Externalized classloader information for application servers

• US 7,761,862 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gissel, Thomas R., Fraenkel, Michael Levi, Martin, Brian Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US11/373,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 717/165, 717/166, 717/173, 717/108, 717/116, 717/175, 717/178
• US Class Current: 717/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

Modules which are running outside of a first application server virtual machine (VM) are enabled to introspect into modules running inside the first VM by notifying a manageable component factory by an application module being executed by a first application server VM of a need to allow a second VM to introspect into and to load class information regarding objects already running in the first VM, wherein the first and second virtual machines are separate virtual machines; registering the already-running object class information to a manageable component server using a descriptor; and loading the registered class information by the second VM from the manageable component server, wherein a tool object or administrative object running in the second VM introspects into and loads the objects already running in the first virtual machine without use of an application programming interface.

Claims

1. A process for allowing modules which are running outside of a first application server to introspect into modules running inside the first application server, the process comprising:

notifying a manageable component factory by an application module being executed by a first application server virtual machine of a need to allow a second virtual machine to introspect into and to load class information regarding objects already running in the first virtual machine, wherein the first and second virtual machines are separate virtual machines;

registering the already-running object class information to a manageable component server using a descriptor; and

loading the registered class information by the second virtual machine from the manageable component server, wherein a tool object or administrative object running in the second virtual machine introspects into and loads the objects already running in the first virtual machine without use of an application programming interface.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 further comprising providing one or more application module components including one or more JAVA-compliant Management Extension MBean-compliant components.

3. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein executing of the application module(s) within an application server virtual machine comprises executing one or more JAVA-compliant modules compatible with a JAVA VIRTUAL MACHINE (JVM).

4. The process as set forth in claim 3 wherein the JAVA-compliant VIRTUAL MACHINE comprises a JAVA Platform Enterprise Edition-compliant virtual machine.

5. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the using of a descriptor of the external object class to register class information to a manageable component server comprises using an Extensible Markup Language descriptor.

6. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein using of a descriptor of the external object class to register class information to a manageable component server comprises registering class information with a JAVA-compliant Management Extension MBean-compliant Server.

7. The process as set forth in claim 1 further comprising providing an IBM WEBSPHERE-compliant application server.

8. A computer readable storage memory for allowing modules which are running outside of a first application server to introspect into modules running inside the first application server, comprising:

a computer readable storage memory comprising one or more software programs configured to cause a processor to perform;

notifying a manageable component factory by an application module being executed by a first application server virtual machine of a need to allow loading of class information into a second virtual machine regarding objects already running in the first virtual machine, wherein the first and second virtual machines are separate virtual machines;

registering the already-running object class information to a manageable component server using a descriptor; and

loading the registered class information by the second virtual machine from the manageable component server, wherein a tool object or administrative object running in the second virtual machine may introspects into and loads the objects already running in the first virtual machine without use of an application programming interface.

9. The computer readable storage memory as set forth in claim 8 further comprising one or more application module components including one or more JAVA-compliant Management Extension MBean-compliant components.

10. The computer readable storage memory as set forth in claim 8 wherein the software executing the application module(s) within an application server virtual machine comprises software executing one or more JAVA-compliant modules in a virtual machine.

11. The computer readable storage memory as set forth in claim 10 wherein the Java-compliant virtual machine is JAVA 2 Platform Enterprise Edition-compliant.

12. The computer readable storage memory as set forth in claim 8 wherein the software using a descriptor of the external object class to register class information to a manageable component server comprises software using an Extensible Markup Language descriptor.

13. The computer readable storage memory as set forth in claim 8 wherein the software using a descriptor of the external object class to register class information to a manageable component server comprises software registering class information with a JAVA Management Extension MBean-compliant Server.

14. The computer readable storage memory as set forth in claim 8 further comprising software providing an IBM WEBSPHERE-compliant application sewer.

15. An object-oriented computer system allowing modules which are running outside of a first application server to introspect into modules running inside the first application server, the system comprising:

a notification to a manageable component factory from an application module under execution by a first application server virtual machine to allow a second virtual machine to introspect into and to load class information regarding objects already running in the first virtual machine, wherein the first and second virtual machines are separate virtual machines;

a descriptor of the object class information accessible to the manageable component factory;

a registration of the descriptor by the manageable component factory of already-running object class information; and

a manageable component server executed by a computer system, receiving the registration, and loading the class information to the second virtual machine, wherein a tool object or administrative object running in the second virtual machine may introspects into and loads the objects already running in the first virtual machine without use of an application programming interface.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the application module components comprise one or more JAVA-compliant Management Extension MBean-compliant components.

17. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the application server virtual machine comprises a JAVA-compliant virtual machine.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17 wherein the JAVA-compliant virtual machine is a JAVA 2 Platform Enterprise Edition compliant.

19. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the descriptor comprises an Extensible Markup Language descriptor.

20. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the manageable component server comprises a JAVA-compliant Management Extension MBean-compliant Server.

21. The system as set forth in claim 15 further comprising an IBM WEB SPHERE-compliant application server.