Technique to minimize data transfer between two computers

• US 6,345,314 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1995
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McGuire, Richard Kenneth, Cole, Gary Lee, Pritko, Steven Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/548,990
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 395/680, 395/681, 395/683, 709/310-332
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

A host computer provides an object stored in the host computer to a target computer. In response to a need for an object at the target computer, the host computer generates and transfers to the target computer a proxy program instead of the object. The proxy program, when executed at the target computer, provides the object. Usually, the proxy program is much shorter than the object itself, and this reduces message traffic. The proxy program has various forms such as a call to another program resident in the target computer to recreate the object or a request to a function within the target computer to provide the object. The host computer can also be programmed into an object oriented environment, the object referencing other objects, and the proxy program forming an agent in the target computer which requests these other objects from the host computer only as needed by the target computer.

Claims

1. A host computer for assisting a target computer obtain an object, said host computer comprising:

means for storing said object and a proxy program in said host computer, said proxy program when executed at said target computer generating said object at said target computer; and

means, responsive to a need for said object at said target computer, for transferring said proxy program to said target computer, said proxy program being transferred from said host computer to said target computer instead of any substantive form of said object even though said object is stored in said host computer.

2. A host computer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said proxy program comprises a call to another program resident in said target computer to generate said object.

3. A host computer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said object comprises data, said data being larger than said proxy program.

4. A host computer as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for storing a template and, in response to said need, entering a name of said object into said template to form said proxy program.

5. A host computer as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for establishing an object oriented environment in said host computer;

and wherein

said object references other objects; and

said proxy program, when executed in said target computer, generates in said target computer said other objects as well as the first said object.

6. A host computer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the transferring means also includes means for transferring said object to said target computer instead of said proxy program, said transferring means transferring said object instead of said proxy program if a length of said object is less than a threshold and transferring said proxy program instead of said object if said length of said object is greater than a threshold.

7. A host computer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said host computer receives a request from said target computer for said object to indicate said need for said object.

11. A host computer as set forth in claim 6 further comprising means for storing a template for said proxy program and, in response to said need, entering a name of said object into said template to form said proxy program.

17. A host computer as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for establishing an object oriented environment in said host computer.

8. A host computer for assisting a target computer obtain an object, said host computer comprising:

means for storing said object and a proxy program in said host computer, said proxy program, when executed at said target computer, requests said object from within said target computer; and

means, responsive to a request for said object by said target computer, for determining that said target computer already has a copy of said object and transferring said proxy program to said target computer, said proxy program being transferred from said host computer to said target computer instead of any substantive form of said object even though said object is stored in said host computer.

9. A host computer as set forth in claim 8 wherein said proxy program comprises a call to another program resident in said target computer to fetch said object.

10. A host computer as set forth in claim 8 wherein said object comprises data, said data being larger than said proxy program.

12. A host computer as set forth in claim 8 further comprising means for transferring said object to said target computer.

13. A host computer as set forth in claim 8 further comprising means for establishing an object oriented environment in said host computer;

and wherein

said object references other objects; and

said proxy program, when executed in said target computer, requests said other objects as well as the first said object from said target computer.

14. A host computer for providing a target computer with a first object and other objects, said host computer comprising:

means for storing said first object, said other object and a proxy program in said host computer, said first object referencing said other objects, said proxy program, when executed at said target computer, forming an agent which requests said other object from said host computer as needed by said target computer; and

means, responsive to a request by said target computer for said first object, for transferring said first object and said proxy program to said target computer.

15. A host computer as set forth in claim 14 wherein said first object comprises data.

16. A host computer as set forth in claim 14 further comprising means for storing a template for said proxy program and, in response to said need, entering a name of said other objects and a location or identification of said host computer into said template to form said proxy program.

18. A host computer for providing a target computer with an object in a first alphanumeric character form usable by said target computer, said host computer comprising:

means for storing said object in a second alphanumeric character form in said host computer, said object in said second form being usable by said host computer but not said target computer;

means for storing a proxy program that, when executed at said target computer, converts said object in said second form to said first form; and

means, responsive to a need by said target computer for said object in said first form, for transferring said object in said second form and said proxy program to said target computer.

19. A host computer as set forth in claim 18 wherein said object comprises data.

20. A host computer as set forth in claim 18 further comprising means for storing a template for said proxy program and, in response to said need, entering data into said template to form said proxy program.

21. A host computer as set forth in claim 18 further comprising means for establishing an object oriented environment in said host computer;

and wherein

said object references other objects; and

said proxy program, when executed in said target computer, converts said other objects as well as the first said object to said first form usable by said target computer.

22. A method for assisting a first computer obtain an object, said first computer being coupled to a second computer, said method comprising the steps of:

storing said object in said second computer;

after the storing step and in response to a need for said object at said first computer, transferring a proxy program from said second computer to said first computer, said proxy program when executed in said first computer, generating said object, said proxy program being transferred from said second computer to said first computer instead of said object even though said object is stored in said second computer.

23. A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein said object comprises data and said data is larger than said proxy program.

24. A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein said second computer generates said proxy program from a template stored in said second computer.

25. A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein said first computer makes a request to said second computer for said object to indicate said need for said object, and said second computer receives said request.

26. A method for assisting a first computer obtain an object, said first computer being coupled to a second computer, said method comprising the steps of:

storing said object and a proxy program in said second computer, said proxy program when executed in said first computer, generating said object;

in said second computer, comparing a size of said object to a predetermined threshold;

after the storing of said object in said second computer, and in response to a request by said first computer for said object,

if said size is greater than said threshold, transferring said proxy program instead of any substantive form of said object from said second computer to said first computer, and

if said size is less than said threshold, transferring said object instead of said proxy program to said first computer.

27. A computer program product for execution in a host computer to assist a target computer obtain an object, said host computer storing said object and a proxy program, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for instructing a processor to respond to a need for said object at said target computer, by transferring said proxy program to said target computer, said proxy program when executed at said target computer generating said object at said target computer, said proxy program being transferred from said host computer to said target computer instead of any substantive form of said object even though said object is stored in said host computer; and

wherein said first program instruction means is recorded on said medium.