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

• US 7,840,633 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US12/391,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/223, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/202
• 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:

initiating, in response to a request from a server application operating on a server system, a process for receiving messages from one or more first functions of a client application operating on a client system, the process initiated by an object broker associated with the server system using a generalized architecture for communicating messages between client and server applications;

registering, by the object broker associated with the server system, one or more second functions of the server application with the process;

receiving, by the object broker associated with the server system and at the process associated with the server application, a message intended for a second function of the server application, the message initiated by a first function of the client application on the client system;

unpacking, by the object broker associated with the server system, at least a portion of the received message;

determining, by the object broker associated with the server system, the second function of the server application for which the message is intended; and

initiating, by the object broker associated with the server system, the second function of the server application for which the message is intended in response to the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object broker is operable to provide common functionality to each second function of each server application on the server system, the common functionality of the object broker being provided by one or more server application program interfaces (APIs), the server APIs of the object broker being provided in a dynamic link library (DLL) file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the object broker associated with the server system, whether a reply should be sent to the first function of the client application by the second function of the server application; and

responsive to the determination that a reply should be sent to the first function of the client application;

packaging, by the object broker associated with the server system, one or more reply parameters generated by the second function of the server application; and

communicating, by the object broker associated with the server system, the one or more reply parameters to the first function of the client application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message received from the first function of the client application comprises a reply identifier identifying one or more first functions of the client application on the client system as a destination for communicating the one or more reply parameters, the method comprising communicating, by the object broker associated with the server system, the one or more reply parameters to the one or more first functions of the client application identified by the reply identifier.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein responsive to a determination that a reply should be sent to the client system and if a reply message is not generated by the second function of the server application, automatically communicating, by the object broker associated with the server system, an error message to the first function of the client application on the client system indicating that the second function encountered an error.

6. The method of claim 3, comprising packaging, by the object broker associated with the server system, the one or more reply parameters using self defined data (SDD).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, by the object broker associated with the server system, a queue for each second function of the server application registered with the process, the queue operable to provide queue communication with one or more first functions of the client application on the client system, queue communication providing substantially real-time delivery of messages between first functions of the client application and second functions of the server application; and

inserting, by the object broker associated with the server system, into the queue for the second function of the server application for which the message is intended, the message intended for the second function of the server application, the message received from the client system specifying a queue name identifying a queue.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, by the object broker associated with the server system, a store-and-forward (SAF) queue for each second function of the server application registered with the process, the SAF queue operable to provide SAF communication with one or more first functions of the client application on the client system, SAF communication providing substantially guaranteed delivery of the messages between first functions of the client application and second functions of the server application; and

inserting, by the object broker associated with the server system, into the SAF queue for the second function of the server application for which the message is intended, the message intended for the second function of the server application, the message received from the client system specifying an SAF queue name identifying a SAF queue.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the message received from the first function of the client application comprises one or more parameters for the second function of the server application;

unpacking at least a portion of the received message comprising unpacking the one or more parameters; and

the method further comprises sending, by the object broker associated with the server system, the unpacked parameters to the second function of the server application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein first function of the client application is associated the server application which initiated the process.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the process comprises one or more of:

a daemon; and

a service.

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

a server system coupled to a client system, the client system comprising one or more first functions of a client application operating on the client system and the server system comprising one or more second functions of a server application on the server system;

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

initiate, in response to a request from the server application on the server system, a process for receiving messages from the one or more first functions of the client application, the process initiated using a generalized architecture for communicating messages between client and server applications;

register with the process the one or more second functions of the server application;

receive at the process associated with the server application a message intended for a second function of the server application, the message initiated by a first function of the client application on the client system;

unpack at least a portion of the received message;

determine the second function of the server application for which the message is intended; and

initiate the second function of the server application for which the message is intended in response to the message.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the object broker is operable to provide common functionality to each second function of each server application on the server system, the common functionality of the object broker being provided by one or more server application program interfaces (APIs), the server APIs of the object broker being provided in a dynamic link library (DLL) file.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the object broker is further operable to:

determine whether a reply should be sent to the first function of the client application by the second function of the server application; and

responsive to the determination that a reply should be sent to the first function of the client application;

package one or more reply parameters generated by the second function of the server application; and

communicate the one or more reply parameters to the first function of the client application.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the message received from the first function of the client application comprises a reply identifier, identifying one or more first functions of the client application on the client system for communicating the one or more reply parameters, the object broker further operable to communicate the one or more reply parameters to the one or more first functions of the client application identified by the reply identifier.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the object broker is operable to, responsive to a determination that a reply should be sent to the client system and if a reply message is not generated by the second function of the server application, automatically communicate an error message to the first function of the client application on the client system indicating that the second function encountered an error.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the object broker is operable to package the one or more reply parameters using self defined data (SDD).

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the object broker is further operable to:

maintain a queue for each second function of the server application registered with the process, the queue operable to provide queue communication with one or more first functions of the client application on the client system, queue communication providing substantially real-time delivery of messages between first functions of the client application and second functions of the server application; and

insert into the queue for the second function of the server application for which the message is intended, the message intended for the second function of the server application, the message received from the client system specifying a queue name identifying a queue.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the object broker is further operable to:

maintain a store-and-forward (SAF) queue for each second function of the server application registered with the process, the SAF queue operable to provide SAF communication with one or more first functions of the client application on the client system, SAF communication providing substantially guaranteed delivery of the messages between first functions of the client application and second functions of the server application; and

insert into the SAF queue for the second function of the server application for which the message is intended, the message intended for the second function of the server application, the message received from the client system specifying an SAF queue name identifying a SAF queue.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the message received from the first function of the client application comprises one or more parameters for the second function of the server application;

unpacking at least a portion of the received message comprising unpacking the one or more parameters; and

the object broker further operable to send the unpacked parameters to the second function of the server application.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein first function of the client application is associated the server application which initiated the process.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the process comprises one or more of:

a daemon; and

a service.

23. A computer program product comprising a non transitory computer-readable storage medium, the non-transitory storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for communicating messages between components in a client/server environment, wherein the computer executable instructions when executed by one or more processing devices are operable to:

initiate, in response to a request from a server application operating on a server system, a process for receiving messages from one or more first functions of a client application operating on a client system, the process initiated by an object broker associated with the server system using a generalized architecture for communicating messages between client and server applications;

register, by the object broker associated with the server system, one or more second functions of the server application with the process;

receive, by the object broker associated with the server system and at the process associated with the server application, a message intended for a second function of the server application, the message initiated by a first function of the client application on the client system;

unpack, by the object broker associated with the server system, at least a portion of the received message;

determine, by the object broker associated with the server system, the second function of the server application for which the message is intended; and

initiate, by the object broker associated with the server system, the second function of the server application for which the message is intended in response to the message.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further operable to provide common functionality, by the object broker associated with the server system, to each second function of each server application on the server system, the common functionality of the object broker being provided by one or more server application program interfaces (APIs), the server APIs of the object broker being provided in a dynamic link library (DLL) file.

25. The software computer program product of claim 23, further operable to:

determine, by the object broker associated with the server system, whether a reply should be sent to the first function of the client application by the second function of the server application; and

responsive to the determination that a reply should be sent to the first function of the client application;

package, by the object broker associated with the server system, one or more reply parameters generated by the second function of the server application; and

communicate, by the object broker associated with the server system, the one or more reply parameters to the first function of the client application.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, further operable to, responsive to a determination that a reply should be sent to the client system and if a reply message is not generated by the second function of the server application, automatically communicate, by the object broker associated with the server system, an error message to the first function of the client application on the client system indicating that the second function encountered an error.

27. The computer program product of claim 23, further operable to:

maintain, by the object broker associated with the server system, a queue for each second function of the server application registered with the process, the queue operable to provide queue communication with one or more first functions of the client application on the client system, queue communication providing substantially real-time delivery of messages between first functions of the client application and second functions of the server application; and

insert, by the object broker associated with the server system, into the queue for the second function of the server application for which the message is intended, the message intended for the second function of the server application, the message received from the client system specifying a queue name identifying a queue.

28. The software computer program product of claim 23, further operable to:

maintain, by the object broker associated with the server system, a store-and-forward (SAF) queue for each second function of the server application registered with the process, the SAF queue operable to provide SAF communication with one or more first functions of the client application on the client system, SAF communication providing substantially guaranteed delivery of the messages between first functions of the client application and second functions of the server application; and

insert, by the object broker associated with the server system, into the SAF queue for the second function of the server application for which the message is intended, the message intended, for the second function of the server application, the message received from the client system specifying an SAF queue name identifying a SAF queue.