCE RPC requests for determining when any local client request is to be forwarded to said ally component of said second computer system and said API subcomponent including a plurality of subroutines for enabling transfer of said each local client request received from said RPC subcomponent of said RPC component of said first computer system to said ally component of said second computer system using said predetermined RPC protocol established by said client and server RPC stubs for accessing a designated one of said distributed service components of said DCE application system of said second computer system thereby eliminating the need of having to port said DCE service components to operate on said first computer system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first type of operating system is a proprietary operating system which does not include facilities to support said DCE application system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said second operating system is a UNIX based operating system which includes facilities to support said DCE system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein RPC communications between said first and second computer systems is established according to statements defining an ally interface and wherein said second system further includes an interface definition language (IDL) compiler, said IDL compiler being used to compile said statements into said RPC stub components and said first computer system including a compatible compiler for compiling said client application programs, said compatible compiler compiling said RPC stubs produced by said IDL compiler before being installed on said first computer system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of components includes a naming service component, a security service component, a time service component and a threads service component.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said API subcomponent of said first computer system includes routines for performing operations for initially establishing association with said ally component for having said ally component carrying certain binding operations and naming service operations.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said ally component routines for processing said client requests by generating standard DCE calls to said RPC component of said DCE application system installed in said second computer system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said ally component includes a routine for performing initialization sequence of operations in response to a first computer client request received from said first system.

4. The system of 1 wherein said DCE application system includes a number of software layers, a first DCE layer including said plurality of components for providing a plurality of basic distributed services and a second layer including said RPC component of said DCE application system.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said ally component is also included in said second layer.

11. A method of providing a distributed computing environment (DCE) in a system which includes a plurality of computer systems for a first one of said system which is a non-DCE computer system that does not have operating system facilities for directly supporting DCE services for application programs running in said non-DCE computer system and a second one of said computer systems which is a DCE computer system that includes a DCE application system for providing said DCE services, said DCE application system containing a plurality of components for performing said DCE services without having to port said DCE components to said first computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

a. coupling said first and second computer systems together for enabling said computer systems to process remote procedure (RPC) calls between client and server application programs running on said first and second computer systems respectively which communicate through a pair of RPC stub components;

b. installing in said first computer system, an RPC runtime component which includes an application program interface (API) component to operate in conjunction with said operating system facilities of said first computer system, said RPC runtime component including a number of routines responsive to standard DCE requests for determining when any client request for local services can not be performed by said first computer system and said API component including a plurality of subroutines for enabling transfer of said local client request to said second computer system using a predetermined RPC protocol established by said client and server RPC stubs;

c. installing in said second computer system, an ally component to run said second computer system in conjunction with said DCE components said ally component including a plurality of routines for communicating with said RPC runtime component and for processing said client requests received from said RPC runtime component of said first computer system for performing requested DCE services using said DCE components of said second computer system for those DCE components which were not ported to run on said first computer system;

d. determining by a mapping operation performed by said number of routines of said RPC runtime component of said first computer system which local client request can not be performed locally by said RPC runtime component because of not having ported said DCE components to said first computer system; and

,

e. translating and transferring by said API component of said RPC component of said first computer system, each client request which can not be performed locally as determined in step d into a form for receipt by said ally component for execution either by said ally component or by said ally component and said DCE components installed on said second computer system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said method further includes the steps of:

including in said DCE application system of said second computer system a number of servers which couples to said DCE application system RPC component; and

,

(g) including in said ally component routines for executing client requests by accessing corresponding ones of said servers through said RPC component for performing DCE services for said client application programs running on said first computer system.

13. A distributed system including a plurality of computer systems coupled together through a common communication network, a first one of said computer systems corresponding to a non distributed computing environment (DCE) computer system which includes a first type of operating system for running non DCE application programs on said first one of said computer systems and a second one of said systems corresponding to a DCE system including a second type of operating system which is compatible with said DCE system for running application programs compiled on said second system and wherein said distributed system further includes:

an ally component and a distributed computing environment (DCE) application system installed in said second system to run in conjunction with said second type of operating system, said DCE application system including a plurality of basic distributed services and a remote procedure call (RPC) component for processing remote procedure calls between client and server application programs communicating through a pair of RPC stub components according to a predetermined RPC protocol, said ally component including a plurality of management routines for enabling local request made by said client application programs running on said first system to be processed by accessing said plurality of distributed service components of said DCE system wherein said ally component includes a plurality of sections for processing different types of requests received from said RPC runtime component of said first computer system, said plurality of sections including a requests section, a forwarding service section coupled to said request section, a naming service section coupled to said requests section and a security service section coupled to said requests section; and

,

an RPC runtime component included in said first computer system, said RPC runtime component including a RPC subcomponent and an application program interface (API) subcomponent operatively coupled to each other, said RPC subcomponent including a minimum number of ported routines responsive to a corresponding number of standard DCE RPC requests for determining when any local client request is to be forwarded to said requests section of said ally component of said second computer system and said API subcomponent including a plurality of subroutines for enabling transfer of said each local client request received from said RPC subcomponent of said first computer system to said requests section of said ally component of said second computer system using said predetermined RPC protocol established by said client and server RPC stubs for accessing designated ones of said distributed service components of said DCE application system of said second computer system through other sections of said plurality of sections of said ally component thereby eliminating the need of having to port said DCE service components to operate on said first computer system.

14. A distributed system including a plurality of computer systems coupled together through a common communication network, a first one of said computer systems corresponding to a non distributed computing environment (DCE) computer system which includes a first type of operating system for running non DCE application programs on said first one of said computer systems and a second one of said systems corresponding to a DCE system including a second type of operating system which is compatible with said DCE system for running application programs compiled on said second system and wherein said distributed system further includes:

an ally component and a distributed computing environment (DCE) application system installed in said second system to run in conjunction with said second type of operating system, said DCE application system including a plurality of basic distributed services and a remote procedure call (RPC) component for processing remote procedure calls between client and server application programs communicating through a pair of RPC stub components according to a predetermined RPC protocol, said ally component including a plurality of management routines for enabling local request made by said client application programs running on said first system to be processed by accessing said plurality of distributed service components of said DCE system; and

,

an RPC runtime component included in said first computer system, said RPC runtime component including a RPC subcomponent and an application program interface (API) subcomponent operatively coupled to each other, said RPC subcomponent including a minimum number of ported routines responsive to a corresponding number of standard DCE RPC requests for determining when any local client request is to be forwarded to said ally component of said second computer system and said API subcomponent including a plurality of subroutines for enabling transfer of said each local client request received from said RPC subcomponent of said first computer system to said ally component of said second computer system using said predetermined RPC protocol established by said client and server RPC stubs for accessing a designated one of said distributed service components of said DCE application system of said second computer system thereby eliminating the need of having to port said DCE service components to operate on said first computer system, said RPC runtime component being constructed by compiling statements which include #ifdef declarations designating those portions of said RPC runtime component which form part of a common porting kit from those portions of said RPC runtime component which are specific to the architecture of said first system thereby facilitating said porting of DCE services to different types of non DCE based computer systems.