Generic event notification service for resource-constrained devices

• US 7,711,783 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hans, Sebastian Jurgen, Violleau, Thierry, Ravishankar, Tanjore S., Hill, Matthew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt; Yves
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/454,318
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 719/318
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

A generic event notification service for a resource-constrained device is provided. One method includes receiving an event having a unique event identifier, and determining whether an event-producing application is authorized to fire the event. Upon a determination of authorization to fire the event, a determination is made whether any event-consuming applications are authorized by the event-producing application to receive the event. Upon a determination of authorization to receive the event, the event is forwarded to each authorized event-consuming application. In this manner, secure, flexible, generic, and uniform application interaction is facilitated.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a resource-constrained device, said method comprising:

receiving, by a generic event notification service executing on said resource-constrained device, a registration request to register an event listener for receipt of an event,

wherein said event listener is associated with an event-consuming application executing on said resource-constrained device;

said event listener is executed in a context of said event-consuming application; and

said event is one of (i) an event in a set of predefined events provided by said generic event notification service and (ii) an application-specific event, wherein said set of predefined events includes a resource-constrained device platform event and a standard application event;

registering, by said generic event notification service, said event listener for receipt of said event even though said generic event notification service finds that an event-producing application for said event is not yet deployed thereby allowing the late binding of said event-producing application;

receiving, by said generic event notification service executing on said resource-constrained device, an event fired by a first event-producing application executing on said resource-constrained device, wherein said event fired by said first event-producing application is a fired event, and said fired event has a unique event identifier, and

further wherein said generic event notification service controls communications between applications, executing on said resource-constrained device, using events; and

said fired event comprises a shareable interface object, wherein said shareable interface object allows an application executing in a first context, different from a second context in which said first event-producing application is executing, to communicate directly with said first event-producing application by bypassing a firewall separating said first and second contexts;

determining, by said generic event notification service, whether said first event-producing application is authorized to fire said fired event;

determining, by said generic event notification service, event-consuming applications authorized by said first event-producing application to receive said fired event upon said generic event notification service finding said first event-producing application is authorized to fire said fired event; and

forwarding, by said generic event notification service, said fired event to each event-consuming application authorized by said first event-producing application to receive said fired event, wherein each event-consuming application can communicate directly with said first event-producing application using said fired event to bypass said firewall.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by said generic event notification service in response to said registration request, if said event-consuming application is authorized to receive said event.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein said registering, by said generic event notification service, said event listener for receipt of said event is performed upon said generic event notification service finding said event-consuming application is authorized to receive said event.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein said forwarding, by said generic event notification service, said fired event to each event-consuming application authorized by said first event-producing application to receive said fired event comprises:

forwarding said fired event to said event listener upon a determination that said event listener is registered to receive said fired event.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein said registering, by said generic event notification service, said event listener for receipt of said event comprises:

registering a platform reset event listener, wherein said platform reset event listener is used in conjunction with spontaneous application activation.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

unregistering said event listener upon receipt, by said generic event notification service, of an unregistration request to unregister said registered event listener.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said generic event notification service executing on said resource-constrained device, another event fired by a second event-producing application executing remotely from said resource-constrained device; and

generating, by said generic event notification service, a unique event identifier, conforming to a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) event scheme, for said another event.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said forwarding, by said generic event notification service, said fired event to each event-consuming application authorized by said first event-producing application to receive said fired event comprises:

forwarding, by said generic event notification service, said fired event to a second application executing on a remote device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

comparing a registered source of said fired event with said first event-producing application to determine whether said first event-producing application is impersonating said registered source.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering an access list for said first event-producing application in a registry of said generic event notification service upon deployment of said first event-producing application.

11. A computer product having stored thereon computer-readable instructions for a generic event notification service, which when executed by a resource-constrained device performs a method comprising:

receiving, by said generic event notification service executing on said resource-constrained device, a registration request to register an event listener for receipt of an event,

wherein said event listener is associated with an event-consuming application executing on said resource-constrained device;

said event listener is executed in a context of said event-consuming application; and

said event is one of (i) an event in a set of predefined events provided by said generic event notification service and (ii) an application-specific event, wherein said set of predefined events includes a resource-constrained device platform event and a standard application event;

registering, by said generic event notification service, said event listener for receipt of said event even though said generic event notification service finds that an event-producing application for said event is not yet deployed thereby allowing the late binding of said event-producing application;

receiving, by said generic event notification service executing on said resource-constrained device, an event fired by a first event-producing application executing on said resource-constrained device, wherein said event fired by said first event-producing application is a fired event, and said fired event has a unique event identifier, and

further wherein said generic event notification service controls communications between applications, executing on said resource-constrained device, using events; and

said fired event comprises a shareable interface object, wherein said shareable interface object allows an application executing in a first context, different from a second context in which said first event-producing application is executing, to communicate directly with said first event-producing application by bypassing a firewall separating said first and second contexts;

determining, by said generic event notification service, whether said first event-producing application is authorized to fire said fired event;

determining, by said generic event notification service, event-consuming applications authorized by said first event-producing application to receive said fired event upon said generic event notification service finding said first event-producing application is authorized to fire said fired event; and

forwarding, by said generic event notification service, said fired event to each event-consuming application authorized by said first event-producing application to receive said fired event, wherein each event-consuming application can communicate directly with said first event-producing application using said fired event to bypass said firewall.