Remote object access

• US 6,851,118 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2000
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Ismael, Osman Abdoul, Rigori, Serge Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/605,794
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 719/330, 719/315, 719/316, 719/317, 719/202, 719/201, 719/203, 709/330, 709/315, 709/316, 709/310, 709/313
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548

Abstract

Remote access to a target object, in particular a target bean object, is provided by generating a client object or objects forming a representation of a target object. The client object(s) identify(ies) methods of the target object which are accessible remotely and implements the remotely accessible methods. The target object is associated with a network adaptor for a network protocol at the remote station. The client object is associated with a network adaptor for the network protocol at the client machine. A client application can then access the target object by instantiating the client object. The target object does not need to be modified or to include specific communications code to be manipulated by a remote object.

Claims

1. A method of managing from a client machine a target object at a remote station via a telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a client object forming a representation of said target object on said client machine, which client object is configured to extract methods of said target object which are remotely accessible and support manipulation of properties of said target object said client object being further configured to implement said remotely accessible methods on said client machine;

(b) registering said target object and a network adaptor for a network protocol with a framework at said remote station;

(c) associating said client object with a network adaptor for said network protocol at said client machine; and

(d) enabling a client application to access said methods which support remote manipulation by instantiating said client object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises compiling said target object to generate sold client object, said client object comprising a target object interface identifying sold remotely accessible methods of said target object and said client object further comprising a target object stub implementing said remotely accessible methods on said client machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (d) comprises selectively replacing said target object stub for dynamically modifying the behaviour of said client application at runtime.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said client object and said target object are beans, each of which comprises a set of properties, a set of methods for performing actions, and support for events and for introspection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises extracting target object methods by introspection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said target object is a managed object and said client application is a network management application.

7. A remote access support mechanism at a client station for accessing a target object at a remote station via a telecommunications network, said remote access support mechanism comprising:

a client object forming a representation of said target object, which client object extracts methods of said target object which are accessible remotely and implements management methods for accessing said remotely accessible methods; and

a network adaptor responsive to said client object, wherein said client object is configured to be instantiated by a client application for enabling said client application to access on said client station and modify said target object on said remote station;

wherein said client object is an object which comprises a set of properties, a of methods for performing actions, and support for events and for introspection.

8. The remote access support mechanism of claim 7, wherein said client object is compiled from a target object and comprises a target object interface identifying which methods of said target object are accessible remotely and a target object stub implementing said remotely accessible methods.

9. The remote access support mechanism of claim 8, wherein said target object stub is selectably replaceable for dynamically modifying the behaviour of said client application at runtime.

10. The remote access support mechanism of claim 7, wherein said client object and said target objects are each beans which comprises a set of properties, a set of methods for performing actions, and support for events and for introspection.

11. The remote access support mechanism of claim 10, comprising a compiler for extracting said target object methods by introspection for generating said client object.

12. The remote access support mechanism of claim 10, wherein said target object is a managed object and said client application is a network management application.

13. The remote access support mechanism of claim 12, comprising a software mechanism.