Method and system for passing objects in a distributed system using serialization contexts

• US 7,296,275 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2001
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Peter C., Wollrath, Ann M., Warres, Michael P., Schiefler, Robert W., Colley, Adrian E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H.
• Application Number:
  US09/753,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,504 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 719/310, 719/330, 719311-316, 718/1, 718/100
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449

Abstract

A system consistent with the present invention reduces the number of redundant class descriptors that are sent during remote method calls by using serialization contexts. “Serialization contexts” are dictionary objects that map a class descriptor to a corresponding integer handle. When possible, the integer handle, rather than the full class descriptor, is passed, saving processing time in RMI calls.

Claims

1. A method in a distributed system for passing a first object and a second object, wherein the first object and the second object are instances of a class, comprising the steps of:

passing the first object from a sender to a recipient with a descriptor of the class and a handle corresponding to the descriptor;

storing the handle and the descriptor received from the sender with the first object by the recipient;

passing the second object from the sender to the recipient with the handle;

using the handle received by the recipient with the second object to access the descriptor received by the recipient with the first object;

using the descriptor by the recipient to interpret the first object; and

using the descriptor by the recipient to interpret the second object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning, by the sender, the handle to the descriptor of the class.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning, by the recipient, the handle to the descriptor of the class.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a serialization context including the handle, the descriptor, and an indicator of whether the serialization context has been sent to the sender.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the class descriptor is accessible to the recipient.

6. A method in a distributed system for passing a first object and a second object to a recipient, wherein the first object and the second object are instances of a class, comprising the steps of:

passing, by a sender, the first object to the recipient with a descriptor of the class and a handle corresponding to the descriptor, whereupon receipt by the recipient, the recipient uses the descriptor to interpret the first object and stores the handle and the descriptor; and

passing, by the sender, the second object to the recipient with the handle, whereupon receipt by the recipient, the recipient uses the handle received with the second object to access the descriptor of the class received with the first object and uses the descriptor to interpret the second object.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

assigning the handle to the descriptor of the class.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

creating a serialization context including the handle, the descriptor, and an indicator of whether the serialization context has been sent to the sender.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the class descriptor is accessible to the recipient.

10. A method in a distributed system for interpreting a first object and a second object, wherein the first object and the second object are instances of a class, comprising the steps of:

receiving the first object from a sender with a descriptor of the class and a handle corresponding to the descriptor;

storing the handle and the descriptor;

receiving the second object with the handle;

using the handle received with the second object to access the descriptor received with the first object;

using the descriptor by the recipient to interpret the first object; and

using the descriptor by the recipient to interpret the second object.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

assigning the handle to the descriptor of the class.

12. A distributed system comprising:

a client computer, comprising;

a memory with a client program that sends a first object and a second object of a class to a remote location together with a handle corresponding to a descriptor of the class, and with an outgoing serialization context that stores the descriptor of the class and the handle corresponding to the descriptor; and

a processor that runs the client program; and

a server computer, comprising;

a memory with an incoming serialization context that stores the descriptor of the class and the handle received from the client computer with the first object, and with a server program that uses the descriptor of the class to interpret the first object, receives the second object from the client program, uses the handle received with the second object to access the descriptor of the class stored in the incoming serialization context, and uses the descriptor of the class to interpret the second object; and

a processor that runs the server program.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the method for sending a first object and a second object from a source to a destination, wherein the first object and the second object are instances of a class, the method comprising the steps of:

sending the first object from the source to the destination with a descriptor of the class and a handle corresponding to the descriptor;

storing the handle and the descriptor received from the source by the destination;

using the descriptor by the destination to interpret the first object;

sending the second object from the source to the destination with the handle;

using the handle received by the destination with the second object to access the descriptor received by the destination with the first object; and

using the descriptor to interpret the second object.