Method and apparatus for object-oriented invocation of a server application by a client application
First Claim
1. In a data processing network containinga plurality of data processing platforms for executing one or more applications, each application comprising a program capable of performing operations, wherein one of said applications, called a client application, communicates with one of said applications, called a server application, anda class data base having portions accessible to the data processing platforms, the class data base including a plurality of method entries, each corresponding to one of said server applications and each containing a reference to a mechanism for invoking said server application to cause said server application to perform a specified operation on a specified instance, anda plurality of class entries each containing information identifying a unique class and a corresponding group of the method entries, each of the classes being referenced by a different set of instances, instances being items that are manipulatable or accessible by the applications, and all the instances in each set having shared characteristics,a process of invoking a server application to be executed on one of said data processing platforms from a client application executing on one of said data processing platforms comprising the steps of:
- receiving a message from said client application for the performance of a selected operation involving a selected instance;
accessing the class data base using the class referenced by said selected instance and said selected operation of the received message to select a method entry and a corresponding mechanism for invoking a server application for performing said selected operation;
selecting, from among the data processing platforms, the data processing platform to execute the server application; and
invoking said server application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In response to a message requesting a method invocation from an application or user, a client application determines the proper method to be invoked by retrieving information from a class data base, comparing the retrieved information with user preferences, and selecting the proper method based upon the comparison. Server connection and start-up involves locating a platform capable of executing code associated with the selected method and, if necessary, executing a process to start an application associated with the selected method.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. In a data processing network containing
a plurality of data processing platforms for executing one or more applications, each application comprising a program capable of performing operations, wherein one of said applications, called a client application, communicates with one of said applications, called a server application, and a class data base having portions accessible to the data processing platforms, the class data base including a plurality of method entries, each corresponding to one of said server applications and each containing a reference to a mechanism for invoking said server application to cause said server application to perform a specified operation on a specified instance, and a plurality of class entries each containing information identifying a unique class and a corresponding group of the method entries, each of the classes being referenced by a different set of instances, instances being items that are manipulatable or accessible by the applications, and all the instances in each set having shared characteristics, a process of invoking a server application to be executed on one of said data processing platforms from a client application executing on one of said data processing platforms comprising the steps of: -
receiving a message from said client application for the performance of a selected operation involving a selected instance; accessing the class data base using the class referenced by said selected instance and said selected operation of the received message to select a method entry and a corresponding mechanism for invoking a server application for performing said selected operation; selecting, from among the data processing platforms, the data processing platform to execute the server application; and invoking said server application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A data processing network containing a plurality of data processing platforms for executing one or more applications, each application comprising a program capable of performing operations, wherein one of said applications, called a client application, communicates with one of said applications, called a server application, comprising:
memory in the network containing a class data base having portions accessible to the data processing platforms, the class data base including a plurality of method entries each corresponding to one of said server applications and each containing a reference to a corresponding mechanism for invoking said server application to cause said server application to perform a specified operation on a specified instance, and a plurality of class entries each containing information identifying a unique class and a corresponding group of the method entries, each of the classes identifying a different set of instances, instances being items that are manipulatable or accessible by the applications and all the instances in each set having shared characteristics, and means for invoking a server application to be executed on one of said data processing platforms from said client application executing on one of the data processing platforms, said invoking means comprising means for receiving a message from said client application for the performance of a selected operation involving a selected instance; means, coupled to the receiving means, for accessing the class data base, using the class referenced by said selected instance and said selected operation of the received message to select a method entry and a corresponding mechanism for invoking a server application for performing said selected operation; and means, coupled to the accessing means, for selecting, from among the data processing platforms, the data processing platform to execute the server application. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. In a client data processing platform connected to a data processing network comprising
a plurality of data processing platforms which permit remote invocation of server applications located on server data processing platforms by client applications located on client data processing platforms, and a class data base containing a plurality of method entries containing references to invocation mechanisms to invoke the server applications, and a plurality of class entries each containing information for a different class, each of the classes identifying types of the instances which are items that may be manipulated or accessed by the applications according to shared characteristics, each of the class entries corresponding to groups of the method entries, a process of remotely invoking a server application from a client application comprising the steps, performed by a client data processing platform, of: -
receiving a message from the client application for the performance of a first method involving a first instance; determining the class identifying the first instance; accessing the class data base using the determined class and the received message to select a first method entry corresponding to the first method and a reference to a corresponding mechanism to find a server data processing platform capable of executing the server application; invoking, using the transmission of the reference, the execution of the server application by the first server data processing platform to execute the first method on the first instance; and receiving a response from the server data processing platform. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. In a client platform connected to a data processing network containing
a plurality of data processing platforms which permit remote invocation of server applications located on server data processing platform by client applications located on client data processing platforms, and a class data base comprising a plurality of method entries containing references to invocation mechanisms to invoke the server applications, and a plurality of class entries each containing information for a different class, each of the classes identifying types of the instances which are items that are manipulatable or accessible by the applications, according to shared characteristics, each of the class entries corresponding to groups of the method entries, a process of remotely invoking a server application from a client application comprising the steps, performed by a client one of the data processing platforms, of: -
receiving a message from the client application for the performance of a first method involving a first instance; determining the class identifying the first instance; accessing the class data base using the determined class and the first method of the received message to select the first method entry and a reference to a corresponding mechanism and to find a server one of the data processing platforms capable of executing the server application; and invoking the execution of the server application by the client data processing platform using the transmission of the reference to the corresponding mechanism to execute the first method on the first instance. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A memory storing an application access control program for use in a data processing network containing a plurality of data processing platforms for executing one or more applications, each application comprising a program capable of performing operations, wherein one of said applications, called a client application, communicates with one of said applications, called a server application, a class data base having portions accessible to the data processing platforms, the class data base including
a plurality of method entries each corresponding to one of said server applications and each containing a reference to a corresponding mechanism for invoking said server application to cause said server application to perform a specified operation on a specified instance, and a plurality of class entries each containing information identifying a unique class and a corresponding group of the method entries, each of the classes identifying a different set of instances, instances being items that may be manipulated or accessed by the applications and all the instances in each set having shared characteristics, said application software comprising: -
a computer readable medium containing and means for invoking a server application to be executed on one of said data processing platforms from said client application executing on one of the data processing platforms, said invoking means comprising; means for receiving a message from said client application for the performance of a selected operation involving a selected instance; means, coupled to the receiving means, for accessing the class data base, using the class referenced by said selected instance and said selected operation of the received message to select a method entry and a corresponding mechanism for invoking a server application for performing said selected operation; and means, coupled to the accessing means, for selecting, from among the data processing platforms, the data processing platform to execute the server application.
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Specification