System and method for disconnected operation of thin-client applications

• US 7,685,253 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Valia, Rohit
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdullahi; Salad
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US10/695,611
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

System and method for disconnected operation of thin-client applications. In embodiments, a thin client on a client system may be used to access an application on a server via a network. Prior to the thin client disconnecting from the application, a version of the application including at least a portion of the application logic of the application may be downloaded to the client system to be accessed using the thin client during disconnected operation of the client system. After reconnection of the thin client to the application, changes made, if any, to application data on the client system may be integrated into the application data on the server.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a server configured to host an application accessible by one or more clients via a network; and

a client device comprising a thin client configured to interact with the application via the network to remotely perform one or more functions of the application while a connection exists between the thin client and the application on the server;

wherein the system is configured to download a version of the appplication to the client device via the network, wherein the downloaded version of the application is configured to provide at least a portion of application logic of the application to the thin client; and

wherein the thin client is further configured to;

disconnect from the application on the server; and

access the downloaded version of the application on the client device to perform one or more functions of the application provided by the at least a portion of the application logic while the thin client is disconnected from the application;

wherein the application is configured to save a state of the thin client with the application before said disconnection;

wherein the downloaded version of the application is configured to maintain state information for said access of the downloaded version of the application on the client device;

wherein the thin client is further configured to reconnect to the application on the server via the network; and

wherein the application is further configured to update the saved state of the thin client on the server according to the state information for said access of the downloaded version of the application on the client device.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to store one or more changes made to application data during said access of the downloaded version of the application.

3. The system as recited in claim 2,

wherein the thin client is further configured to reconnect to the application on the server via the network;

and

wherein the application on the server is further configured to integrate the one or more changes made to the application data on the client device into application data on the server after said reconnection.

4. The system as recited in claim 2,

wherein the thin client is further configured to reconnect to the application on the server via the network;

and

wherein the system further comprises a synchronization service configured to integrate the one or more changes made to the application data on the client device into application data on the server.

5. The system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the client device is further configured to delete the downloaded version of the application after said reconnection.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said download of the version of the application via the network is initiated by the application.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said download of the version of the application via the network is initiated by the thin client.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said download of the version of the application via the network is initiated in response to an indication that a network connection between the thin client and the application is to go down.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server is in one tier of a tiered network environment, and wherein the client device is in another tier of the tiered network environment.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the application is implemented according to Java™

2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE™

), and wherein the application logic is implemented as Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs).

11. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to;

implement a thin client configured to interact with an application on another system via a network to remotely perform one or more functions of the application while a connection exists between the thin client and the application on the other system;

download a version of the application via the network to the system, wherein the downloaded version of the application is configured to provide at least a portion of application logic of the application to the thin client;

wherein the thin client is further configured to;

disconnect from the application; and

access the downloaded version of the application on the client device to perform one or more functions of the application provided by the at least a portion of the application logic while the thin client is disconnected from the application;

wherein the application is configured to save a state of the thin client with the application before said disconnection;

wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to maintain state information for said access of the downloaded version of the application on the system;

wherein the thin client is further configured to reconnect to the application on the other system via the network; and

wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to provide the state information to the application to update the saved state of the thin client on the other system according to the provided state information.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to store one or more changes made to application data during said access of the downloaded version of the application.

13. The system as recited in claim 12,

wherein the thin client is further configured to reconnect to the application on other system via the network;

and

wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to provide the one or more changes made to the application data to the application for integration into application data on the other system after said reconnection.

14. The system as recited in claim 11,

wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to delete the downloaded version of the application from the system after said reconnection.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the application is implemented according to Java™

2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE™

), and wherein the application logic is implemented as Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs).

16. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to;

implement an application configured for access by thin clients via a network for the thin clients to interact with the application to remotely perform one or more functions of the application while a respective connection exists between each thin client and the application;

download a version of the application via the network to a client system comprising a thin client, wherein the downloaded version of the application is configured to provide at least a portion of application logic of the application to the thin client during disconnected operation of the client system;

disconnect from the thin client and save a state of the thin client with the application before said disconnection;

reconnect to the thin client;

wherein state information is maintained on the client system for thin client access of the downloaded version of the application on the client system while disconnected from the application;

update the saved state of the thin client on the system after said reconnection according to the state information provided from the client system for the thin client access of the downloaded version of the application on the client system while disconnected from the application; and

integrate one or more changes made to application data on the client device while disconnected from the application into application data on the system after said reconnection.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the application is implemented according to Java™

2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE™

), and wherein the application logic is implemented as Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs).

18. A system, comprising:

means for interacting with an application on a server to remotely perform one or more functions of the application on the server while a connection exists between a thin client and the application on the server;

means for downloading a version of the application on the server to a device comprising the thin client, wherein the downloaded version of the application is configured to provide at least a portion of application logic of the application to the thin client;

means for accessing the downloaded version of the application on the client device via the thin client to perform one or more functions of the application provided by the at least a portion of the application logic while the thin client is disconnected from the application;

wherein a state of the thin client with the application is saved at the server before said disconnection;

means for maintaining state information for said accessing of the downloaded version of the application on the client device;

means for reconnecting to the application on the server via the network; and

means for updating the saved state of the thin client on the server according to the state information for said accessing of the downloaded version of the application on the client device.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, further comprising means for integrating one or more changes made to application data on the device into application data on the server after the thin client reconnects to the application.

20. A method, comprising:

a thin client on a client device interacting with an application on a server via a network to remotely perform one or more functions of the application while a connection exists between the thin client and the application on the server;

downloading a version of the application to the client device via the network, wherein the downloaded version of the application is configured to provide at least a portion of application logic of the application to the thin client;

the thin client disconnecting from the application on the server and saving a state of the thin client with the application on the server before said disconnection;

the thin client accessing the downloaded version of the application on the client device to perform one or more functions of the application provided by the at least a portion of the application logic while the thin client is disconnected from the application; and

maintaining state information for said accessing of the downloaded version of the application on the client device;

the thin client reconnecting to the application on the server via the network; and

updating the saved state of the thin client with the application on the server according to the state information for said accessing of the downloaded version of the application on the client device.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising storing one or more changes made to application data during said accessing the downloaded version of the application.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

the thin client reconnecting to the application on the server via the network; and

integrating the one or more changes made to the application data on the client device into application data on the server after said reconnection.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

the thin client reconnecting to the application on the server via the network; and

a synchronization service integrating the one or more changes made to the application data on the client device into application data on the server.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

deleting the downloaded version of the application after said reconnection.

25. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the server is in one tier of a tiered network environment, and wherein the client device is in another tier of the tiered network environment.

26. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said downloading of the version of the application via the network is initiated by the application.

27. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said downloading of the version of the application via the network is initiated by the thin client.

28. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising initiating said downloading of the version of the application via the network in response to an indication that a network connection between the thin client and the application is to go down.

29. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the application is implemented according to Java™

2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE™

), and wherein the application logic is implemented as Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs).

30. A computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions computer-executable to implement:

downloading a version of an application to a client device via a network, wherein the downloaded version of the application is configured to provide at least a portion of application logic of the application to a thin client of the application on the client device, wherein said downloading is performed subsequent to the thin client interacting with the application on a server via the network to remotely perform one or more functions of the application while a connection exists between the thin client and the application on the server;

the thin client disconnecting from the application on the server and saving a state of the thin client with the application on the server before said disconnection;

the thin client accessing the downloaded version of the application on the client device to perform one or more functions of the application provided by the at least a portion of the application logic while the thin client is disconnected from the application;

maintaining state information for said accessing of the downloaded version of the application on the client device;

the thin client reconnecting to the application on the server via the network; and

updating the saved state of the thin client with the application on the server according to the state information for said accessing of the downloaded version of the application on the client device.

31. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 30, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement storing one or more changes made to application data during said accessing the downloaded version of the application.

32. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 31, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement:

the thin client reconnecting to the application on the server via the network; and

integrating the one or more changes made to the application data on the client device into application data on the server after said reconnection.

33. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 31, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement:

the thin client reconnecting to the application on the server via the network; and

a synchronization service integrating the one or more changes made to the application data on the client device into application data on the server.

34. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 30, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement:

deleting the downloaded version of the application after said reconnection.

35. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 30, wherein the program instructions are further configured to implement initiating said downloading of the version of the application via the network in response to an indication that a network connection between the thin client and the application is to go down.

36. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 30, wherein the application is implemented according to Java™

2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE™

), and wherein the application logic is implemented as Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs).

37. A system, comprising:

a server configured to host an application accessible by one or more clients via a network; and

a client device comprising a thin client configured to;

interact with the application via the network to remotely perform one or more functions of the application while a connection exists between the thin client and the application on the server; and

request a download of a version of the application to the client device via the network, wherein the version of the application is configured to provide at least a portion of application logic of the application to the thin client during disconnected operation of the client system;

wherein the server is further configured to;

determine if the thin client has access to the at least a portion of the application logic provided by the requested version of the application; and

if the thin client has access to the at least a portion of the application logic provided by the requested version of the application, download the version of the application to the client device via the network;

wherein the thin client is further configured to;

disconnect from the application on the server; and

if the thin client has access to the at least a portion of the application logic provided by the requested version of the application, access the downloaded version of the application on the client device to perform one or more functions of the application provided by the at least a portion of the application logic while the thin client is disconnected from the application;

wherein the client device is further configured to store one or more changes made to application data during said access of the downloaded version of the application;

reconnect to the application on the server via the network; and

wherein the application is further configured to integrate the one or more changes made to the application data on the client device into application data on the server after said reconnection.