Management facility for server entry and application utilization in a multi-node server configuration
First Claim
1. Apparatus for managing access to applications, resident on a central host computer, by a plurality of clients, the apparatus comprising:
- a. communication means for establishing and maintaining physical telecommunication connections between the host and a plurality of clients, each connection being capable of supporting a plurality of logical connections;
b. a computer memory;
c. an entry manager for controlling access to the host after establishment of a physical connection between a client and the host via the communication means by;
i. obtaining sufficient information from the client to facilitate establishment of a logical connection thereto; and
ii. storing the information in the computer memory; and
d. a process server, operatively coupled to the entry manager, for;
i. establishing a logical connection to the client using the stored information;
ii. awaiting receipt of a valid password and a valid user name from the client;
iii. receiving, from the client, at least one request for connection to an application resident on the host, the application being capable of supporting a plurality of logical connections;
iv. causing establishment of a logical connection between each requested application and the client; and
v. terminating the physical connection if a valid password and a valid user name are not received.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a server architecture for connecting to a plurality of remote client computers each seeking access to applications resident on the server. The architecture provides (1) a reliable, single point of entry for client users that enforces security and recovers immediately from failures; (2) connection management that monitors the user'"'"'s level of online activity, terminating inactive connections both to save system resources and to limit unnecessary connection charges to the user; (3) application management that spreads users optimally among active application instances, maintaining a pool of available applications, initiating new instances when the pool is low, and which records a user'"'"'s utilization of different applications for billing purposes; (4) system integrity, which is achieved through division of transaction-management responsibility among the various interrelated components of the invention; and (5) continuous, uninterrupted operation. The invention distributes tasks to different functional modules in a manner that promotes efficiency and ready accommodation of large numbers of users without processing delays.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Apparatus for managing access to applications, resident on a central host computer, by a plurality of clients, the apparatus comprising:
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a. communication means for establishing and maintaining physical telecommunication connections between the host and a plurality of clients, each connection being capable of supporting a plurality of logical connections; b. a computer memory; c. an entry manager for controlling access to the host after establishment of a physical connection between a client and the host via the communication means by; i. obtaining sufficient information from the client to facilitate establishment of a logical connection thereto; and ii. storing the information in the computer memory; and d. a process server, operatively coupled to the entry manager, for; i. establishing a logical connection to the client using the stored information; ii. awaiting receipt of a valid password and a valid user name from the client; iii. receiving, from the client, at least one request for connection to an application resident on the host, the application being capable of supporting a plurality of logical connections; iv. causing establishment of a logical connection between each requested application and the client; and v. terminating the physical connection if a valid password and a valid user name are not received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of managing access to applications, resident on a central host computer, by a plurality of clients, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. establishing a physical telecommunication connection between the host and a client; b. establishing a logical connection between the host and the client; c. causing the host to await receipt of a valid password and a valid user name from the client; d. causing the host to receive, from the client, at least one request for connection to an application resident on the host, the application being capable of supporting a plurality of logical connections; e. causing establishment of a logical connection between each requested application and the client over the physical connection; and f. terminating the physical connection if a valid password and a valid user name are not received. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification