Method and system for cross-domain service invocation using a single data handle associated with the stored common data and invocation-specific data

• US 6,934,757 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kalantar, Michael Husayn, Merwah, Rahul Kumar, Tracey, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/478,313
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/219, 709/227, 709/229, 709/238, 709/247, 709/217, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A system and method whereby a client can transfer data to a service on the same or another protection domain and obtain a handle to it, the handle being defined as any mutually agreed-upon token that refers to the data, and which is usually much shorter than the data. The handle may then be passed to a service in lieu of again transferring the data. For example, in the case of a client sending the same data to multiple destinations, the invention allows the data to be transferred from the client protection domain to the service protection domain once using the data transfer operation. The client can then call the communication service any number of times by passing a handle to the instance of the data in the service protection domain, thus obviating the need to repeatedly transfer the data between the client and the service. An alternative embodiment allows the client to aggregate service invocations which are to operate on common data and to transfer a composite service invocation to a service domain using the data handle. The invention can be applied among local entities within one protection domain, between two protection domains at one location, between remote protection domains, across networks, between clients and routers, etc.

Claims

1. A method for providing common data from a first source entity to a second entity, wherein said second entity is to perform processing on the common data at the request of said first source entity by more than one of a plurality of different service applications at said second entity using invocation-specific data, comprising the steps of:

transferring the common data from the first source entity to be stored at the second entity for subsequent processing on said common data by more than one of said plurality of different service applications;

storing the common data as stored data at said second entity;

associating a single data handle to the stored data, wherein said first and said second entity each are aware of the handle; and

invoking service on said common data by said first source entity generating a request comprising said data handle and invocation-specific data to invoke processing on the common data by said plurality of different service applications at said server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the data handle with the stored data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring and said invoking are done simultaneously and wherein said method further comprises invoking at least one successive service on said common data by using said data handle after said storing and associating steps.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first entity requests a plurality of services be invoked on said common data by transferring a composite service invocation to said second entity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said associating of the handle is conducted at the first entity and wherein the handle is transferred to the second entity.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the associating of the handle is conducted at the second entity and wherein the handle is overtly communicated from the second to the first entity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said associating of the handle is performed by a third entity and communicated to said first and said second entity.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said associating of a handle is performed implicitly by the transfer of said common data.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising transforming said common data from a first representation to a second representation.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one service comprises file I/O by the second entity.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second entity comprises a kernel and wherein the service is provided by the second entity.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein said at least one service comprises data transfer across a network.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein said at least one service comprises encryption of said common data.

14. A system for providing data handling comprising:

a first source entity having first common data, said first source entity including a transmitting component for transmitting at least said first common data to a second entity and for requesting storage of said common data as stored data and an invocation component for generating at least one service invocation request comprising a data handle identifying said stored data and service invocation-specific data and for transferring said at least one service invocation request to said second entity to invoke operations on said common data by different service applications at said server;

a second entity for storing said common data transmitted from said first source entity as stored data, for receiving said at least one service invocation request, for locating common data on which to perform at least one service based on said data handle, and for performing at least one service on said common data by at least one of a plurality of different service applications at said second entity processing said common data; and

at least one data handle component for associating a single data handle to the stored data and for communicating said handle to said first and said second entity.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said invocation component generates a composite service invocation request comprising said data handle and service invocation information for a plurality of services to be performed using said common data.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one data handle component comprises a component of said first entity.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one data handle component comprises a component of said second entity.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein said first entity is located in a separate protection domain from said second entity.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing common data from a first source entity to a second entity, wherein said second entity is to perform processing by more than one of a plurality of different service applications at said second entity on the common data at the request of said first source entity using invocation-specific data, comprising the steps of:

transferring the common data from the first source entity to be stored at the second entity for subsequent processing on said common data by more than one of said plurality of different service applications;

storing the common data as stored data at said second entity;

associating a single data handle to the stored data, wherein said first and said second entity each are aware of the handle; and

invoking service on said common data by said first source entity generating a request comprising said data handle and invocation-specific data to invoke processing on the common data by said plurality of different service applications at said server.