System for allocating adaptor to server by determining from embedded foreign protocol commands in client request if the adapter service matches the foreign protocol

• US 5,812,768 A
• Filed: 06/06/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Software AG
• Original Assignee: Software AG
• Inventors: Page, Peter, Warns, Ruediger, Ejtemai-Jandaghi, Omid, Kennedy, Terence Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/659,618
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.01, 395/200.02, 395/200.03, 395/200.05, 395/200.09, 395/200.1, 395/200.11, 395/200.16, 395/200.12, 395/601, 395/610, 395/615 , 395/603, 395/621, 395/680, 395/682, 395/683, 395/500
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An object interface is disclosed that supports three modes of inter-object communication--message processing (store and forward), conversational communication, and remote procedure call. A service broker manages service requests from, and responsive services provided by, a plurality of clients and servers, respectively, which may reside on different hardware platforms and operating systems and may be connected to computer networks having different network architectures and associated communications protocols. The broker manages the service offerings from servers and service requests from clients, and clients and servers communicate and exchange information with one another via the broker. The service broker includes different application programming interfaces for allowing participants to access the functionality of the service broker.

Claims

1. A brokered adaptor service on a service broker allowing a client application program executing on a first computer and using a function service protocol to access a server application program executing on a second computer using a foreign communication protocol, said brokered adaptor service comprising:

a client application program executing on a first computer, said client application program communicating a service request to a service broker in a function service protocol, said service request in said function service protocol embedding specific commands of a foreign protocol;

a service broker connected to said client application program through said function service protocol; and

a brokered adaptor, said brokered adaptor connected between said service broker and a server application program on a second computer, said brokered adaptor communicating to said server application program with said foreign protocol, said service broker tracking and controlling the allocation of said brokered adaptor, said service broker receiving said service request from said client application program and determining from said embedded specific foreign protocol commands if the adaptor service provided by said brokered adaptor matches said foreign protocol, and, if so allocating said brokered adaptor to remove the function service protocol from said service request and communicate said specific commands of said foreign protocol to said server application program in said foreign protocol.

2. The brokered adaptor service of claim 1 wherein said service broker includes means for accumulating information about said service request for said adaptor service to calculate the total number of service requests processed by said service broker over a predetermined time span for said adaptor service.

3. The brokered adaptor service of claim 1 wherein said foreign protocol is LU6.2.

4. The brokered adapter of claim 1 wherein said foreign protocol is DCE/RPC.

5. The brokered adaptor service of claim 1 wherein said foreign protocol is DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange).

6. The brokered adaptor service of claim 1 wherein said foreign protocol supports an IBM 3270 application.

7. The brokered adaptor service of claim 1 further comprising:

a second brokered adaptor, said second brokered adaptor connected between said service broker and a second server application program on a third computer, said second brokered adaptor communicating to said second server application program with a second foreign protocol, said service broker tracking and controlling the allocation of said second brokered adaptor, said service broker receiving said service request from said client application program and determining from said embedded specific commands of a second foreign protocol if a second adaptor service provided by said second brokered adaptor matches said second foreign protocol, and, if so allocating said second brokered adaptor to remove said function service protocol from said service request and communicate said second specific commands of said second foreign protocol to said server application program through said second foreign protocol.

8. The brokered adaptor service of claim 1 wherein said service broker includes means for storing and forwarding said service request to provide asynchronous communication between said client application program and said server application program.

9. The brokered adaptor service of claim 1 wherein said service broker includes means for establishing a reliable communication session that can be recorded without loss of any messages upon interruption caused by termination of said client application program or said server application program of said service broker.

10. A method for dynamically connecting a client application program on a first computer with a server application program on a second computer using a service broker and a dynamically allocated adaptor program wherein said client application communicates a request for a service in a first communication protocol and wherein said server application program communicates using a second communication protocol, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a request for a service at a client application program on a first computer, said request for a service in a first communication protocol, said request for a service embedding a command in a syntax of a second communication protocol in said first communication protocol;

transmitting said request for a service in said first communication protocol from said first computer to a service broker;

detecting at said service broker said syntax of said second communication protocol embedded in said request for a service;

determining an appropriate adaptor program from said step of detecting;

allocating said adaptor program to remove said first communication protocol to extract said second communication protocol if said adaptor program is available at said service broker;

transmitting said command in said syntax of said second communication protocol from said service broker to a server application program.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said first communication protocol is a function service protocol and said second communication protocol is LU6.2.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said first communication protocol is a function service protocol and said second communication protocol is DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange).

13. The method of claim 10 comprising further the steps of:

storing said request for a service at said service broker; and

forwarding said request for a service to said server application program to provide asynchronous communication between said client application program and said server application program.