Pervasive, distributed provision of services such as product brokerage

• US 8,001,259 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kulack, Frederick Allyn, Dettinger, Richard Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US09/871,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,728 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/355, 709/231, 709/232, 709/318, 709/316, 709/219, 785/14
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A client-server computing system suited particularly for homogenous clients of varying functional capabilities. Information handling capabilities are provided at the client and server on a customized, as-needed basis. When a service is needed by a client, the server determines a number of factors that may be relevant to the manner in which the service is to be provided. Then, the server selects from between two or more services having different executable code, and uploads the selected service to the client. Thus, the code may be tailored to the client'"'"'s capabilities, or other aspects of its function. Services are not permanently retained by a client; rather, the client performs an analysis to determine whether services should be retained or purged. Also, state information is not permanently retained by a client; the server retains the information and uploads that information to the client. The server also manages its resources by loading service components on an as-needed basis.

Claims

1. A method of providing an information handling capability to a client computer system in a networked computer system comprising client and server computer systems, comprising the following steps executed at a client computer system:

storing executable code for providing said information handling capability,

the client performing an analysis of usage of said information handling capability by said client computer system to determine whether said executable code ought to be retained in storage by said client computer system, and

in response to a determination that said executable code ought not be retained by said client computer system, unloading said executable code from storage in said client computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said analysis comprises determining a period of disuse of said information handling capability by said client computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said analysis comprises determining the presence of a connection between said client computer system and a server computer system involved in provision of said information handling capability.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said information handling capability comprises providing brokerage information to a user of said client computer system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said brokerage information comprises product information and pricing.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said product is real estate property.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said product is chattel property.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said product is an automobile.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said information handling capability comprises providing scheduling information to a user of said client computer system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said information handling capability comprises providing financial information to a user of said client computer system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said information handling capability comprises providing transportation service information to a user of said client computer system.

12. A client computer system in a networked computer system comprising client and server computer systems, comprising:

a processor,

storage for executable code, and

a communications interface for connecting to a server computer system,

said processor executing said executable code to provide an information handling capability in conjunction with a server computer system, and further performing an analysis of usage of said information handling capability by said client computer system to determine whether said executable code ought to be retained in storage by said client computer system, and, in response to a determination that said executable code ought not be retained by said client computer system, unloading said executable code from storage in said client computer system.

13. The client computer system of claim 12 wherein said analysis comprises determining a period of disuse of said information handling capability by said client computer system.

14. The client computer system of claim 12 wherein said analysis comprises determining the presence of a connection between said client computer system and a server computer system involved in provision of said information handling capability.