Apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood for a client node in a client-server network using markup language techniques
First Claim
1. In a network including a client system and a plurality of servers, the plurality of servers including a web server, a method for executing an application program that is available for use, the method comprising:
- (a) executing, by a web server, a neighborhood application to collect application-related information from the plurality of servers concerning application programs hosted by the plurality of servers;
(b) retrieving from a database a page template;
(c) creating, at the web server, a page describing a display of hosted application programs available to the client system responsive to the collected application-related information and the retrieved page template;
(d) transmitting the created page to the client system for display;
(e) receiving, from the client system, a request to execute one of the hosted application programs;
(f) choosing, from the plurality of servers, a server hosting the requested application program;
(g) executing the requested application program at the chosen server; and
(h) providing output from the executing application program executing at the chosen server directly to the client system for display at the client system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information. Information representing those application programs that are available to the client node is transmitted from the host server to the client system for display. In a Windows-based client node, the information can be represented by a graphical icon for each available application program.
276 Citations
31 Claims
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1. In a network including a client system and a plurality of servers, the plurality of servers including a web server, a method for executing an application program that is available for use, the method comprising:
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(a) executing, by a web server, a neighborhood application to collect application-related information from the plurality of servers concerning application programs hosted by the plurality of servers;
(b) retrieving from a database a page template;
(c) creating, at the web server, a page describing a display of hosted application programs available to the client system responsive to the collected application-related information and the retrieved page template;
(d) transmitting the created page to the client system for display;
(e) receiving, from the client system, a request to execute one of the hosted application programs;
(f) choosing, from the plurality of servers, a server hosting the requested application program;
(g) executing the requested application program at the chosen server; and
(h) providing output from the executing application program executing at the chosen server directly to the client system for display at the client system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a network including a client system and a plurality of servers hosting application programs, a web server comprising:
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a service module collecting application-related information from a plurality of servers concerning at least one application program hosted by at least one of the plurality of servers;
a database storing the collected application-related information, and a retrievable page template;
an output display and selection creation engine creating a page describing a display of, and making available for selection, the hosted application programs available to a client system, the page created responsive to the collected application-related information and the retrieved page template wherein one of the hosted application programs, upon selection, is executed at a chosen server for display on the client system; and
a transmitter transmitting at least one of the created page and the output from the application program executing at the chosen server directly to the client system for display at the client system. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An article of manufacture having computer-readable means for presenting to a client system application programs that are available for use, the article comprising:
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computer-readable means for executing, by a web server, a neighborhood application to collect application-related information from a plurality of servers concerning application programs hosted by the plurality of servers;
computer-readable means for retrieving from a database a page template;
computer-readable means for creating, at the web server, a page describing a display of hosted application programs available to a client system, the page created responsive to the collected application-related information and the retrieved page template;
computer-readable means for transmitting the created page to the client system for display;
computer-readable means for receiving, from the client system, a request to execute one of the hosted application programs;
computer-readable means for choosing, from the plurality of servers, a server hosting the requested application program;
computer-readable means for executing the requested application program at the chosen server; and
computer-readable means for providing output from the application program executing at the chosen server directly to the client system for display at the client system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification