System and method providing multi-tier applications architecture

• US 6,996,599 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shewchuk, John P., Nakajima, Satoshi, Guthrie, Scott D., Robsman, Dmitry, Vasandani, Manu, Toutonghi, Michael J., Anders, Mark T., Burd, Gary S., Olson, Erik B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARQADLE, YASIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/666,246
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709217-219, 709229-232
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A network-based distributed application system is provided in accordance with the present invention for enabling services to be established locally on a client system. The system may include an application and presentation logic, at least a portion of which is interchangeably processed by a server or a client without modification to the portion. The core functionality provided by the application may be preserved between the client and the server wherein improved network performance may provided along with improved offline service capabilities.

Claims

1. A system that executes a network-based application, comprising

a first component that receives and maps a local request that is serviced by relevant portions of application logic stored on a local portable storage medium and a server, the relevant portions on the server comprising a mobile logic portion;

a second component that identifies the relevant portions of the application logic and downloads the relevant portions from the local portable storage medium and server to the client to service the local request;

a third component that grants access permission to the downloaded relevant portions based on a policy residing on the client, the access permission is at least one of a local and a remote permission that facilitates ensuring the downloaded portions are secure; and

the execution of the relevant portions of the application is interchangeably processed by the server and the client without modification to the relevant portions.

2. The system of claim 1, core application functionality is preserved between the client and the server.

3. The system of claim 1, the local storage medium comprises a CD or floppy disk.

4. The system of claim 1, the first component comprises unguarded logic for lower security systems.

5. The system of claim 1, remote data is downloaded from the server to the client based upon a remote data request.

6. The system of claim 5, the remote data request is an HTTP request.

7. The system of claim 5, the remote data is processed locally on the client via local data requests directed at the application logic.

8. The system of claim 5, the remote data is provided by at least one of an XML and WML response.

9. The system of claim 5, the remote data is communicated via at least one of the Internet, Intranet, or wireless networks.

10. An architecture for processing networked-based applications, comprising:

a presentation tier for interacting with a networked-based application at a client that is loaded via local portable storage and a server;

a security system that checks the networked-based application residing on the client for an access permission;

a mobile tier operatively coupled to the presentation tier, the mobile tier provides for execution of at least a portion of the networked-based application that is mapped to local requests at the client end and is associated with a local permission; and

a guarded tier operatively coupled to at least one of the mobile tier and presentation tier, the guarded tier provides for execution of remaining portions of the network-based application that are associated with a remote permission at the server.

11. The architecture of claim 10, further including a data tier operatively coupled to the guarded tier, the data tier including data employed in connection with executing the network-based application.

12. The architecture of claim 10, the guarded tier includes logic for enabling the mobile tier to execute the network-based application.

13. The architecture of claim 11, the presentation tier generates local requests to the mobile tier to manipulate data provided by the data tier.

14. The architecture of claim 13, the mobile tier executes applications logic associated with the guarded tier to manipulate data provided by the data tier.

15. The architecture of claim 14, the mobile tier processes local data requests offline and generates remote requests to the guarded tier to at least one of transmit and receive data associated with the data tier based upon the offline local requests.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for providing the architecture of claim 15.

17. A system for processing networked-based applications, comprising:

means for interacting with a networked-based application residing at a client that is loaded via a local portable storage means and a server;

means for determining a domain permission associated with the networked-based application; and

means for downloading, identifying and executing at least a portion of the networked-based application with domain permission at the client end in connection with locally mapped requests and at the server in connection with remote requests, wherein the requests are generated by the client.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for supplying remote data employed in connection with executing local data requests associated with the network-based application.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for requesting the local data requests offline and generating remote requests to at least one of transmit and receive data associated with the remote data based upon the offline local requests.

20. A method for executing a network-based application, comprising:

downloading and executing at least a portion of a network-based application that is mapped and identified to a local request on a client computer, the at least a portion of the network-based application is associated with a local or remote permission and comprises application and presentation logic loaded from portable local memory and a server, and

executing at least a portion of network-based application which is interchangeably processed by the server or the client without modification to the portion.

21. A method that facilitates client-side computing, comprising:

transmitting a request for portions of an application associated with a transaction;

mapping the request for portions of the application to a local portable and a server storage medium;

identifying respective portions of the application on the local portable and the server storage medium;

downloading respective portions of the application from the local portable and the server remote storage medium;

loading the portions of the application on a client;

verifying the loaded portions of the application are the portions of application retrieved from the local portable and the server storage medium based on a policy residing on the client; and

executing the portions of the application in connection with the transaction.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising mapping the retrieved portions of application to the request.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising commencing execution of the transaction and associated portions of application on the client while off-line and completing the transaction after re-connecting on-line.

24. A method that facilitates servicing a client request, comprising:

receiving a first request from a client for a first portion of an application that is stored on local and a client removable storage medium;

mapping the first request from the client for the first portion of the application to the local and the client removable storage medium;

identifying and downloading the first portion of application to the client from the local and the client removable storage medium; and

receiving a second request from the client to execute a second portion of the application at the server to complete servicing the client request, wherein the request is satisfied by both the client and the server that are servicing respective secure portions of the request.