Extensible application platform

• US 7,984,115 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hulen, Corey, Tien, Ian Robert James, Lim, Chen-I
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Philip B
• Application Number:
  US11/636,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709/203, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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

An extensible client-server application platform. Execution of functions may require interactions between client-side and server-side components. Extensions may be provided as pairs of modules, one for the client and one for the server, that interact when performing an extension function. To ensure that the client-side and server-side interact appropriately, extensions modules may be initially supplied to the server and downloaded as appropriate, to the client. An enterprise business intelligence application is used as an example of the extensible client-server application platform. To enable use of third party extension modules, the server-side components may execute on a virtualized server.

Claims

1. Computer apparatus comprising:

a network interface; and

a computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising;

a framework for interacting through the network interface with a server to implement a business intelligence application in an enterprise, the framework adapted to;

perform a plurality of first data processing functions through interaction with the server, the first data processing functions being related to manipulation of data in one or more data stores containing data relating to the operation of the enterprise;

receive a user input specifying a second data processing function, different than data processing functions of the first plurality of data processing functions;

determine whether a computer-executable module for performing the second data processing function does not reside on the computer apparatus; and

obtain through the network interface the computer-executable module, the computer-executable module being operable to interact with at least one corresponding computer-executable module on the server to perform the second data processing function.

2. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the framework is adapted to obtain the computer-executable module through the network interface from the server.

3. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first data processing functions comprise:

receiving a report template;

receiving data; and

displaying the data in a format prescribed by the report template.

4. The computer apparatus of claim 3, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise at least one application capable of execution outside the framework, the application adapted to operate under control of the framework to present the data in accordance with the report template.

5. The computer apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the at least one application is adapted to store metadata relating to inputs to the application that specify an operation performed by the application; and

the framework is adapted to control the at least one application to store a mapping between the data and the report template in conjunction with the metadata.

6. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the framework is further adapted to determine, upon start-up, that the framework application previously experienced an error condition after the computer-executable module was obtained and to disable operation of the computer-executable module.

7. Computer apparatus comprising:

a network interface; and

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one computer-executable component defining a virtual machine;

a plurality of computer-executable components executing on the virtual machine, the plurality of components comprising;

a framework for interacting through the network interface with a client and a plurality of first data sources, the framework adapted to perform first functions in response to input received from the client, the first functions comprising;

obtaining data from the plurality of first data sources;

performing a plurality of first data processing functions to produce first processed data;

preparing first formatted data from the first processed data, the first formatted data in a first format for display to a user; and

providing the first formatted data to the client;

a module for performing a second function, different than the first functions, in response to user input, the second function comprising at least one of;

obtaining data from a second data source different than the plurality of first data sources;

performing a second data processing function, different than the plurality of first data processing functions, to produce second processed data;

or

preparing second formatted data from the first processed data or second processed data in a second format, different than the first format, for display to a user; and

a manifest specifying modules for performing a plurality of functions comprising the first functions and the second function;

wherein the framework, if an indication is received from the client that user input identifying the second function was received at the client, identifies the module for performing the second function from the manifest and provides the module for performing the second function to the client.

8. The computer apparatus of claim 7, wherein the module for performing the second function comprises a plug-in to the framework.

9. The computer apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first functions further comprise providing a client-side plug-in which, when executed, is adapted to interact with the plug-in.

10. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein the framework interacts with the client to determine whether the client comprises client software modules identified on the manifest;

and when the client does not contain a client software module identified on the manifest, provides the client software module to the client.

11. The computer apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second function comprises obtaining data from the second data source and combining the data with data obtained from at least one of the plurality of first data sources to generate business intelligence.

12. The computer apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable components implementing an application executing outside of the virtual machine.