Management of network distributed agents in a distributed computing environment

• US 5,740,362 A
• Filed: 11/06/1995
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Buickel, Larry Lee, Harvey, Charlie Buddy Jr., Hamilton, Howard Daniel, Hansen, Kathryn Isobel, Godwin, Debbie Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US08/554,431
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.02, 395/200.03, 395/610
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A method and system for providing a single access point for the resources of application programs distributed within a network. The single access point is provided via a master object comprising an application identification list and a plurality of application procedure interfaces. Each of the application programs has an associated agent for managing the resources of the associated application program. These agents manage the resources using a subset of the plurality of application procedure interfaces of the master object. The application identification list of the master object is used for storing the binding handle of the agent as well as the identification for the associated application. A client or user accesses the resources of a particular application program by specifying the identification of the application program and the required action to be taken by the application program to the master object. The master object uses this information to search the application identification list for a matching application identification, and after finding one, thereafter invoking the corresponding application procedure interface in the agent identified by the matching binding handle. Thus, invoking the required resource of the application program to perform the requested action.

Claims

1. A method of invoking the resources of application programs executing in a distributed computing environment, each one of said application programs having an agent and a principal name, each one of said agents being identified by an individual binding handle, said method comprising the steps of:

storing said principal names and said binding handles together in a principal name list of a master object;

locating, in said principal name list, one of said stored binding handles for an identified one of said application programs to execute a request; and

executing said agent identified by said binding handle to invoke said identified application program to execute said request.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

indexing said principal name list so that each one of said binding handles is located by using one of said principal names corresponding to said one of said binding handles.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each one of said binding handles are stored in a directory server, and said step of storing said principal names and binding handles includes the steps of:

registering each one of said agents in said principal name list; and

retrieving from said directory server one of said binding handles for each one of said registered agents.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:

receiving, in said master object, a request from a client, said request identifying one of said principal names.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of locating includes the step of:

locating, in said principal name list, one of said binding handles using said identified principal name.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said master object includes a plurality of application procedure interfaces, and said step of executing includes:

executing one of said plurality of application procedure interfaces corresponding to said request to invoke an application procedure interface in said one of said agents, said invoked application procedure interface invoking said application to execute said request.

7. An apparatus for invoking the resources of application programs executing in a distributed computing environment, each one of said application programs having an agent and a principal name, each one of said agents being identified by an individual binding handle, said apparatus comprising:

means for storing said principal names and said binding handles together in a principal name list of a master object;

means for locating, in said principal name list, one of said stored binding handles for an identified one of said application programs to execute a request; and

means for executing said agent identified by said binding handle to invoke said identified application program to execute said request.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

means for indexing said principal name list so that each one of said binding handles is located by using one of said principal names corresponding to said one of said binding handles.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each one of said binding handles are stored in a directory server, and said means for storing said principal names and binding handles includes:

means for registering each one of said agents in said principal name list; and

means for retrieving from said directory server one of said binding handles for each one of said registered agents.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

means for receiving, in said master object, a request from a client, said request identifying one of said principal names.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for locating includes:

means for locating, in said principal name list, one of said binding handles using said identified principal name.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said master object includes a plurality of application procedure interfaces, and said means for executing includes:

means for executing one of said plurality of application procedure interfaces corresponding to said request to invoke an application procedure interface in said one of said agents, said invoked application procedure interface invoking said application to execute said request.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for invoking the resources of application programs executing in a distributed computing environment, each one of said application programs having an agent and a principal name, each one of said agents being identified by an individual binding handle, said computer readable program code means including;

means for storing said principal names and said binding handles together in a principal name list of a master object;

means for locating, in said principal name list, one of said stored binding handles for an identified one of said application programs to execute a request; and

means for executing said agent identified by said binding handle to invoke said identified application program to execute said request.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said computer readable program code further comprises:

means for indexing said principal name list so that each one of said binding handles is located by using one of said principal names corresponding to said one of said binding handles.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein each one of said binding handles are stored in a directory server, and said means for storing said principal names and binding handles includes:

means for registering each one of said agents in said principal name list; and

means for retrieving from said directory server one of said binding handles for each one of said registered agents.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said computer readable program code means further comprises:

means for receiving, in said master object, a request from a client, said request identifying one of said principal names.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said means for locating includes:

means for locating, in said principal name list, one of said binding handles using said identified principal name.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein said master object includes a plurality of application procedure interfaces, and said means for executing includes:

means for executing one of said plurality of application procedure interfaces corresponding to said request to invoke an application procedure interface in said one of said agents, said invoked application procedure interface invoking said application to execute said request.