Method and apparatus for distributing templates in a component system

• US 6,195,794 B1
• Filed: 08/12/1997
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Buxton, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US08/910,140
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 395/702, 395/703, 395/700, 395/712, 369/408, 717/5, 717/12, 717/1
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A component customization and distribution system in an object-oriented environment provides a template builder utility which enables a base component to be selectively modified and the modifications to the base component stored as a template. The template is formatted into a distribution pack which may be then distributed to a recipient computer system having a similar base component loaded thereon. The distribution pack contains at least one template, a self-executing installation program for unloading the templates onto the recipient system, and a data dictionary to assist in locating the templates within the distribution pack. A loader utility utilizes the information contained within the template in conjunction with the functionality of the base component to modify the behavior of the base component to conform to the customizations or modifications created with the template builder utility. The component loader utility spoofs the base component by selectively forwarding method calls to/from the base component and selectively modifying the results of method calls in response to information contained in the template.

Claims

1. In an object-oriented computer system, a method of distributing customization to a base component, the base component implemented as an object having a class definition and defined methods, the customization stored in a template format, the method comprising the steps of:

a. generating a template distribution pack comprising at least one template, the template comprising user-instructions for the template, the template being utilized to modify the behavior of a base component, which is executable by an operating system on the computer system;

b. transferring the template distribution pack from a component system on which the distribution pack was generated to a recipient system;

c. loading the template distribution pack on the recipient system;

d. utilizing the information contained within the template distribution pack to selectively modify the behavior of a base component on the recipient system without modifying the base component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step d comprises the step of:

d.1 selectively forwarding method calls to the base component on the recipient system in response to the information contained within the template.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step d further comprises:

d.1 selectively modifying the results of a method call from the base component in response to information contained within the template.

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

e. selectively disabling a template upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step e comprises the step of:

e.1 verifying a license term of a template contained within the distribution pack.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein step e comprises the step of:

e.1 validating a digital signature associate d with a template stored within the template distribution pack.

7. In an object-oriented computer system, a method of distributing customization to a base component, the base component implemented as an object having a class definition and defined methods, the customization stored in a template format, the method comprising the of steps:

a. generating a template distribution pack comprising at least one template, the template comprising at least one key containing information useful in registering the template with the file system registry of a computer system;

b. transferring the template distribution pack from a component system on which the distribution pack was generated to a recipient system;

c. loading the template distribution pack on the recipient system;

d. utilizing the information contained within the template distribution pack to selectively modify the behavior of a base component on the recipient system without modifying the base component.

8. Apparatus for recreating the behavior of a customized component in a plurality of individual computers wherein a base component exists on each of the individual computers, the apparatus comprising:

a template builder for generating a template distribution pack having contents which encapsulate differences between the base component and the customized component;

a distribution mechanism which distributes the template distribution pack to each of the plurality of individual computers; and

a template loader in each of the plurality of individual computers which forms a composite of the template distribution pack contents and the base component so that the composite, when executed by each of the plurality of individual computers, has the behavior of the customized component and wherein the template loader comprises a spoofing mechanism which utilieste th customization information to intercept and enhance, disable and modify rthed calls which are made to the base component during its operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the distribution pack contents comprise one or more templates.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein one of the templates comprises customization information which indicates differences between the base component and the customized component.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the base component comprises persistent data and the spoofing mechanism combines the persistent data with the customization information to form a composite which has the behavior of the customized component.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the base component has interfaces and the spoofing mechanism adds at least one interface to the base component.

13. A method for recreating the behavior of a customized component in a plurality of individual computers wherein a base component exists on each of the individual computers, the method comprising:

(a) generating a template distribution pack having contents which encapsulate differences between the base component and the customized component;

(b) distributing the template distribution pack to each of the plurality of individual computers; and

(c) forming in each of the plurality of individual computers a composite of the template distribution pack contents and the base component so that the composite, when executed by each of the plurality of individual computers, has the behavior of the customized component and utilizing the customization information to intercept and enhance, disable and modify method calls which are made to the base component during its operation.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the distribution pack contents comprise one or more templates.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein one of the templates comprises customization information which indicates differences between the base component and the customized component.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the base component comprises persistent data and step (c) comprises combining the persistent data with the customization information to form a composite which has the behavior of the customized component.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the base component has interfaces and step (c) comprises adding at least one interface to the base component.

18. A computer program product for recreating the behavior of a customized component in a plurality of individual computers wherein a base component exists on each of the individual computers, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, including:

program code for generating a template distribution pack having contents which encapsulate differences between the base component and the customized component;

program code for distributing the template distribution pack to each of the plurality of individual computers; and

program code for forming in each of the plurality of individual computers a composite of the template distribution pack contents and the base component so that the composite, when executed by each of the plurality of individual computers, has the behavior of the customized component and for utilizing the customization information to intercept and enhance, disable and modify method calls which are made to the base component during its operation.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the distribution pack contents comprise one or more templates.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein one of the templates comprises customization information which indicates differences between the base component and the customized component.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the base component comprises persistent data and the program code for forming a composite comprises program code for combining the persistent data with the customization information to form a composite which has the behavior of the customized component.

22. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the base component has interfaces and the program code for forming a composite comprises program code for adding at least one interface to the base component.

23. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for recreating the behavior of a customized component in a plurality of individual computers wherein a base component exists on each of the individual computers, the computer data signal comprising:

program code for generating a template distribution pack having contents which encapsulate differences between the base component and the customized component;

program code for distributing the template distribution pack to each of the plurality of individual computers; and

program code for forming in each of the plurality of individual computers a composite of the template distribution pack contents and the base component so that the composite, when executed by each of the plurality of individual computers, has the behavior of the customized component and for utilizing the customization information to intercept and enhance, disable and modify method calls which are made to the base component during its operation.