Component development with autonomous and compiled components to implement and consume services with components operate in edit and run mode

• US 7,150,000 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symphonyai Industrial Digital Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nash Controlware, Inc.
• Inventors: Feldman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US09/638,491
• Time in Patent Office: 2,310 Days
• Field of Search: 703/13, 717/103, 705/8, 709/200
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

An architecture for developing a distributed information system comprises a service definition tool for generating service protocols as a service definition. Each service protocol includes a plurality of messages. The messages include incoming messages and outgoing messages. Each message carries a plurality of data fields. A component development tool generates a first and a second plurality of components that implement and consume services. Each component in the first plurality of components represents a physical entity in the distributed information system. Each component in the second plurality of components represents a logical entity in the distributed information system. A system development tool generates a plurality of component instances based on the first and the second plurality of components. An engine software program runs on each of a plurality of networked nodes. The engine software program provides a programmable run-time environment for hosting the plurality of component instances and supporting communication between component instances.

Claims

1. An architecture for developing a distributed information system, the architecture comprising:

a component development tool for generating and storing in computer readable form a plurality of autonomous and compiled components that implement and consume services, the components capable of operating in an edit mode and a run mode;

a system development tool for defining, storing in computer readable form, and hosting a plurality of component instances based on the plurality of components, configuring the plurality of component instances, and defining, storing in computer readable form, and hosting links between component instances, without requiring writing of code, wherein the component instances are capable of operating in the edit mode while hosted by the system development tool; and

an engine software program to provide a dynamic run-time environment for hosting the plurality of component instances and supporting communication between component instances based upon the defined links, wherein the component instances are capable of operating in the run mode while hosted by the engine software program.

2. The architecture of claim 1, further comprising:

a service definition tool for generating service protocols that are implemented by components, the service protocols defining a format of messages to be sent between ports of component instances; and

wherein links defined between component instances are defined between the ports of component instances.

3. The architecture of claim 2, wherein each of the ports comprises either a service provider port or a service consumer port.

4. The architecture of claim 3, wherein service provider ports and service consumer ports based on the same service protocol are complementary.

5. The architecture of claim 4, wherein the system development tool only allows links to be defined between service provider ports and complementary service consumer ports.

6. The architecture of claim 5, wherein a component instance includes at least one service provider port that allows multiple simultaneous links with complementary service consumer ports.

7. The architecture of claim 5, wherein component instances are executed concurrently, and wherein the communications between service provider ports and complementary service consumer ports are asynchronous.

8. The architecture of claim 2, and further comprising a central system repository for storing the components, the component instances, link data, infrastructure configuration and configuration data for the service protocols.

9. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the component development tool provides the capability of representing components as a first and a second plurality of components, each component in the first plurality of components representing a physical entity in the distributed information system, and each component in the second plurality of components representing a logical entity in the distributed information system.

10. The architecture of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of component instances is self-sufficient.

11. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the engine software program runs on each of a plurality of networked nodes.

12. The architecture of claim 11, wherein the system development tool represents the distributed information system as a single entity, regardless of physical node and network composition into which the component instances will be deployed.

13. The architecture of claim 12, wherein the system development tool allows changes to be made to the component instances deployed to and hosted by the plurality of networked nodes and allows changes to be made to links between the component instances deployed to and hosted by the plurality of networked nodes.

14. The architecture of claim 13, wherein the system development tool allows changes to be made to the component instances and allows changes to be made to links between the component instances, without requiring writing of additional code, wherein the system development tool allows the changes to be made while the distributed information system is running.

15. The architecture of claim 14, wherein the system development tool allows deletion of the component instances deployed to and hosted by the plurality of networked nodes and allows deletion of communication links between the component instances deployed to and hosted by the plurality of networked nodes, wherein the system development tool allows the deletions to occur while the distributed information system is running.

16. The architecture of claim 11, wherein the system development tool deploys each component instance to one of the plurality of networked nodes.

17. The architecture of claim 11, and further comprising a local repository on each of the plurality of nodes, the local repository on each node storing data defining the component instances deployed to and hosted by that node and storing link data for the component instances deployed to and hosted by that node.

18. The architecture of claim 1, wherein at least one of the component instances supports continuous activities internally.

19. The architecture of claim 1, wherein each of the component instances is configurable to participate in activities that are collectively performed by multiple component instances.

20. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the only dependencies between component instances that are linked to each other are logical dependencies implemented using the component development tool.

21. An architecture for developing a distributed information system, the architecture comprising:

a component development tool for generating and storing in computer readable form autonomous and compiled components that implement and consume services, the components capable of operating in an edit mode and a run mode;

a system development tool for defining, storing in computer readable form, and hosting a plurality of component instances based on the plurality of components, configuring the plurality of component instances, and defining, storing in computer readable form, and hosting links between component instances, wherein the component instances are capable of operating in the edit mode while hosted by the system development tool; and

an engine software program to provide a programmable run-time environment for hosting the plurality of component instances and implementing the links to provide bi-directional communication paths between the plurality of component instances, wherein the component instances are capable of operating in the run mode while hosted by the engine software program.

22. The architecture of claim 21, further comprising a service definition tool for generating service protocols which define a format of messages to be sent through a plurality of ports, each port being associated with a component instance.

23. The architecture of claim 21, wherein the engine software program provides the bi-directional communication paths between linked ports.

24. The architecture of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of networked nodes running the engine software program, wherein the engine software dynamically manages ports and links for the component instances across the plurality of networked nodes.

25. The architecture of claim 21, wherein the component development tool is designed to be operated by a person skilled in computer programming.

26. The architecture of claim 21, wherein the system development tool is designed to be operated by a person without skill in the art of computer programming.

27. The architecture of claim 21, wherein any component instance having a consumer port that complies with a first service protocol may be configured to communicate with any component instance having a provider port that also complies with the first service protocol.