Network component server
First Claim
1. A component server for integrating, exposing and managing distributed components residing on a computer network, comprising:
- a component management service for controlling requests for distributed components and services; and
a component registry for accessing registered components and services in response to requests from said component management service, said component registry including,a description repository for performing an initial look up function based on the type of the request,an offer repository for receiving the request when the component type is located in said description repository and having instances of components stored therein, an instance of said components being accessed when the instance matches the request,an object factory repository having implementations of the components registered in said offer repository stored therein, an implementation being invoked corresponding to the component instance accessed by said offer repository, andan interface adapter repository for storing interface specifications for the implementations stored in said object factory repository, an interface specification being passed to said component management service for the invoked implementation;
said component management service providing the necessary binding between the requested and offered components.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A component server architecture is provided that enables consumer nodes of a computer network to interact with heterogeneous software components and services distributed throughout the network, as well as network devices and data. Distributed interaction between a consumer and heterogeneous software is achieved, in part, by registering and locating the components and services (hereafter referred to collectively as components). An object-neutral global component registry with access controls of the architecture interoperates with a component management service (CMS) to transparently ensure proper administration, authentication and run-time binding access to components offered in response to requests from applications executing on the consumer nodes. The architecture is implemented on a component server node of the network that is configured to communicate with the consumer, i.e., client, nodes in client-server computing arrangements. That is, the component registry of the component server node responds to a consumer application request by locating a heterogeneous component for the consumer. The registry offers this component to the consumer by providing an appropriate interface between the object model of the consumer and the object model of the software component. This registry is preferably organized as a plurality of cooperating storage entities including a description repository, an offer repository, an interface adapter repository and an object factory repository.
495 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A component server for integrating, exposing and managing distributed components residing on a computer network, comprising:
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a component management service for controlling requests for distributed components and services; and a component registry for accessing registered components and services in response to requests from said component management service, said component registry including, a description repository for performing an initial look up function based on the type of the request, an offer repository for receiving the request when the component type is located in said description repository and having instances of components stored therein, an instance of said components being accessed when the instance matches the request, an object factory repository having implementations of the components registered in said offer repository stored therein, an implementation being invoked corresponding to the component instance accessed by said offer repository, and an interface adapter repository for storing interface specifications for the implementations stored in said object factory repository, an interface specification being passed to said component management service for the invoked implementation; said component management service providing the necessary binding between the requested and offered components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for integrating, exposing and managing distributed components residing on a computer network, comprising:
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managing means for controlling requests for distributed components; and registry means for accessing registered components in response to requests from said managing means, said registry means including, first means for performing an initial look up function based on the type of the request, second means for receiving the request when the component type is located in said first means and having instances of components stored therein, an instance of said components being accessed when the instance matches the request, third means having implementations of the components registered in said second means stored therein, an implementation being invoked corresponding to the component instance accessed by said second means, and fourth means for storing interface specifications for the implementations stored in said third means, an interface specification being passed to said managing means for the invoked implementation; said managing means providing the necessary binding between the requested and offered components. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for integrating, exposing and managing distributed components residing on a computer network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) controlling requests for distributed components; (b) accessing registered components in response to requests from said step (a), said step (b) including the steps of, (i) performing an initial look up function based on the type of the request, (ii) receiving the request when the component type is located at said step (i) and having instances of components stored therein, an instance of said components being accessed when the instance matches the request, (iii) invoking a registered implementation corresponding to the component instance accessed at said step (ii), and (iv) storing interface specifications for the registered implementations, an interface specification being passed to said step (a) for the invoked implementation; and (c) providing the necessary binding between the requested and offered components. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for integrating, exposing and managing distributed components residing on a computer network, the executable program instructions comprising the program instructions for:
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(a) controlling requests for distributed components; (b) accessing registered components in response to requests from said step (a), said step (b) including the steps of, (i) performing an initial look up function based on the type of the request; (ii) receiving the request when the component type is located at said step (i) and having instances of components stored therein, an instance of said components being accessed when the instance matches the request; (iii) invoking a registered implementation corresponding to the component instance accessed at said step (ii), and (iv) storing interface specifications for the registered implementations, an interface specification being passed to said step (a) for the invoked implementation; and (c) providing the necessary binding between the requested and offered components. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification