Publish-subscribe architecture using information objects in a computer network
First Claim
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1. A method for transferring an information object across a network, wherein the information object resides on a first storage device accessed by a provider process executing on a first processor, wherein the information object comprises a plurality of attributes, wherein each attribute contains information, wherein a consumer process executes on a second processor, the method comprising:
- sending the information object across the network to the consumer process;
storing the information object in a second storage device as a second instance of the information object;
after sending the information object, using the provider process to modify one or more of the attributes of the information object, an amount of information contained by the one or more modified attributes being less than an amount of information contained by the information object;
sending the one or more modified attributes of the information object across the network to the consumer process;
synchronizing the second instance of the information object based on the one or more modified attributes;
using the consumer process to formulate a relational criterion based on the attributes of the information object;
using the consumer process to submit a request to the provider process by performing;
providing a location of the consumer process within the network;
providing a unique identifier associated with the information object; and
providing the relational criterion to the provider process;
using the provider process to detect when a change in the attributes of the information object satisfies the relational criterion; and
in response to the change in the attributes of the information object, transferring information about the changed attributes across the network and updating the second instance on the second storage device in accordance with the information about the changed attributes.
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Abstract
Various aspects of the invention provide for the creation, modification, transfer, manipulation, requesting and destruction of information objects in a computer network. Although some aspects of the invention are based on publish-subscribe techniques, many modifications and additional features are provided.
54 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for transferring an information object across a network, wherein the information object resides on a first storage device accessed by a provider process executing on a first processor, wherein the information object comprises a plurality of attributes, wherein each attribute contains information, wherein a consumer process executes on a second processor, the method comprising:
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sending the information object across the network to the consumer process; storing the information object in a second storage device as a second instance of the information object; after sending the information object, using the provider process to modify one or more of the attributes of the information object, an amount of information contained by the one or more modified attributes being less than an amount of information contained by the information object; sending the one or more modified attributes of the information object across the network to the consumer process; synchronizing the second instance of the information object based on the one or more modified attributes; using the consumer process to formulate a relational criterion based on the attributes of the information object; using the consumer process to submit a request to the provider process by performing; providing a location of the consumer process within the network; providing a unique identifier associated with the information object; and providing the relational criterion to the provider process; using the provider process to detect when a change in the attributes of the information object satisfies the relational criterion; and in response to the change in the attributes of the information object, transferring information about the changed attributes across the network and updating the second instance on the second storage device in accordance with the information about the changed attributes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for synchronizing a data definition of an information object across a network, wherein a plurality of processors and storage devices are coupled to the network, wherein the data definition resides on a first storage device accessed by a provider process executing on a first processor, wherein the data definition has one or more attributes, wherein an information object associated with the data definition resides in a second storage device accessed by a first consumer process executing on a second processor, the method comprising:
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using the provider process to change at least one attribute of the data definition; propagating at least one of the changed attributes of the data definition across the network; using the first consumer process to access the information object residing in the second storage device according to at least one of the changed attributes of the data definition; assigning a unique identifier to the data definition by changing at least one of the attributes of the data definition to associate the data definition with a storage place on the first storage device; and propagating at least one of the changed attributes of the data definition across the network by propagating the unique identifier. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A system for distributing information objects over the internet, each information object having a plurality of attributes, the system comprising a first computer coupled to the Internet, wherein the first computer includes a user input device and a processor, the system comprising:
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means for accepting signals from the user input device to specify a relational condition using one or more of the attributes; means for using the processor to transfer an indication to the Internet of the specified relational condition; means for identifying one or more information objects satisfying the relational condition; means for transferring at least a portion of each identified information object from the Internet to the first computer; and means for using the processor to receive at least a portion of each identified information object. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification