System, method, and article of manufacture for environment services patterns in a netcentic environment

• US 6,477,665 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Bowman-Amuah, Michel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US09/386,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 714/39, 714/43, 714/44, 714/45, 714/47, 714/35, 714/51, 714/38, 712/244, 712/245, 712/227, 712/228
• US Class Current: 714/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for implementing environment services patterns. First, a successfulness of an operation is tested, wherein the operation has pre-conditions and post-conditions that must be satisfied for the operation to be successful. Then, there is an attempt to detect an orphaned server context. A common interface is created for exception handling. Requirements for such exception handling are also recorded to maintain a consistent error handling approach. Incoming requests are distributed amongst server components for optimizing usage of resources. Finally, the amount of changes that need to be made to exception handling logic are minimized when new exceptions are added.

Claims

1. A method for implementing environment services patterns, comprising the steps of:

(a) testing successfulness of an operation having pre-conditions and post-conditions that must be satisfied for an operation to be successful;

(b) attempting to detect an orphaned server context;

(c) creating a common interface for exception handling;

(d) recording exception handling requirements for maintaining a consistent error handling approach;

(e) distributing incoming requests amongst server components for optimizing usage of resources; and

(f) minimizing the amount of changes that need to be made to exception handling logic when new exceptions are added.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of testing successfulness of the operation includes the steps of:

raising a first assertion asserting a pre-condition that must evaluate to true if the operation is successful;

executing the operation;

raising a second assertion asserting a post-condition that must evaluate to true if the operation is successful; and

outputting an error message upon failure of at least one of the assertions.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of attempting to detect the orphaned server context includes the steps of:

maintaining a collection of outstanding server objects;

creating a list of contexts for each of the outstanding server objects;

adding to the list a compilation of clients who are interested in each of the outstanding server objects;

recording on the list a duration of time since the clients invoked a method accessing each of the contexts of the outstanding server objects;

examining the list at predetermined intervals for determining whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since each of the objects has been accessed;

selecting contexts that have not been accessed in the predetermined amount of time; and

sending information to the clients identifying the contexts that have not been accessed in the predetermined amount of time.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating a common interface for exception handling includes the steps of:

determining naming conventions of exceptions;

adding at least one of a prefix and a suffix to each exception interface name for indicating that the exception interface is an exception;

indicating where an exception error occurred;

determining what caused the exception error;

providing context as to what was happening when the exception error occurred;

allowing streaming of the exception to a common interface; and

outputting an error message indicating that an exception error has occurred.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of distributing incoming requests amongst server components for optimizing usage of resources includes the steps of:

receiving incoming requests;

storing the requests;

determining an availability of server components;

compiling a listing of available server components;

determining which server component on the listing of available server components is most appropriate to receive a particular request; and

sending each particular request to the selected server component determined to be most appropriate to receive the particular request.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of minimizing the amount of changes that need to be made to exception handling logic when new exceptions are added includes the steps of:

organizing exceptions into hierarchies in a polymorphic exception handler;

catching a root of one of the hierarchies in which an exception occurs;

instructing the exception to rethrow itself;

catching the rethrown exception;

identifying the rethrown exception;

determining a type of the rethrown exception; and

outputting a message indicating the type of the rethrown exception.

7. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for implementing environment services patterns, comprising:

(a) a code segment for testing successfulness of an operation having pre-conditions and post-conditions that must be satisfied for an operation to be successful;

(b) a code segment for attempting to detect an orphaned server context;

(c) a code segment for creating a common interface for exception handling;

(d) a code segment for recording exception handling requirements for maintaining a consistent error handling approach;

(e) a code segment for distributing incoming requests amongst server components for optimizing usage of resources; and

(f) a code segment for minimizing the amount of changes that need to be made to exception handling logic when new exceptions are added.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the code segment for testing successfulness of the operation includes:

raising a first assertion asserting a pre-condition that must evaluate to true if the operation is successful;

executing the operation;

raising a second assertion asserting a post-condition that must evaluate to true if the operation is successful; and

outputting an error message upon failure of at least one of the assertions.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the code segment for attempting to detect the orphaned server context includes:

maintaining a collection of outstanding server objects;

creating a list of contexts for each of the outstanding server objects;

adding to the list a compilation of clients who are interested in each of the outstanding server objects;

recording on the list a duration of time since the clients invoked a method accessing each of the contexts of the outstanding server objects;

examining the list at predetermined intervals for determining whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since each of the objects has been accessed;

selecting contexts that have not been accessed in the predetermined amount of time; and

sending information to the clients identifying the contexts that have not been accessed in the predetermined amount of time.

10. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the code segment for creating a common interface for exception handling includes:

determining naming conventions of exceptions;

adding at least one of a prefix and a suffix to each exception interface name for indicating that the exception interface is an exception;

indicating where an exception error occurred;

determining what caused the exception error;

providing context as to what was happening when the exception error occurred;

allowing streaming of the exception to a common interface; and

outputting an error message indicating that an exception error has occurred.

11. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the code segment for distributing incoming requests amongst server components for optimizing usage of resources includes:

receiving incoming requests;

storing the requests;

determining an availability of server components;

compiling a listing of available server components;

determining which server component on the listing of available server components is most appropriate to receive a particular request; and

sending each particular request to the selected server component determined to be most appropriate to receive the particular request.

12. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the code segment for minimizing the amount of changes that need to be made to exception handling logic when new exceptions are added includes:

organizing exceptions into hierarchies in a polymorphic exception handler;

catching a root of one of the hierarchies in which an exception occurs;

instructing the exception to rethrow itself;

catching the rethrown exception;

identifying the rethrown exception;

determining a type of the rethrown exception; and

outputting a message indicating the type of the rethrown exception.

13. A system for implementing environment services patterns, comprising:

(a) logic for testing successfulness of an operation having pre-conditions and post-conditions that must be satisfied for an operation to be successful;

(b) logic for attempting to detect an orphaned server context;

(c) logic for creating a common interface for exception handling;

(d) logic for recording exception handling requirements for maintaining a consistent error handling approach;

(e) logic for distributing incoming requests amongst server components for optimizing usage of resources; and

(f) logic for minimizing the amount of changes that need to be made to exception handling logic when new exceptions are added.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the logic for testing successfulness of the operation includes:

raising a first assertion asserting a pre-condition that must evaluate to true if the operation is successful;

executing the operation;

raising a second assertion asserting a post-condition that must evaluate to true if the operation is successful; and

outputting an error message upon failure of at least one of the assertions.

15. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the logic for attempting to detect the orphaned server context includes:

maintaining a collection of outstanding server objects;

creating a list of contexts for each of the outstanding server objects;

adding to the list a compilation of clients who are interested in each of the outstanding server objects;

recording on the list a duration of time since the clients invoked a method accessing each of the contexts of the outstanding server objects;

examining the list at predetermined intervals for determining whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since each of the objects has been accessed;

selecting contexts that have not been accessed in the predetermined amount of time;

and sending information to the clients identifying the contexts that have not been accessed in the predetermined amount of time.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the logic for creating a common interface for exception handling includes:

determining naming conventions of exceptions;

adding at least one of a prefix and a suffix to each exception interface name for indicating that the exception interface is an exception;

indicating where an exception error occurred;

determining what caused the exception error;

providing context as to what was happening when the exception error occurred;

allowing streaming of the exception to a common interface; and

outputting an error message indicating that an exception error has occurred.

17. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the logic for distributing incoming requests amongst server components for optimizing usage of resources includes:

receiving incoming requests;

storing the requests;

determining an availability of server components;

compiling a listing of available server components;

determining which server component on the listing of available server components is most appropriate to receive a particular request; and

sending each particular request to the selected server component determined to be most appropriate to receive the particular request.

18. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the logic for minimizing the amount of changes that need to be made to exception handling logic when new exceptions are added includes:

organizing exceptions into hierarchies in a polymorphic exception handler;

catching a root of one of the hierarchies in which an exception occurs;

instructing the exception to rethrow itself;

catching the rethrown exception;

identifying the rethrown exception;

determining a type of the rethrown exception; and

outputting a message indicating the type of the rethrown exception.