Communicating messages between components in a client/server environment using a object broker

• US 7,516,178 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Patrick R., DeFrang, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US11/032,768
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/223, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/548 Object oriented; Remote method invocation [RMI] non-remote method invocation G06F9/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for communicating messages between components in a client/server environment comprises initiating, in response to a request from an application on a server system, a process for receiving messages from one or more first components associated with a client system, the process initiated using a generalized architecture for communicating messages between components in a client/server application. The method includes registering with the process one or more second components associated with the application, receiving at the process associated with the application a message intended for a second component on the server system, the message initiated by a first component on a client system. The method includes unpacking at least a portion of the received message, determining the second component associated with the server system for which the message is intended, and initiating the second component for which the message is intended in response to the message.

Claims

1. A method for communicating messages between components in a client/server environment, comprising:

receiving from a first function run by a first instance of a first application operating on a client system and by an object broker associated with the client system, a first request to communicate with a second function of a second application operating on a server system, the first request comprising one or more first parameters;

receiving from a first function run by a second instance of the first application operating on the client system and by the object broker associated with the client system, a second request to communicate with the second function of the second application operating on the server system, the second request comprising one or more second parameters;

establishing, by the object broker associated with the client system, a connection with the server system associated with the second function based on the first and second requests;

packaging, by the object broker associated with the client system, the one or more first and second parameters for communication to a process on the server system, the second function on the server system having registered with the process; and

communicating, by the object broker associated with the client system, the one or more first and second parameters to the process on the server system for initiating the second function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object broker is operable to provide common functionality to each first function associated with the client system, the common functionality of the object broker being provided by one or more client application program interfaces (APIs) operable to be called by each first function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request to communicate with the second function comprises a first request to receive a reply from the second function on the server system, the one or more first parameters comprising a reply identifier identifying first function of the first instance of the first application as the destination for a reply from the second function;

and wherein the second request to communicate with the second function further comprises a second request to receive a reply from the second function on the server system, the one or more second parameters comprising a reply identifier identifying the first function of the second instance of the first application as the destination for a reply from the second function.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving from the process associated with the second function and by the object broker, an error message indicating that the second function encountered an error if the second function fails to generate a reply within a predetermined time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from each first function and by the object broker, a request to initiate a handle for communication with the second function on the server system;

determining, by the object broker, the handle for each first function to use for communication; and

returning, by the object broker, the determined handle to each first function.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving from each first function the request to communicate with the second function comprises:

receiving, by the object broker, the handle for each first function to use for communication; and

receiving, by the object broker, a machine name identifying the server system associated with the second function.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the object broker, a queue name identifying a queue for queue communication with the second function on the server system, queue communication providing substantially real-time delivery of messages to the second function, the queue associated with the process on the server system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the object broker, a store-and-forward (SAF) queue name for SAF communication with the second function on the server system, SAF communication providing substantially guaranteed delivery of the message to the second function on the server system, the SAF queue associated with the process on the server system.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising packaging the one or more first and second parameters using self defined data (SDD).

10. A system for communicating messages between components in a client/server environment, comprising:

a client system coupled to a server system, the client system comprising a first function run by a first instance of a first application operating on the client system, and a first function run by a second instance of the first application operating on the client system, and the server system comprising a second function of the second application operating on the server system;

an object broker associated with the client system and operable to;

receive from the first function run by the first instance of the first application, a first request to communicate with the second function, the first request comprising one or more first parameters;

receive from the first function run by the second instance of the first application, a second request to communicate with the second function, the second request comprising one or more second parameters;

establish a connection with the server system associated with the second function based on the first and second requests;

package the one or more first and second parameters for communication to a process on the server system, the second function on the server system having registered with the process; and

communicate the one or more first and second parameters to the process on the server system for initiating the second function.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the object broker is operable to provide common functionality to each first function associated with the client system, the common functionality of the object broker being provided by one or more client application program interfaces (APIs) operable to be called by each first function.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first request to communicate with the second function comprises a first request to receive a reply from the second function on the server system, the one or more first parameters comprising a reply identifier identifying the first function of the first instance of the first application as the destination for a reply from the second function;

and wherein the second request to communicate with the second function further comprises a second request to receive a reply from the second function on the server system, the one or more second parameters comprising a reply identifier identifying the first function of the second instance of the first application as the destination for a reply from the second function.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the object broker is further operable to receive from the process associated with the second function an error message indicating that the second function encountered an error if the second function fails to generate a reply within a predetermined time.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the object broker is further operable to:

receive from each first function a request to initiate a handle for communication with the second function on the server system;

determine the handle for each first function to use for communication; and

return the determined handle to each first function.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the request from each first function to communicate with the second function comprises:

the handle for the corresponding first function to use for communication; and

a machine name identifying the server system associated with the second function.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the object broker is further operable to receive a queue name identifying a queue for queue communication with the second function on the server system, the queue communication providing substantially real-time delivery of messages to the second function, the queue associated with the process on the server system.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the object broker is further operable to package the one or more first and second parameters using self defined data (SDD).

18. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for communicating messages between components in a client/server environment, wherein the computer executable instructions when executed by a processor are operable to:

receive from a first function run by a first instance of a first application operating on a client system and by an object broker associated with the client system, a first request to communicate with a second function of a second application operating on a server system, the first request comprising one or more first parameters;

receive from a first function run by a second instance of the first application operating on the client system and by the object broker associated with the client system, a second request to communicate with the second function of the second application operating on the server system, the second request comprising one or more second parameters;

establish, by the object broker associated with the client system, a connection with the server system associated with the second function based on the first and second requests;

package, by the object broker associated with the client system, the one or more first and second parameters for communication to a process on the server system, the second function on the server system having registered with the process; and

communicate, by the object broker associated with the client system, the one or more first and second parameters to the process on the server system for initiating the second function.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the object broker is operable to provide common functionality to each first function, the common functionality of the object broker being provided by one or more client application program interfaces (APIs) operable to be called by each first function.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions are further operable to receive a queue name identifying a queue for queue communication with the second function on the server system, the queue communication providing substantially real-time delivery of messages to the second function, the queue associated with the process on the server system.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions are further operable to receive a store-and-forward (SAF) queue name for SAF communication with the second function on the server system, the SAF communication providing substantially guaranteed delivery of the message to the second function on the server system, the SAF queue associated with the process on the server system.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the process comprises one or more of:

a daemon; and

a service.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the object broker is further operable to:

receive a request to terminate a connection with the server system;

destroy a handle associated with each first function used for communicating with the server system; and

terminate the connection with the server system.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the object broker is further operable to package the one or more first and second parameters using self defined data (SDD).