Systems methods and computer program products for customized host access applications including user-replaceable transport code

• US 6,381,654 B1
• Filed: 04/15/1998
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Knowles, Gregory T., Marchesseault, Brad, Brawn, Thomas J., Li, Yongcheng, Tan, Yih-Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Courtenay, III, St. John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Van H.
• Application Number:
  US09/060,530
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 709/310-332, 709/200-231, 345/335
• US Class Current: 719/331
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Host communications software is modified to include user-provided transport code for sending and receiving datastreams to and from a host. A user transport code component is provided to the host communications software, and the user transport code component is dynamically linked to a datastream processing component of the host communications software. Dynamically linking a datastream processing component of the host communications software and the user transport code component includes defining transport events, and providing interfaces to listen and handle the transport events. Host access software can be redesigned into a collection of dynamically connectable and reusable, self-contained, functional components that software developers can use to generate host access applications.

Claims

1. A method of modifying mainframe host communications software to include user-provided transport code for sending and receiving datastreams to and from a mainframe host via a persistent connection with the mainframe host, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a user transport code component to the mainframe host communications software, wherein the user transport code component sends and receives datastreams to and from the mainframe host via the persistent connection; and

dynamically linking a datastream processing component of the mainframe host communications software to the user transport code component such that datastreams sent or received by the mainframe host communications software are sent to and received by the user transport code component.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of dynamically linking a datastream processing component of the mainframe host communications software to the user transport code component comprises providing interfaces to listen and handle transport events associated with sending and receiving datastreams to and from the mainframe host communications software.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the user transport code component is a bean.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the datastream processing component is a bean.

5. A method of sending and receiving datastreams to and from a mainframe host via mainframe host communications software, the method comprising the steps of:

providing mainframe host communications software including a mainframe host datastream processing component dynamically linked with a user transport component, wherein the user transport component includes transport protocol different from a transport protocol of the mainframe host communications software;

transmitting a start mainframe host session request to the mainframe host datastream processing component;

responsive to receiving the start mainframe host session request, transmitting a transport event from the mainframe host datastream processing component to the user transport component;

responsive to receiving the transport event, establishing a persistent connection with a mainframe host via the user transport component; and

for outbound datastreams received by the user transport component from the mainframe host via the persistent connection, unwrapping the outbound datastreams from format code of the mainframe host communications software.

6. A method according to claim 5 further comprising:

transmitting inbound datastreams constructed by the mainframe host datastream processing component to the user transport component;

wrapping, via the user transport component, the received inbound datastreams in a transport format of the user transport component; and

transmitting the wrapped inbound datastreams to the mainframe host via the persistent connection.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the user transport code component and datastream processing component are respective beans.

8. A method of generating a mainframe host access application, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a plurality of dynamically connectable, reusable components within a development space, wherein each dynamically connectable, reusable component is configured to perform a respective mainframe host access application task; and

interconnecting the dynamically connectable, reusable components such that the dynamically connectable, reusable components can transmit and receive information therebetween so as to function as a mainframe host access application at run time.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising interconnecting the dynamically connectable, reusable components to a user transport code component, wherein the user transport code component is configured to send and receive datastreams to and from a mainframe host via a persistent connection with the mainframe host.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein each of the dynamically connectable, reusable components are respective beans.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the dynamically connectable, reusable components comprise a user control bean, a session screen bean, and a function keypad bean.

12. A method according to claim 8 wherein each of the dynamically connectable, reusable components can be wrapped within mainframe host access application code.

13. A computer program product for modifying mainframe host communications software to include user-provided transport code for sending and receiving datastreams to and from a mainframe host via a persistent connection with the mainframe host, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for providing a user transport code component to the mainframe host communications software, wherein the user transport code component sends and receives datastreams to and from the mainframe host via the persistent connection; and

computer readable program code means for dynamically linking a datastream processing component of the mainframe host communications software to the user transport code component such that datastreams sent or received by the mainframe host communications software are sent to and received by the user transport code component.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the computer readable program code means for dynamically linking a datastream processing component of the mainframe host communications software and the user transport code component comprises computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for providing interfaces to listen and handle the transport events associated with sending and receiving datastreams to and from the mainframe host communications software.

15. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the user transport code component is a bean.

16. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the datastream processing component is a bean.

17. A computer program product for sending and receiving datastreams to and from a mainframe host via mainframe host communications software via a persistent connection with the mainframe host, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for providing mainframe host communications software including a mainframe host datastream processing component dynamically linked with a user transport component, wherein the user transport component includes transport protocol different from a transport protocol of the mainframe host communications software;

computer readable program code means for transmitting a start mainframe host session request to the mainframe host datastream processing component;

computer readable program code means, responsive to receiving the start mainframe host session request, for transmitting a transport event from the mainframe host datastream processing component to the user transport component;

computer readable program code means, responsive to receiving the transport event, for establishing a persistent connection with a mainframe host via the user transport component; and

for outbound datastreams received by the user transport component from the mainframe host, computer readable program code means for unwrapping the outbound datastreams from format code of the mainframe host communications software.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for transmitting inbound datastreams constructed by the mainframe host datastream processing component to the user transport component;

computer readable program code means for wrapping, via the user transport component, the received inbound datastreams in a transport format of the user transport component; and

computer readable program code means for transmitting the wrapped inbound datastreams to the mainframe host via the persistent connection.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17 wherein the user transport code component and datastream processing component are respective beans.

20. A computer program product for generating a mainframe host access application, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for placing a plurality of dynamically connectable, reusable components within a development space, wherein each dynamically connectable, reusable component is configured to perform a respective mainframe host access application task; and

computer readable program code means for interconnecting the dynamically connectable, reusable components such that the dynamically connectable, reusable components can transmit and receive information therebetween so as to function as a mainframe host access application at run time.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20 further comprising computer readable program code means for interconnecting the dynamically connectable, reusable components to a user transport code component, wherein the user transport code component is configured to send and receive datastreams to and from a mainframe host via a persistent connection.

22. A computer program product according to claim 20 wherein each of the dynamically connectable, reusable components are respective beans.

23. A computer program product according to claim 20 wherein the dynamically connectable, reusable components comprise a user control bean, a session screen bean, and a function keypad bean.

24. A computer program product according to claim 20 wherein each of the dynamically connectable, reusable components can be wrapped within mainframe host access application code.

25. A system for modifying mainframe host communications software to include user-provided transport code for sending and receiving datastreams to and from a mainframe host via a persistent connection with the mainframe host, comprising:

means for providing a user transport code component to the mainframe host communications software, wherein the user transport code component sends and receives datastreams to and from the mainframe host via the persistent connection; and

means for dynamically linking a datastream processing component of the mainframe host communications software to the user transport code component such that datastreams sent or received by the mainframe host communications software are sent to and received by the user transport code component.

26. A system according to claim 25 wherein the means for dynamically linking a datastream processing component of the mainframe host communications software to the user transport code component comprises means for providing interfaces to listen and handle the transport events associated with sending and receiving datastreams to and from the mainframe host communications software.

27. A system according to claim 25 wherein the user transport code component is a bean.

28. A system according to claim 25 wherein the datastream processing component is a bean.

29. A system for sending and receiving datastreams to and from a mainframe host via mainframe host communications software via a persistent connection with the mainframe host, comprising:

means for providing mainframe host communications software including a mainframe host datastream processing component dynamically linked with a user transport component, wherein the user transport component includes transport protocol different from a transport protocol of the mainframe host communications software;

means for transmitting a start mainframe host session request to the host mainframe datastream processing component;

means, responsive to receiving the start mainframe host session request, for transmitting a transport event from the mainframe host datastream processing component to the user transport component;

means, responsive to receiving the transport event, for establishing a persistent connection with a mainframe host via the user transport component; and

for outbound datastreams received by the user transport component from the mainframe host, means for unwrapping the outbound datastreams from format code of the mainframe host communications software.

30. A system according to claim 29 further comprising:

means for transmitting inbound datastreams constructed by the mainframe host datastream processing component to the user transport component;

means for wrapping, via the user transport component, the received inbound datastreams in a transport format of the user transport component; and

means for transmitting the wrapped inbound datastreams to the mainframe host via the persistent connection.

31. A system according to claim 29 wherein the user transport code component and datastream processing component are respective beans.

32. A system for generating a mainframe host access application, comprising:

means for placing a plurality of dynamically connectable, reusable components within a development space, wherein each dynamically connectable, reusable component is configured to perform a respective mainframe host access application task; and

means for interconnecting the dynamically connectable, reusable components such that the dynamically connectable, reusable components can transmit and receive information therebetween so as to function as a mainframe host access application at run time.

33. A system according to claim 32 further comprising means for interconnecting the dynamically connectable, reusable components to a user transport code component, wherein the user transport code component is configured to send and receive datastreams to and from a mainframe host via a persistent connection.

34. A system according to claim 32 wherein each of the dynamically connectable, reusable components are respective beans.

35. A system according to claim 32 wherein the dynamically connectable, reusable components comprise a user control bean, a session screen bean, and a function keypad bean.

36. A system according to claim 32 wherein each of the dynamically connectable, reusable components can be wrapped within mainframe host access application code.