System and method for communications in a distributed processing environment

• US 6,622,175 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Recursion Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Piller, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/451,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/316, 709/201, 709/315, 709/313
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449

Abstract

A system for communication in a distributed computing environment (100) is provided and includes a server system (12) having one or more server objects (106) and a client system (14) having a client application (104). The client system (14) is linked to the server system (12) by a network (102). An object request broker (108) executes on the server system (12) and provides server-side communications support for the distributed computing environment (100). A light client (116) executes on the client system (14) and provides client-side communications support for the distributed computing environment (100). The light client (116) communicates with the object request broker (108) to provide client system (14) to server system (12) communications. A light proxy (118) is dynamically generated in response to a request from the client application (104) for access to one of the one or more server objects (106). The light proxy (118) is uploaded to the client system (14) in response to the request for access by the client application (104). The light proxy (118) also provides a local communication link between the client application (104) and the light client (116).

Claims

1. A system for communication in a distributed computing environment, comprising:

a server system having one or more server objects, the server system having a server-side object request broker executing on the server system, the object request broker providing server-side communications support in a distributed computing environment;

a client system having a client application, the client system linked to the server system, the client system not having an executing client-side object request broker;

a light client executing on the client system, the light client providing client-side communications support in the distributed computing environment, the light client communicating with the object request broker to provide client system to server system communications, the light client being uploaded from the server system without uploading the server-side object request broker, the server-side object request broker operable to directly communicate with the server object and the light client; and

a light proxy generator executing on the server system, the light proxy generator operable to dynamically generate a light proxy in response to a request from the client application for access to one of the one or more server objects, the light proxy being uploaded to the client system in response to a request from the client application to provide a client system reference to one of the one or more server objects, the light proxy providing a local communication link between the client application and the light client, the light proxy being decoupled from the server-side object request broker.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an internet providing the network link between the client system and the server system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the light client includes a subset of the functionality of the server-side object request broker.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the light client includes the ability to invoke methods of the one or more server objects and to receive results from the one or more server objects.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the light proxy is decoupled from the server-side object request broker.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the light client includes the light proxy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the light client includes fewer bytes by a factor of 100 than the server-side object request broker.

8. A method for communications in a distributed computing environment, comprising:

requesting a method of a server object by a client application, the server object existing on a server system, the client application existing on a client system, the client system linked to the server system by a network, the server system including a server-side object request broker, wherein the client system does not have a client-side object request broker;

receiving the request in the server-side object request broker on the server system, the server-side object request broker providing server-side network communications support;

generating a light proxy for the server object in response to the request from the client application, the light proxy decoupled from the server-side object request broker;

uploading the light proxy and a light client onto the client system without uploading the server-side object request broker to the client system, the light client providing client-side network communications support;

invoking the method of the server object by the object request broker;

sending a result of the method invocation to the light proxy directly through the server-side object request broker and the light client;

forwarding the result from the light proxy to the client application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the light client is uploaded to the client system prior to the light proxy.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein sending a result of the method invocation includes:

sending the result of the method invocation to the server-side object request broker on the server system;

transmitting the result to the light client on the client system across the network; and

forwarding the result from the light client to the light proxy.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

forwarding the request from the client application to the server-side object request broker on the server system.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving the result of the method invocation in the server-side object request broker on the server system.

13. A method for communications in a distributed computing environment, comprising;

requesting access to a server item on a server system by a client application on a client system, wherein the client system does not have a client-side object request broker;

receiving the request for access in a server-side object request broker;

uploading the server item to the client system;

uploading a light client from the server system to the client system without uploading the server-side object request broker to the client system, the light client providing client-side communications support;

requesting access to a server object from the uploaded server item on the client system;

generating a light proxy for the server object, the light proxy decoupled from the server-side object request broker;

uploading the light proxy into the light client;

invoking a method of the light proxy by the uploaded server item;

transmitting the method invocation from the light proxy to the server-side object request broker through the light client;

receiving the method invocation in the server-side object request broker;

forwarding the method invocation from the server-side object request broker to the server object;

sending a result of the method invocation to the server-side object request broker;

transmitting the result to the light client on the client system;

forwarding the result from the light client to the light proxy; and

forwarding the result from the light proxy to the uploaded server item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the server item is an applet.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the server item is an application.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the light proxy is generated by the server-side object request broker.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising using a class loader to load the light proxy into the light client on the client system.