Apparatus and method for managing resources in a network combining operations with name resolution functions

• US 5,706,501 A
• Filed: 10/19/1995
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Sunao, Kawabe, Shigehisa, Yamashita, Ichiro, Horikiri, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/545,030
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 395/610, 395/200.02, 395/200.03, 395/200.11, 395/604, 395/619, 395/200.19, 395/200.2, 395/616
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names

Abstract

When the name of a resource is inputted to a given context holder, a name analysis unit analyzes the name and a name translation unit converts it into first or second resource implementation representations. A name resolution unit receives the first or second resource implementation representations from each context holder. When the result of conversion is of the second resource implementation representations, the name resolution unit outputs a resource name of a second series or string of resource elements included in the second resource implementation representations to its corresponding context holder. This operation is executed on a chain basis to solve the name. A resource implementation unit outputs a handle for the resource corresponding to the result of name resolution therefrom. A user can obtain access to a virtual resource corresponding to the input name by using the handle. Owing to the above construction, an apparatus for and a method of managing resources can be provided which is capable of embodying a high-flexible distributed system providing name spaces for performing local resource access every users, which reflect preference and intentions for an access method by each individual user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing resources, which is suitable for use in a network information system wherein a plurality of computer systems for carrying out information processing are connected to one another by a network, comprising:

a plurality of context holding means each having a context identifier; and

name resolving means;

said plurality of context holding means each including;

name analyzing means for receiving therein a resource name corresponding to the name given to a resource and analyzing the name of the resource name; and

name translating means for converting the result of analysis by said name analyzing means into a result of name conversion, which is either a first resource implementation representation composed of a pair of a first series of resource elements with resource identifiers inherently held by real resources realized in advance within said each computer system as elements and a first series of implementation elements corresponding to procedure information for processing the real resources specified by the first series of resource elements to produce another resource or a second resource implementation representation composed of a pair of a second series of resource elements with individual pairs of a context identifier and a resource names as elements and a second series of implementation elements corresponding to procedure information for processing resources specified by the second series of resource elements to produce another resource; and

said name resolving means receiving the result of name conversion from the name translating means, determining whether the result of name conversion is the first resource implementation representation or the second resource implementation representation, if the result of name conversion is the second resource implementation representation, outputting a resource name included in the second series of resource elements to said context holding means specified by the corresponding context identifier, and if the result of name conversion is the first resource implementation representation, making a result of name resolution, which is a list of the resource identifier and the procedure information, according to the first resource implementation representation.

2. The apparatus for managing resources according to claim 1 further comprising:

resource implementing means for interpreting the procedure information included in the result of name resolution made by said name resolving means, and producing a resource, based on the result of the interpretation and the pre-realized real resource corresponding to the resource identifier included in the result of name resolution.

3. An apparatus for managing resources, which is suitable for use in a network information system wherein a plurality of computer systems for carrying out information processing are connected to one another by a network, comprising:

at least one first context holding means having a context identifier; and

at least one second context holding means having a context identifier;

said first context holding means including;

first name analyzing means for receiving a resource name corresponding to a name given to a resource and analyzing the name of the resource name;

first name translating means for converting the result of analysis by said first name analyzing means into a first series of resource elements with only resource identifiers inherently held by real resources realized in advance within said each computer system as elements;

first name resolving means for converting the result of conversion by said first name translating means into a first result of name resolution corresponding to a pair of the first series of resource elements converted by said first name translating means and procedure information for processing the, first series of resource elements; and

first resource implementing means for interpreting the procedure information included in the first name resolution result converted by said first name resolving means, effecting the result of interpretation on a real resource corresponding to the first series of resource elements to thereby produce a resource and outputting handle information for operating the resource;

said second context holding means including;

second name analyzing means for receiving a resource name therein and analyzing the name of the resource name;

second name translating means for converting the result of analysis by said second name analyzing means into a second series of resource elements with individual pairs of a context identifier and a resource name as elements;

second name resolving means for outputting a resource name of the second series of resource elements converted by said second name translating means to the first context holding means associated with the corresponding context identifier and converting the result of conversion by said second name translating means into a second result of name resolution corresponding to a pair of handle information obtained from said first context holding means and procedure information for processing a resource corresponding to the handle information; and

second resource implementing means for interpreting the procedure information included in the second name resolution result converted by said second name resolving means and effecting the result of interpretation on the resource corresponding to the handle information to thereby produce a resource.

4. An apparatus for managing resources, which is suitable for use in a network information system wherein a plurality of computer systems for carrying out information processing are connected to one another by a network, comprising:

at least one first context holding means having a context identifier; and

at least one second context holding means having a context identifier;

said first context holding means including;

first name analyzing means for receiving a resource name corresponding to a name given to a resource and analyzing the name of the resource name;

first name translating means for converting the result of analysis by said first name analyzing means into a first series of resource elements with resource identifiers inherently held by real resources realized in advance within said each computer system as elements; and

first name resolving means for outputting a first result of name resolution corresponding to a pair of the first series of resource elements converted by said first name translating means and procedure information for processing the first series of resource elements; and

said second context holding means including;

second name analyzing means for receiving a resource name therein and analyzing the name of the resource name;

second name translating means for converting the result of analysis by said second name analyzing means into a second series of resource elements with individual pairs of a context identifier and a resource name as elements; and

second name resolving means for outputting a resource name of the second series of resource elements converted by said second name translating means to the first context holding means specified by the corresponding context identifier, receiving therein the first result of name resolution from said first context holding means and outputting a second result of name resolution corresponding to a pair of each resource identifier and procedure information for processing a real resource corresponding to the resource identifier using the first result of name resolution received from said first context holding means.

5. An apparatus for managing resources, which is suitable for use in a network information system wherein a plurality of computer systems for carrying out information processing are connected to one another by a network, comprising:

at least one first context holding means having a context identifier;

at least one second context holding means having a context identifier; and

resource implementing means;

said first context holding means including;

first name analyzing means for receiving a resource name corresponding to a name given to a resource and analyzing the name of the resource name;

first name translating means for converting the result of analysis by said first name analyzing means into a first series of resource elements with only resource identifiers inherently held by real resources realized in advance within said each computer system as elements;

first name resolving means for outputting a first result of name resolution corresponding to a pair of the first series of resource elements converted by said first name translating means and procedure information for processing the first series of resource elements;

said second context holding means including;

second name analyzing means for receiving a resource name therein and analyzing the name of the resource name;

second name translating means for converting the result of analysis by said second name analyzing means into a second series of resource elements with individual pairs of a context identifier and a resource name as elements; and

second name resolving means for outputting a resource name of the second series of resource elements converted by said second name translating means to the first context holding means specified by the corresponding context identifier and outputting a second result of name resolution corresponding to a pair of each resource identifier and procedure information for processing a real resource corresponding to the resource identifier using the first result of name resolution received from said first context holding means; and

said resource implementing means interpreting the procedure information included in the second name resolution result outputted from said second name resolving means provided within said second context holding means and effecting the result of interpretation on the pre-realized real resource corresponding to the resource identifier to thereby produce a resource.

6. An apparatus for managing resources, comprising:

a first context holding means having a context identifier; and

a second context holding means having a context identifier;

the first context holding means

inputting a resource name corresponding to a name given to each of the resources,

analyzing the resource name, specifying a resource identifier, which identifies a real resource realized in advance, and procedure information for processing the real resource identified by the resource identifier in accordance with the result of analysis,

interpreting the procedure information,

producing a resource by the result of interpretation on the real resource identified by the resource identifier, and

outputting handle information for operating the produced resource;

the second context holding means

receiving a resource name,

analyzing the resource name,

specifying a context identifier and a resource name in accordance with the result of analysis,

outputting the specified resource name to the first context holding means identified by the specified context identifier,

receiving handle information corresponding to the output resource name from the first context holding means,

specifying procedure information for processing the resource corresponding to the handle information in accordance with the result of the analysis,

interpreting the procedure information, and

producing another resource by applying the result of interpretation to the resource corresponding to the handle information.

7. An apparatus for managing resources, which is suitable for use in a computer system for performing information processing, comprising:

at least one name analyzing means for receiving a resource name corresponding to a name associated with an attribute and given to a resource and analyzing the name of the resource name;

at least one name translating means associated with the attribute for converting the result of analysis by said name analyzing means into a result of conversion, which is either a first resource implementation representation composed of a pair of a first series of resource elements with resource identifiers inherently held by real resources realized in advance within said each computer system as elements and a first series of implementation elements corresponding to procedure information for processing the first series of resource elements or a second resource implementation representation composed of a pair of a second series of resource elements with pairs of each retrieval expression for directly or indirectly specifying the attribute and a resource name as elements and a second series of implementation elements corresponding to procedure information for processing a resource obtained from the second series of resource elements;

selecting means for selecting said name analyzing means and said name translating means receiving therein the result of name analysis from said name analyzing means, based on the retrieval expression included in the second resource implementation representation converted by said name translating means or the input retrieval expression; and

name resolving means for determining whether the result of the name conversion is the first resource implementation representation or the second implementation representation, if the result of the name conversion is the second resource implementation representation, transferring the resource name of the second series of resource elements included in the second resource implementation representation converted by said name translating means or the input resource name to the name analyzing means selected by said selecting means, and if the result of name conversion is the first resource implementation representation, making a result of name resolution, which is a list of the resource identifier and the procedure information, according to the first resource implementation representation.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said name translating means comprises at least one name translation information associated with the attribute, said selecting means selects the name translating means by specifying said at least one name translation information and has name translation constructing means constituting said name translating means based on said at least one name translation information specified by said selecting means, and the name analyzing means selected by said selecting means transfers the result of name analysis to the corresponding name translating means constructed by said name translation constructing means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said name resolving means exists as plural in association with the attribute, said selecting means further selects said name resolving means, and the name translating means selected by said selecting means transfers the first resource implementation representation or the second resource implementation representation to the name resolving means selected by said selecting means.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising resource implementing means for interpreting the first series of implementation elements in the first resource implementation representation obtained from said name translating means and producing a resource, based on the pre-realized real resource corresponding to the first series of resource elements from the result of interpretation.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said resource implementing means exists as plural in association with the attribute, said selecting means further selects said resource implementing means, and said name resolving means transfers the first resource implementation representation to the resource implementing means selected by said selecting means.

12. In a network information system including a plurality of context holding units, a method for managing resources executed in each of the context holding unit, comprising the steps of:

receiving a resource name corresponding to a name given to each of the resources;

analyzing the resource name;

obtaining a result of name conversion in accordance with the result of analysis, the result of name conversion being either a first representation comprising a resource identifier, which identifies a real resource realized in advance, and first procedure information for processing the real resource identified by the resource identifier, or a second representation comprising a pair of a context identifier and another resource name and second procedure information for processing the resource specified by the resource name;

determining whether the result of name conversion is the first representation or the second representation;

if the result of name conversion is the first representation, interpreting the first procedure information;

producing a resource by applying the result of interpretation on the real resource identified by the resource identifier, and

outputting handle information for operating the produced resource;

if the result of name conversion is the second representation, outputting the second resource name to another context holding unit identified by the specified context identifier;

receiving handle information corresponding to the output second resource name from another context holding unit;

interpreting the second procedure information; and

producing a resource by applying the result of interpretation to the resource corresponding to the handle information.