Method for transmitting function parameters to a remote node for execution of the function thereon

• US 7,028,313 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gooding, Thomas Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Van H.
• Application Number:
  US09/819,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 709/310, 709/330, 709/312, 709/316, 709/217, 709/219, 709/203, 709/205, 717/138, 719/315, 719330-332, 719/310, 707/10
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A method for transmitting local node function parameters to a remote node for execution of the function on the remote node, wherein the method may be embodied on a computer readable medium. The method includes the steps of placing each of the function parameters on a first stack and associating a representation string with the function parameters, wherein each character in the representation string corresponds to the data type of an individual function parameter on the first stack. The method further includes dereferencing pointer parameters on the first stack, generating a pure value buffer with the function parameters and the dereferenced pointers, and transmitting the pure value buffer to the remote node.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transmitting local node function parameters from a local node to a remote node for execution of a function on the remote node, comprising:

associating a representation string with function parameters on a first stack, wherein each character in the representation string corresponds to a data type of an individual function parameter on the first stack;

dereferencing pointer parameters on the first stack;

generating a pure value buffer with the function parameters and the dereferenced pointer parameters;

flattening the pure value buffer by eliminating remote node write only-type data from the pure value buffer;

transmitting the flattened pure value buffer to the remote node;

receiving the pure value buffer at the remote node;

generating a second stack on the remote node mirroring the first stack on the local node;

executing the function using the remote stack;

creating a return pure value buffer; and

transmitting the return pure value buffer to the local node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the representation string further comprises generating a DTSTRUCT string.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the representation string further comprises assigning a specific text string character to each function parameter data type on the first stack, wherein the assigning is conducted by at least one of a user input and a compiler generation operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein dereferencing pointer parameters on the first stack further comprises retrieving data represented by the pointer parameters and placing the data represented by the pointer parameters on the pure value buffer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein flattening further comprises eliminating local node read only-type data from the pure value buffer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the second stack further comprises using the representation string to recreate the second stack from the pure value buffer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the return pure value buffer on the local node;

regenerating the first stack on the local node; and

replacing each pointer that was written back in an original memory location pointed to by the first stack.

8. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for transmitting local node function parameters to a remote node for execution of a function on the remote node, comprising:

associating a representation string with function parameters on a first stack, wherein each character in the representation string corresponds to a data type of an individual function parameter on the first stack;

dereferencing pointer parameters on the first stack;

generating a pure value buffer with the function parameters and the dereferenced pointer parameters;

flattening the pure value buffer by eliminating remote node write only-type data from the pure value buffer;

transmitting the flattened pure value buffer to the remote node;

receiving the pure value buffer at the remote node;

generating a second stack on the remote node mirroring the first stack on the local node;

executing a function using the second stack;

creating a return pure value buffer; and

transmitting the return pure value buffer to the local node.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein associating the representation string further comprises generating a DTSTRUCT string.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein associating the representation string further comprises assigning a specific text string character to each function parameter data type on the first stack, wherein the assigning is conducted by at least one of a user input and a compiler generation operation.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein dereferencing pointer parameters on the first stack further comprises retrieving data represented by the pointer parameters and placing the data represented by the pointer parameters on the pure value buffer.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein flattening further comprises eliminating local node read only-type data from the pure value buffer prior to transmitting the pure value buffer to the remote node.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein generating the second stack further comprises using the representation string to recreate the second stack from the pure value buffer.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving the return pure value buffer on the local node;

regenerating the first stack on the local node; and

replacing each pointer that was written back in an original memory location pointed to by the first stack.