Bootstrapping technique for distributed object client systems

• US 7,203,769 B2
• Filed: 03/14/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schnier, Randall R.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US08/818,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,679 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.31,701,49,33,800,700,186 345/329 380/25 370/352 707/103,513,3,102,106 434/350 709/200,160,171,203,304,220,229,230,221,217 710/11
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for bootstrapping an object client system with an object server system in a distributed system is provided. The method and apparatus are particularly applicable to use over the internet with web servers and web browsers. The method allows the use of a “zero install” web client to operate on remote objects through the web server, and can thus facilitate a host of distributed object operations. An object reference server is used to distribute an object reference for a naming context object to an object request broker on the web browser. In the preferred embodiment, the object reference server comprises a web server with access to the object reference and the object reference comprises a stringified object reference. By delivering the stringified object reference to the web browsers, interaction between the web browser and remote server objects over the internet is facilitated.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a computer program residing in the memory, said computer program including a object reference server mechanism comprising a web server for bootstrapping a remote second apparatus comprising a web browser, said web server of said object reference server mechanism delivering an object reference for a naming context object to said web browser of said remote second apparatus upon request of said second apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said computer program comprises a web server.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said object reference is stored in a web server directory.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said contact with said computer program is accomplished by a web browser located on said zero install client.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said object reference comprises a stringified object reference.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said object reference comprises a stringified object reference and wherein said naming context object comprises a root naming context object.

7. A method for enabling client object—

server object interaction, the method comprising the steps of;

a) creating an object reference for at least one naming context object on a server system; and

b) downloading said object reference from said server system to a client system after said client system has contacted said server system, said client system being a zero install client.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of creating an object reference comprises creating a stringified object reference.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said naming context object comprises a root naming context object.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said contact with said server system is accomplished by a web browser executing on said client system and wherein the step of downloading said object reference comprises downloading by a web server application.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said web-browser comprises a Java-enabled web browser.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said web browser comprises a Java-enabled web browser containing a CORBA compliant Java Object Request Broker.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said server system further includes a location service application, and wherein said step of downloading said object reference is performed by a web server application in said server system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said web server includes a name object server.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

downloading an applet from said web server to said web browser and running said applet on said web browser;

downloading an object request broker from said web server;

requesting said object reference from said web server; and

retrieving a proxy for said naming context object using said retrieved object reference.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of downloading said object request broker comprises downloading the class of said object request broker from the web server.

17. A program product comprising:

(A) a computer program;

said computer program enabling client object—

server object interaction for a client object located on a zero install client, said client object—

server object interaction being enabled by delivering an object reference for a naming context object to said zero install client after said zero install client has contacted said computer program; and

(B) recordable media bearing said computer program.

18. The program product of claim 17 wherein the signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

19. The program product of claim 17 wherein the signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

20. The program product of claim 17 wherein said naming context object is delivered to a remote web browser located on said zero install client.

21. The program product of claim 17 wherein said computer program comprises a web server having access to said object reference.

22. The program product of claim 17 wherein said object reference comprises a stringified object reference.

23. The program product of claim 17 wherein said object reference comprises a stringified object reference of a root naming context object.

24. A program product comprising:

(A) applet, said applet including an object reference uniform resource locator for retrieving an object reference for a naming context object from a web server apparatus having access to said object reference, said applet requesting said object reference for said naming context object using said uniform resource locator; and

(B) recordable media bearing said applet.

25. The program product of claim 24 wherein the signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

26. The program product of claim 24 wherein the signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

27. The program product of claim 24 wherein the signal bearing media comprises the Internet.

28. The program product of claim 24 wherein said server apparatus comprises a web server having access to said object reference.

29. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a server system, said server system comprising;

a) at least one object server, said at least one object server including a naming context object;

b) a web server, said web server having access to a stringified object reference for said naming context object, wherein said web server downloads said stringified object reference to a web browser when said stringified object reference is requested by said web browser.

30. A method for enabling client object—

server object interaction, the method comprising the steps of;

a) creating an object reference for at least one naming context object;

b) storing said object reference in a web server directory;

c) downloading an applet from a web server to a web browser and running said applet on said web browser;

d) downloading an object request broker from said web server;

e) requesting said object reference from said web server; and

f) retrieving a proxy for said naming context object using said retrieved object reference.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the object request broker comprises a Java object request broker.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the object reference comprises a stringified object reference.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of downloading an object request broker comprises downloading a Java object request broker.