Method and program for disclosing and providing services on network

• US 7,376,746 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shinohara, Daisuke, Furuhashi, Ryoji, Nakagawa, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SERRAO, RANODHI N
• Application Number:
  US10/644,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/232, 709/229, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

When a first service providing device and a second service providing device located on a network have a dependent relationship, services can be disclosed and provided, with the dependent relationship held. A service utilizing device inquires of a service disclosing device regarding available services. The service disclosing device refers to service information and sends back, to the service utilizing device, an address of the first service providing device for providing a first service. The service providing device accepts a service request from the service utilizing device, refers to manageable target information, and issues a service request to the second service providing device by use of an address of the second service providing device being under non-disclosure. The second service providing device executes services and sends back requested information to the service utilizing device via the first service providing device.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a first computer storing a first program;

a second computer coupled to said first computer via a network and storing one or more second programs; and

a third computer coupled to said first computer via the network,

a fourth computer coupled to said first computer, said second computer, and said third computer via said network, said fourth computer collecting relationship information regarding whether a dependent relationship hierarchy exists between said first program on said first computer and said one or more second programs on said second computer;

wherein, when said dependent relationship exists, said fourth computer discloses said first program to said third computer and does not disclose said second computer and said one or more second programs upon which the first program depends to said third computer,

wherein said first computer;

stores association information related to the dependent relationship between said first program and said one or more second programs,

receives, from said third computer, a first request for executing said first program,

determines whether or not said first program depends on one or more of said second programs on the basis of said association information,

executes said first program and sends a second request to said second computer when said first program depends on one or more of said second programs, said second request including instructions to execute said one or more second programs,

receives execution results produced by the execution of said one or more second programs from said second computer,

uses the execution results of the one or more second programs to generate a response from execution of said first program, and

sends to said third computer the response generated from execution of said first program incorporating the execution results of the one or more second programs in reply to said first request,

wherein said second computer receives said second request, executes said one or more second programs upon which said first program depends, and sends the execution results to said first computer without disclosure to the third computer of said second computer or said one or more second programs.

2. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein said fourth computer collects location information related to locations where said first program or said one or more second programs are stored, and provides said association information to said first computer, whereby said first computer determines whether the dependent relationship exists between said first program and the one or more second programs.

3. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein said association information is a hierarchy information indicating whether said first program is of a higher level so as to be dependent on results produced by said one or more second programs associated with said first program.

4. A computer system according to claim 3,

wherein said second computer makes a request for service registration to said fourth computer for each of said one or more second programs on said second computer, said request for service registration including the hierarchy information,

wherein said first computer makes a request for service registration to said fourth computer for said first program on said first computer, said request for service registration including the hierarchy information, and

wherein said fourth computer provides the association information regarding which program of said first program or said one or more second programs is of a higher level than its associated program on the basis of said hierarchy information.

5. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein said execution results are respective pieces of data that a plurality of said second programs send back to said first computer, and

wherein said first computer aggregates the respective pieces of data that said second programs send back into said response, and responds to said third computer.

6. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein said first request is a request for acquisition of status information about a device, and the response to the first request is the status information about said device.