Method and system for footprint minimized, HTML/HTTP-based systems for Java-based embedded device management applications

• US 7,580,990 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spring, Maximilian Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chea; Philip J
• Application Number:
  US10/697,069
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/203, 709/219, 718/1
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A method and system for accessing HTML/HTTP based information for Java-based embedded applications. Specifically, in one embodiment, a method is disclosed for accessing HTTP/HTML based information from a client workstation. The embodiment of the method begins by establishing communication with a device that is associated with an embedded application through a first browser window that is Java-enabled. The method then continues by retrieving a Java applet from the device for implementing the embedded application. Then, the embodiment continues by running a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server inside the Java applet on the client workstation. Thereafter, the embodiment continues by generating hypertext markup language/hypertext transfer protocol (HTML/HTTP) based files with the HTTP server, wherein the HTML/HTTP based files are associated with the embedded application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

opening a first browser window that is Java-enabled in a client device, the first browser window to access a remote device over a network, the remote device having a Java applet that, when executed in the first browser window, implements an embedded application that interacts and configures the remote device and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server application;

receiving the Java applet from the remote device over the network with the first browser window;

opening a second browser window for communication with the HTTP server application to access a hypertext markup language (HTML) based file or an image file;

using a number associated with a non-standard protocol port over which the HTTP server application is registered to form a uniform resource locator (URL) for the second browser window to access; and

executing the Java applet with the first window of the client device to implement, in the client device, both the embedded application associated with the remote device and the HTTP server application, where the HTTP server application implemented in the client device downloads an archive file from the remote device over the network, extracts at least one of the HTML based file or the image file from the archive file according to the Java applet, and serves, to the second browser window in the client device, at least one of the HTML based file or image file received from the remote device responsive to at least one HTTP request for the HTML based file or image file received from the second browser window.

2. The method of claim 1, where the HTML based file or the image file are compressed when received from said remote device;

and

further comprising uncompressing with said Java applet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the HTTP request to said HTTP server application through said second browser window to access the HTML based file or the image file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a client workstation as a target host for said second browser window.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically generating the HTML based file or the image file using a common gateway interface (CGI).

6. A computer system comprising:

a processor

a bus; and

a memory coupled to said processor and containing program instructions that, when executed, are adapted to;

open a first browser window that is Java-enabled in a client device, the first browser window to access a remote device over a network, the remote device having a Java applet that, when executed in the first browser window, implements an embedded application that interacts and configures the remote device and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server application;

receive the Java applet from the remote device over the network with the first browser window;

open a second browser window for communication with the HTTP server application to access a hypertext markup language (HTML) based file or an image file;

use a number associated with a non-standard protocol port over which the HTTP server application is registered to form a uniform resource locator (URL) for the second browser window to access; and

execute the Java applet with the first window of the client device to implement, in the client device, both the embedded application associated with the remote device and the HTTP server application, where the HTTP server application implemented in the client device downloads an archive file from the remote device over the network, extracts at least one of the HTML based file or the image file from the archive file according to the Java applet, and provides to the second browser window in the client device, at least one of the HTML based file or image file to one or more network devices responsive to at least one HTTP request for the HTML based file or image file from the network devices received from the second browser window.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the program instructions that, when executed, are adapted to:

retrieve HTML based file or image file are compressed when received from said device; and

uncompress HTML based file or image file using said Java applet.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the program instructions that, when executed, are adapted to:

sending the HTTP request to said HTTP server application through said second browser window to access HTML based file or image file.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the program instructions that, when executed, are adapted to:

using the computer system as a target host for said second browser window.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the program instructions that, when executed, are adapted to:

dynamically generating HTML based file or image file using a common gateway interface (CGI).

11. A memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for accessing information from a client workstation, comprising:

opening a first browser window that is Java-enabled in a client device, the first browser window to access a remote device over a network, the remote device having a Java applet that, when executed in the first browser window, implements an embedded application of that interacts and configures the remote device and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server application;

receiving the Java applet from the remote device over the network with the first browser window;

opening a second browser window for communication with the HTTP server application to access a hypertext markup language (HTML) based file or an image file;

using a number associated with a non-standard protocol port over which the HTTP server application is registered to form a uniform resource locator (URL) for the second browser window to access; and

executing the Java applet with the first window of the client device to implement, in the client device, both the embedded application associated with the remote device and the HTTP server application, where the HTTP server application implemented in the client device downloads an archive file from the remote device over the network, extracts at least one of the HTML based file or the image file from the archive file according to the Java applet, and serves, to the second browser window in the client device, at least one of the HTML based file or image file received from the remote device responsive to at least one HTTP request for the HTML based file or image file received from the second browser window.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

uncompressing the HTML based file or the image file with said Java applet when received from said remote device in a compressed format.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

sending the HTTP request to said HTTP server application through said second browser window to access the HTML based file or the image file.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

using a client workstation as a target host for said second browser window.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

dynamically generating the HTML based file or the image file using a common gateway interface (CGI).