Method of moving objects in a computer network

• US 6,415,315 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Recursion Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Glass, Graham W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELDS, KENNETH WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US09/199,663
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/238, 709/315, 709/203, 709/330, 709/201, 709/202
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4862 the task being a mobile agent, i.e. specifically designed to migrate
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a computer network (100), an object (102) located at a current host address and port number (104) receives a move indication (106) from itself or a virtual object (108) located at an originating host address and port number (110). After determining its availability to move, the object (102) creates a serialized version (112) of itself to send to a new host address and port number (114). The object (102) also retains an old version (116) of itself at the current host address and port number (104). A new version (118) of the object (102) is established at the new host address and port number (114) from the serialized version (112) of the object (102). Once established, the new version (118) sends a status update message (120) to the old version (116). The old version (116) de-registers itself from the current host address and port number (104). If forwarding is desired, the old version (116) creates a secretary object (122) that routes messages to the new version (118) that were addressed to the old version before updating has occurred in the computer network (100).

Claims

1. A method of moving objects in a computer network, comprising:

receiving a move indication at an object to move to a new host address and port number of the computer network from a current host address and port number of the computer network;

determining whether the object is available for a move;

creating a serialized version of the object in response to the object'"'"'s availability to move, the serialized version being a message that includes the object as a parameter;

retaining an old version of the object at the current host address and port number position;

sending the message representing the serialized version of the object to the new host address and port number;

creating a new version of the object at the new host address and port number from the serialized version of the object;

sending a status update message from the new version of the object to the old version of the object, the status update message including an indication that the new version of the object has been established at the new host address and port number;

determining whether forwarding is desired for the old version of the object;

creating a forwarder object from the old version of the object at the current host address and port number in response to forwarding being desired.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

de-registering an identification of the old version of the object from the current host address and port number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the forwarder object in place of the old version of the object.

4. A method of moving objects in a computer network, comprising:

receiving a move indication at an object to move to a new host address and port number of the computer network from a current host address and port number of the computer network;

determining whether the object is available for a move;

creating a serialized version of the object in response to the object'"'"'s availability to move, the serialized version being a message that includes the object as a parameter;

retaining an old version of the object at the current host address and port number position;

sending the message representing the serialized version of the object to the new host address and port number;

creating a new version of the object at the new host address and port number from the serialized version of the object;

wherein the object is an agent that contains its own move indication.

5. A method of moving objects in a computer network, comprising:

receiving a move indication at an object to move to a new host address and port number of the computer network from a current host address and port number of the computer network;

determining whether the object is available for a move;

creating a serialized version of the object in response to the object'"'"'s availability to move, the serialized version being a message that includes the object as a parameter;

retaining an old version of the object at the current host address and port number position;

sending the message representing the serialized version of the object to the new host address and port number;

creating a new version of the object at the new host address and port number from the serialized version of the object;

wherein the move indication is received from a virtual object at an originating host address and port number, the virtual object corresponding to the object.

6. A method of moving objects in a computer network, comprising:

receiving a move indication at an object to move to a new host address and port number of the computer network from a current host address and port number of the computer network;

determining whether the object is available for a move;

creating a serialized version of the object in response to the object'"'"'s availability to move, the serialized version being a message that includes the object as a parameter;

retaining an old version of the object at the current host address and port number position;

sending the message representing the serialized version of the object to the new host address and port number;

creating a new version of the object at the new host address and port number from the serialized version of the object;

waiting for the object to become available for the move;

locking the object to prevent non-move operations to be performed on the object during the move.

7. A method of moving objects in a computer network, comprising:

receiving a move indication at an object to move to a new host address and port number of the computer network from a current host address and port number of the computer network;

determining whether the object is available for a move;

creating a serialized version of the object in response to the object'"'"'s availability to move, the serialized version being a message that includes the object as a parameter;

retaining an old version of the object at the current host address and port number position;

sending the message representing the serialized version of the object to the new host address and port number;

creating a new version of the object at the new host address and port number from the serialized version of the object;

queuing messages to the object during the move.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

forwarding the messages received during the move to the new version of the object, the old version of the object acting as a forwarder object for queued messages.