Method for providing a service implementation for both EJB and non-EJB environments

• US 6,675,227 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tost, Andre, Vilnis, Dzintars, Gavrilo, Galina
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAO, DIEM K
• Application Number:
  US09/587,697
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 709/316, 709/331, 709/332
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548

Abstract

A method and object-oriented computing system in which a Java™ implementation of a service is provided dynamically at runtime via a Java™ interface for the service in accordance with the needs of a client computer in one of two varieties: an Enterprise Java Beans™ (EJB) implementation or, alternatively, a non-EJB implementation. Thus, the same service is accessible, without requiring any programming code changes, to both clients operating in an EJB environment and clients operating in a non-EJB environment. The client accesses the service through two non-EJB interfaces, one for the service (object or bean) itself, and the other for an abstract factory class. Both of these client interfaces are non-EJB to avoid dependence upon client access to EJB packages, which may exist for some clients and not for others. These interfaces operate at runtime to provide a non-EJB implementation for the service in the event the client accessing the service is not operating in an EJB environment and, alternatively, to provide an EJB implementation for the service in the event that the client accessing the service is operating in an EJB environment.

Claims

1. A method for providing on a server computer of an object-oriented computing system a service implementation for both enterprise and non-enterprise environments, comprising the steps of:

providing a service implementation class for a service, said implementation class defining a method that implements said service, wherein the service is independent of the enterprise environment;

providing an outer-layer service interface class for said service implementation class, wherein the outer-layer service interface class is independent of the enterprise environment;

providing an inner-layer service interface class that extends both the outer-layer service interface class and an enterprise base interface that is predefined;

providing an enterprise layer having an enterprise home interface class; and

providing a factory layer having a non enterprise factory interface to a client computer and having an abstract factory class that, as selected by late binding of said client computer at runtime, either instantiates an enterprise factory for said service via said home interface class or alternatively instantiates a non enterprise factory for said service.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein an instance of said service implementation class is a non-enterprise bean.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said enterprise layer includes a wrapper class that provides a wrapper for said service implementation class, said wrapper class providing said service via said inner-layer service interface class.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein said abstract class has a first subclass for instantiating an enterprise instance for said service and a second subclass for instantiating a non enterprise instance for said service.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said service is selected from the group consisting of:

e-mailing, calendaring, faxing and printing.

6. In a server computer of an object-oriented computing system, a system for providing a service implementation for both enterprise and non-enterprise environments, the system comprising:

a service implementation class for a service, said implementation class defining a method that implements said service, wherein the service is independent of the enterprise environment;

an outer-layer service interface class for said service implementation class, wherein the outer-layer service interface class is independent of the enterprise environment;

an inner-layer service interface class that extends both the outer-layer service interface class and an enterprise base interface that is predefined;

an enterprise layer having an enterprise home interface class; and

a factory layer having a non enterprise factory interface to a client computer and having an abstract factory class that, as selected by late binding of said client computer at runtime, either instantiates an enterprise factory for said service via said home interface class or alternatively instantiates an non enterprise factory for said service.

7. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein an instance of said service implementation class is a non-enterprise bean.

8. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein said enterprise layer includes a wrapper class that provides a wrapper for said service implementation class, said wrapper class providing said service via said inner-layer service interface class.

9. The system claimed in claim 8, wherein said abstract class has a first subclass for instantiating an enterprise instance for said service and a second subclass for instantiating a non enterprise instance for said service.

10. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein said service is selected from the group consisting of:

e-mailing, calendaring, faxing and printing.

11. A computer program product for use in a server computer of an object-oriented computing system, said computer program product defining a system for providing a service implementation for both enterprise and non-enterprise environments, said computer program product comprising a signal-bearing medium carrying thereon:

service implementation class for a service, said implementation class defining a method that implements said service, wherein the service is independent of the enterprise environment;

an outer-layer service interface class for said service implementation class, wherein the outer-layer service interface class is independent of the enterprise environment;

an inner-layer service interface class that extends both the outer-layer service interface class and an enterprise base interface that is predefine;

an enterprise layer having an enterprise home interface class; and

a factory layer having a non enterprise factory interface to a client computer and having an abstract factory class that, as selected by late binding of said client computer at runtime, either instantiates an enterprise factory for said service via said home interface class or alternatively instantiates a non-enterprise factory for said service.

12. The computer program product claimed in claim 11, wherein an instance of said service implementation class is a non-enterprise bean.

13. The computer program product claimed in claim 11, wherein said enterprise layer includes a wrapper class that provides a wrapper for said service implementation class, said wrapper class providing said service via said inner-layer service interface class.

14. The computer program product claimed in claim 13, wherein said abstract class has a first subclass for instantiating an enterprise instance for said service and a second subclass for instantiating a non enterprise instance for said service.

15. The computer program product claimed in claim 11, wherein said service is selected from the group consisting of:

e-mailing, calendaring, faxing and printing.