Network proxy

• US 6,708,171 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: McClain, John W. F., Waldo, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, David
• Application Number:
  US09/332,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-206, 709/200-212, 709/310-317
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449

Abstract

A network proxy is provided that facilitates the integration of orphan services into a network by enabling them to interact with a lookup service that contains an indication of the services that are available on the network. These orphan services typically reside on devices having too little memory to run the components necessary to be integrated into the network. Thus, the network proxy acts as a go between, by registering the orphan services with the lookup service so that clients may access them and by accessing services on behalf of the orphan services. As a result, the network proxy integrates orphan services into the network, when they otherwise would be incapable of doing so.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system having an orphan service on a device and a service registry, the method for registering the orphan service in the service registry comprising the steps performed by the orphan service of:

sending a request for registration in the service registry to a proxy server, whereupon the proxy server registers the orphan service in the service registry to enable a client program to access the orphan service; and

receiving a request from the client program for accessing the orphan service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving step includes the step of:

receiving the request via the proxy server.

3. A method in a data processing system containing an orphan service on a device, a network proxy, a lookup service, and a client program, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a request from the orphan service to the network proxy for registration in the lookup service;

receiving the request by the network proxy;

registering the orphan service in the lookup service by the network proxy;

accessing the lookup service by the client program to obtain the registration of the orphan service; and

accessing the orphan service by the client program using the registration.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the sending step includes:

sending an object to the network proxy for registration in the lookup service, and wherein the registering step includes;

registering the object.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the sending step includes:

sending a location identifier to the network proxy, and

wherein the registering step includes registering the location identifier.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the sending step includes:

sending a location identifier to the network proxy, wherein the location identifier identifies the location of an object, and

wherein the registering step includes accessing the object using the location identifier and registering the object in the lookup service.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the client program communicates using a first protocol and the orphan service communicates using a second protocol, and wherein the accessing the orphan service step includes:

requesting the network proxy to access the orphan service on behalf of the client program, wherein the request is communicated using the first protocol;

converting the request into a format suitable to the second protocol by the network proxy; and

sending the request to the orphan service by communicating to the orphan service using the second protocol.

8. A data processing system, comprising:

a lookup server containing;

a memory with a lookup service containing registrations that facilitate access to corresponding services, and

a processor for running the lookup service;

a device containing;

a memory including an orphan service that requests registration in the lookup service, and

a processor for running the orphan service; and

a proxy server containing;

a memory containing a network proxy that receives the registration request from the orphan service and that registers the orphan service in the lookup service, and

a processor for running the network proxy.

9. The data processing system of claim 8 wherein the network proxy registers the orphan service by storing in the lookup service an object containing methods that facilitate access to the orphan service.

10. The data processing system of claim 9 further including:

a computer containing;

a memory with a client program that retrieves from the lookup service the object corresponding to the orphan service and that invokes the methods to access the orphan service; and

a processor for running the client program.

11. The data processing system of claim 10 wherein the methods access the orphan service via the network proxy.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the network proxy performs protocol conversion when accessing the orphan service on behalf of the client program.

13. The data processing system of claim 8 wherein the memory of the lookup server and the proxy server include the Java™

runtime system, and wherein the lookup service and the network proxy utilize the Java runtime system.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for registering an orphan service located on a device in a service registry, the method comprising the steps performed by the orphan service of:

sending a request for registration in the service registry to a proxy server, whereupon the proxy server registers the orphan service in the service registry to enable a client program to access the orphan service; and

receiving a request from the client program for accessing the orphan service.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the receiving step includes the step of:

receiving the request via the proxy server.

16. A data processing system containing an orphan service on a device, a network proxy, a lookup service, and a client program, comprising:

means for sending a request from the orphan service to the network proxy for registration in the lookup service;

means for receiving the request by the network proxy;

means for registering the orphan service in the lookup service by the network proxy;

means for accessing the lookup service by the client program to obtain the registration of the orphan service; and

means for accessing the orphan service by the client program using the registration.