Object-oriented system, method and article of manufacture for migrating a client-server application (#5)

• US 6,272,556 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1996
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gish, Sheri L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banankhah, Majid A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALDWELL, PATRICIA G
• Application Number:
  US08/673,948
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 395/680-685, 395/200.32, 455/5.1, 709/310-323, 709/201-203, 709/217-219
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

An interprise computing manager in which an application is composed of a client (front end) program which communicates utilizing a network with a server (back end) program. The client and server programs are loosely coupled and exchange information using the network. The client program is composed of a User Interface (UI) and an object-oriented framework (Presentation Engine (PE) framework). The UI exchanges data messages with the framework. The framework is designed to handle two types of messages: (1) from the UI, and (2) from the server (back end) program via the network. The framework includes a component, the mediator which manages messages coming into and going out of the framework. A distributed computer system is presented with software for a client computer, a server computer and a network for connecting the client computer to the server computer which utilizes an execution framework code segment configured to couple the server computer and the client computer via the network. A plurality of client computer code segments are stored on the server. Each client code segment is designed for transmission over the network to a client computer to initiate coupling. A plurality of server computer code segments are also stored on the server. A particular client code segment is selected, installed and executed in response to initiation of coupling via the network with a particular client utilizing the transmitted client computer code segment for communicating via a particular communication protocol to a corresponding server code segment on the server computer. Finally, a framework for migrating existing applications into the execution framework is integrated into the client-server architecture.

Claims

1. A server for a distributed system, comprising:

(a) a client computer;

(b) a server computer;

(c) a network connecting the client computer to the server computer, wherein the network operates according to the TCP/IP protocol;

(d) an execution framework code segment configured to couple the server computer and the client computer via the network, comprising;

(1) a plurality of client computer code segments resident on the server computer, each one of the plurality of client computer code segments containing Java code and being associated with a single application program initiated on the client computer, and each for transmission over the network to a client computer to initiate coupling;

(2) a plurality of server computer code segments resident on the server computer, each one of the plurality of server computer code segments being associated with a single application program initiated on the client computer, which execute on the server computer in response to initiation of coupling via the network with a particular client computer utilizing the transmitted client computer code segment for communicating via a particular communication protocol, thereby enabling execution of the single application program in a distributed manner between the client computer and the server computer wherein a single copy of the single application program is distributed between the client computer and server computer;

(e) a plurality of definitions that define the plurality of client computer code segments and each of the plurality of definitions defining how to associate the plurality of client computer code segments and the plurality of server computer code segments into applications in response to a request by the client computer wherein the plurality of client computer code segments and the plurality of server computer code segments contain only executable computer programming instructions;

(f) the client computer code segment including a mediator state machine which receives a plurality of messages, determines which message should be handled by which part of the execution framework, and forwards the message for further processing to the execution framework;

(g) the execution framework dispatches messages and initiates events in response to characteristics of the message transferred by the mediator state machine; and

(h) a framework for migrating existing applications into the execution framework.

2. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including a template for a client program that includes a client communication library.

3. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including a template for a client program that includes an user-extensible model.

4. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including a template for a client program that includes an user-extensible user interface adaptor.

5. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including application program interfaces for defining message events from a network graphical user interface to the execution framework.

6. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including application program interfaces for registering graphical user interface message handlers.

7. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including application program interfaces that register execution framework adaptor handlers.

8. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including application program interfaces that define message events to the communciation layer.

9. The server for a distributed system as recited in claim 1, including appliacation program interfaces from a server communication library for sending message events from the back end code, and registering at least one handler for at least one message event.

10. A method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network, comprising the steps of:

(a) responding to a request from a client computer system to a server computer system;

(b) downloading an execution framework code segment configured to couple the server computer and the client computer via the network, wherein the network operates according to the TCP/IP protocol comprising;

(1) a plurality of client computer code segments resident on the server computer, each one of the plurality of client computer code segments containing Java code and being associated with a single application program initiated on the client computer, and each for transmission over the network to a client computer to initiate coupling;

(2) a plurality of server computer code segments resident on the server computer, each one of the plurality of server computer code segments being associated with a single application program initiated on the client computer, which execute on the server computer in response to initiation of coupling via the network with a particular client computer utilizing the transmitted client computer code segment for communicating via the TCP/IP protocol, thereby enabling execution of the single application program in a distributed manner between the client computer and the server computer wherein one copy of the single application program is distributed between the client computer and server computer;

(c) a plurality of definitions that define the plurality of client computer code segments and each of the plurality of definitions defining how to associate the plurality of client computer code segments and the plurality of server computer code segments into applications in response to a request by the client computer wherein the plurality of client computer code segments and the plurality of server computer code segments contain only executable computer progamming instructions;

(d) receiving a plurality of messages in a mediator state machine in the client computer code segment;

(e) determining which messages should be handled by which part of the execution framework;

(f) forwarding the messages for further processing to the execution framework

(g) dispatching messages and initiating events in response to characteristics of the message transferred by the mediator state machine; and

(h) migrating existing applications into the execution framework.

11. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 10, including facilitating migration of computer applications utilizing a template for a client program that includes a client communication library.

12. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 11, wherein the template for a client program includes an user-extensible model.

13. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 10, wherein the template for a client program includes an user-extensible user interface adaptor.

14. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 10, including the step of defining message events from a network graphical user interface to the execution framework.

15. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 10, including the step of registering graphical user interface message handlers.

16. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 10, including the step of registering execution framework adaptor handlers.

17. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 10, including the step of defining message events to the communciation layer.

18. The method for distributing computing between a server computer system and a client computer system coupled by a network as recited in claim 10, including the step of sending message events from the back end code, and registering at least one handler for at least one message event.

19. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for enabling a distributed computer system, comprising:

(a) a code segment for responding to a request from a client computer system to a server computer system;

(b) an execution framework code segment configured to couple the server computer and the client computer via the network, wherein the network operates according to the TCP/IP protocol, comprising;

(1) a plurality of client computer code segments resident on the server computer, each one of the plurality of client computer code segments containing Java code and being associated with a single application program initiated on the client computer, and each for transmission over the network to a client computer to initiate coupling;

(2) a plurality of server computer code segments resident on the server computer, each one of the plurality of client computer code segments being associated with a single application program initiated on the client computer, which execute on the server in response to initiation of coupling via the network with a particular client utilizing the transmitted client computer code segment for communicating via the TCP/IP protocol, thereby enabling execution of the single application program in a distributed manner between the client computer and the server computer wherein one copy of the single application program is distributed between the client computer and server computer;

(c) a plurality of definitions that define the plurality of client computer code segments and each of the plurality of definitions defining how to associate the plurality of client computer code segments and the plurality of server computer code segments into applications in response to a request by the client computer wherein the plurality of client computer code segments and the plurality of server computer code segments contain only executable computer programming instructions;

(d) the client computer code segment including a mediator state machine which receives a plurality of messages, determines which message should be handled by which part of the execution framework, and forwards the message for further processing to the execution framework;

(e) the execution framework dispatches messages and initiates events in response to characteristics of the message transferred by the mediator state machine; and

(f) a framework for migrating existing applications into the execution framework.

20. The computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for enabling a distributed computer system as recited in claim 19, including a template for a client program that includes a client communication library.