Portable and dynamic distributed transaction management method

• US 6,115,710 A
• Filed: 01/18/1995
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sterling Software, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: White, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, David Yiuk
• Application Number:
  US08/374,019
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/650, 395/700, 395/604, 395/610, 395/613, 395/614, 395/615
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/961 Associative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method is shown for enabling a plurality of computers and associated computer resources, some or all of which may be of heterogeneous configuration, to cooperatively process various applications such that the execution is transparent to the user regardless of where the application is actually executing. This distributed applications architecture performs an information distribution service between multiple transaction processing systems by working with a transaction processor via communication channels to other hosts within the network and a dialog manager which uses a transaction processor interface to communicate with the transaction processor. The architecture employs a map service which provides an editor to create the maps for the application panels, a compiler to generate the maps into a linkable form, and a linkable interpreter which translates the linkable form into the screen presentation format for that platform. To distribute an application, the source code for the procedures, view and panels are moved as a block to the new system. This is possible because once the application source code is complete, all application logic, user interface control tables, view definitions, and other application-specific tables for one transaction definition are packaged by the present invention in a single load module on the system where the application will reside. The load module is then compiled using the target system'"'"'s compiler, link editor, and bind process. Thus, all environment-dependent variations of import/export are automatically integrated with the application at load module bind time, requiring no source code changes.

Claims

1. A distributed environment for developing transaction processing applications across a selected set of heterogenous computing platforms, comprising:

a terminal;

a communications line connected to said terminal for transmitting an input;

a communications processor adapted to be connected to said communications line for receiving said input;

a hookup line adapted to be connected to said communications processor for transmitting said input from said communications processor to a central processing unit;

a bus adapted to be connected to said central processing unit for forwarding said input from said central processing unit to a computer memory;

a tool located within said computer memory for generating a transaction based on said input which can be distributed and executed on any of the selected set of heterogenous computing platforms;

a transaction definition table built specifically for said generated transaction;

a database; and

an SQL command interface for accessing said database, further adapted to return information obtained from said database in response to requests for such information received from said tool or in accordance with information in said transaction definition table.

2. The distributed environment of claim 1, wherein said database includes source code, objects and datasets.

3. The distributed environment of claim 2, wherein said transaction definition table maintains pointers to at least one view, at least one panel and at least one procedure to be associated with said generated transaction.