Downloadable smart proxies for performing processing associated with a remote procedure call in a distributed system

• US 6,393,497 B1
• Filed: 03/20/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Waldo, James H., Wollrath, Ann M., Arnold, Kenneth C. R. C., Scheifler, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/044,930
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 709/300, 709/303, 709/310, 709/315, 709/330
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449

Abstract

Use of a smart proxy as a wrapper around a stub in a distributed system. Instead of receiving a stub as a result of a remote procedure call, a caller receives a smart proxy including the stub as an embedded object. The smart proxy performs predefined processing associated with a remote procedure call, the processing possibly occurring before, during, or after a response to the call.

Claims

1. A method for receiving objects in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, comprising:

transmitting a request for a particular object; and

receiving a response to the request, the response including code used to construct a representation of the requested object, the construction creating an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

2. The method of claim 1, further including

using the code to construct the representation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the using includes

downloading code to update the processing.

4. A method for transmitting objects in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, comprising:

receiving at a machine a request for a particular object; and

transmitting a response to the request, the response including first code for constructing a representation of the object and including an indication of second code for processing such that the construction creates an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

5. An apparatus for receiving objects in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, comprising:

a module configured to transmit a request for a particular object; and

a module configured to receive a response to the request, the response including code used to construct a representation of the requested object, the construction creating an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further including

a module configured to use the code to construct the representation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the use module includes

a module configured to download code to update the processing.

8. An apparatus for transmitting objects in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, comprising:

a module configured to receive at a machine a request for a particular object; and

a module configured to transmit a response to the request, the response including first code for constructing a representation of the object and including an indication of second code for processing such that the construction creates an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

9. A system for transmitting objects in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, comprising:

a first machine;

a second machine;

a network connecting the first machine with the second machine; and

an apparatus for receiving objects, the apparatus including;

a module configured to transmit a request for a particular object; and

a module configured to receive a response to the request, the response including code used to construct a representation of the requested object, the construction creating an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

10. The system of claim 9, further including

a module configured to use the code to construct the representation.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the use module includes

a module configured to download code to update the processing.

12. A system for transmitting objects in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, comprising:

a first machine;

a second machine;

a network connecting the first machine with the second machine; and

an apparatus for transmitting objects, the apparatus including;

a module configured to receive at a machine a request for a particular object; and

a module configured to transmit a response to the request, the response including first code for constructing a representation of the object and including an indication of second code for processing such that the construction creates an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method including;

transmitting a request for a particular object; and

receiving a response to the request, the response including code used to construct a representation of the requested object, the construction creating an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further including

using the code to construct the representation.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the using includes

downloading code to update the processing.

16. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method including;

receiving at a machine a request for a particular object; and

transmitting a response to the request, the response including first code for constructing a representation of the object and including an indication of second code for processing such that the construction creates an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

17. An article of manufacture specifying a representation of an object stored in a computer-readable storage medium and capable of electronic transmission between machines in a distributed system, the article of manufacture comprising:

an object to be transmitted from a first machine to a second machine in a response to a request, the object including an indication of code used to construct a representation of the requested object, the construction creating an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.

18. An apparatus for receiving objects in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for a particular object; and

means for receiving a response to the request, the response including code used to construct a representation of the requested object, the construction creating an object for processing calls to the particular object, local to the requesting object, using the representation.