System and method for hosting an application in one of a plurality of execution environments

• US 7,430,743 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Alcazar, Mark A., Watt, Murray E.
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anya; Charles E
• Application Number:
  US10/376,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-207, 709217-219, 717168-178, 715/740, 715/749, 719/311
• US Class Current: 719/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Described is a mechanism for executing a hosted application in either a browser-execution environment or as a standalone application. The invention provides a mechanism that enables hosting code in either of plural hosting environments. Briefly stated, code is created that executes in a common execution environment. That execution environment can be either owned by a browser or not. When the code is launched, a host sniffer component determines from an indicator within the code which hosting environment is appropriate. Based on that indicator, the code is launched in the appropriate hosting environment. The appropriate hosting environment may be either browser hosted or standalone.

Claims

1. A computer storage medium storing instructions for hosting an application in a computing system, the instructions to perform steps comprising:

receiving an indication to execute the application;

examining the application to determine an appropriate hosting environment, wherein examining the application comprises examining a code of the application for an indicator that identifies the appropriate hosting environment and comprises invoking a browser server proxy associated with the application, wherein the browser server proxy causes the application to be examined to determine if the application is intended to be hosted in a first environment, wherein the code is the same for the first hosting environment and a second hosting environment, and wherein the indicator is located within the code and determines whether the first hosting environment or the second hosting environment is appropriate;

if the current hosting environment is not the appropriate hosting environment, invoking the application in the appropriate hosting environment; and

if the application is intended to be hosted in another hosting environment, the browser server proxy passes off the application to the other hosting environment, wherein passing off the application comprises issuing a false failure notification associated with launching the application.

2. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the association between the browser server proxy and the application is based on a mime-type of the application.

3. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein if the application is intended to be browser hosted, the browser server proxy causes the application to be launched in a secure execution environment under the control of the browser environment.

4. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the browser server proxy causes the application to be launched by invoking a browser server to execute the secure execution environment and to invoke the application in the secure execution environment.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein examining the application comprises examining the application for a byte signature that identifies the appropriate hosting environment.

6. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein examining the application comprises examining a manifest file associated with the application for an identification of the appropriate hosting environment.

7. A computer-implemented method for hosting an application on a computing system, the method comprising:

identifying an instruction to launch the application in a first hosting environment;

receiving at least a portion of the application;

evaluating the portion of the application to determine an appropriate hosting environment for the application wherein evaluating the portion comprises;

invoking a host sniffer component to analyze the portion of the application to determine if the appropriate hosting environment is one of a predetermined set of hosting environments, and invoking a browser server proxy associated with the application, wherein the browser server proxy causes the application to be examined to determine if the application is intended to be hosted in the first environment;

and if the first hosting environment is consistent with the appropriate hosting environment, launching the application in the first hosting environment, wherein if the first hosting environment is inconsistent with the appropriate hosting environment, passing the application off to another component for further evaluation, wherein passing off the application comprises issuing a false failure notification associated with launching the application.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein identifying the instruction comprises receiving a notice that the application is being browser-executed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein receiving at least the portion of the application comprises downloading a sufficient amount of the application to perform the evaluating step.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the sufficient amount comprises a byte signature portion of the application that identifies the appropriate hosting environment.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the sufficient amount comprises at least a part of a manifest that is associated with the application and that identifies the appropriate hosting environment.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises, prior to passing the application off, caching a location identifier associated with the application for use by the other component.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the other component comprises a second hosting environment.

14. A computer storage medium storing computer-executable components for hosting an application in a computer system, the computer-executable components comprising:

a first code server operative to host the application in a first execution mode;

a second code server operative to host the application in a second execution mode;

a host sniffer configured to examine code for the application to identify an appropriate hosting environment in which to host the application, the appropriate hosting environment being one of either the first execution mode or the second execution mode, wherein the host sniffer is configured to examine the application by examining the application for a declarative indicator of the appropriate hosting environment, wherein the declarative indicator is located within a code that is the same for the first execution mode and the second execution mode; and

a handler component executing in either the first execution mode or the second execution mode and being operative to invoke the host sniffer to identify the appropriate hosting environment and to cause the application to be launched in the appropriate hosting environment, wherein if the application is not launched in the appropriate hosting environment passing the application off, wherein passing off the application comprises issuing a false failure notification associated with launching the application.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first code server comprises a browser server component.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the handler component comprises a browser server proxy.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second code server comprises a shell server component.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the handler component comprises a shell extension handler.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first execution mode is a standalone mode, and the second execution mode is a browser hosted mode.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the declarative indicator comprises a byte signature within the application.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the declarative indicator comprises a portion of a manifest file associated with the application.

22. The computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the portion of the manifest file comprises an application tag.

23. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein if the handler component was executing in the first execution mode and the appropriate hosting environment is the second execution mode, the handler component is operative to cause the second code server to host the application.

24. The computer storage medium of claim 23, wherein the first execution mode comprises a standalone mode and the second execution mode comprises a browser hosted mode, and the handler component causes the second code server to host the application by invoking a browser with instructions to execute the application.

25. The computer storage medium of claim 23, wherein the first execution mode comprises a browser hosted mode and the second execution mode comprises a standalone mode, and the handler component causes the second code server to host the application by invoking a shell extension handler associated with the application.

26. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the handler component comprises an operating system loader.

27. A computer storage medium storing computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising:

a body of code including a declarative indicator identifying which of a plurality of distinct hosting environments the body of code is intended to be hosted in, wherein if the first hosting environment is inconsistent with the appropriate hosting environment, passing the application off to another component for further evaluation, wherein passing off the application comprises issuing a false failure notification associated with launching the application and wherein the plurality of distinct hosting environments comprises;

at least one hosting environment being a standalone;

at least the other hosting environment being a browser; and

wherein the body of code hosted is the same in the standalone manner and the browser.

28. The computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein the body of code comprises an application.

29. The computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein a declarative indicator comprises a byte signature associated with one of the at least two distinct hosting environments.

30. The computer storage medium of claim 29, wherein the byte signature comprises a class ID associated with one of the at least two distinct hosting environments.

31. The computer storage medium of claim 27, wherein the declarative indicator comprises a portion of a manifest file associated with the body of code.