Agent system for reducing server resource usage

• US 8,589,472 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Market Square Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karande, Advait Deepak, Low, Chee Meng, Seshagiri, Nandagopal
• Primary Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US12/820,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A method, data processing system, and computer program product for processing information. A server-side agent running on a server data processing system monitors for a selected event for processing by the server-side agent. In response to detecting the selected event for processing by the server-side agent, the server-side agent requests information to process the selected event from a client-side agent running on a client data processing system. The server-side agent performs a subset of functions performed by the client-side agent. In response to receiving a response with the information to process the selected event from the client-side agent, the server-side agent performs a set of steps to process the selected event using the information received from the client-side agent.

Claims

1. A method for processing information, the method comprising:

establishing a session between a client-side agent running on a client data processing system and a server-side agent running on a data processing system;

monitoring, by the server-side agent for a selected event in an application running in the session for processing by the server-side agent;

detecting, by the server-side agent, the selected event for processing by the server side agent;

based on the detecting, requesting, by the server-side agent, information to process the selected event from the client-side agent,

wherein the server-side agent performs a subset of functions performed by the client-side agent; and

receiving, by the server-side agent, a response with the information to process the selected event from the client-side agent;

based on the response, performing, by the server-side agent, a set of steps included in the subset of functions to process the selected event using the information received from the client-side agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring, by the server-side agent running on the server data processing system, for the selected event for processing by the server-side agent comprises:

monitoring, by the server-side agent running on the server data processing system, a session on the server data processing system for the selected event occurring in the session for processing by the server-side-agent, wherein the selected event includes a request for information and the request for information is sent by the server-side agent to the client-side agent.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a communications channel between the server-side agent and the client-side agent, wherein the server-side agent is a smaller version of the client-side agent that has less functionality than the client-side agent.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the server-side agent performs a single sign on for applications in the session and wherein the selected event is an attempt to access an application requiring a user identifier and a password.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side agent uses fewer resources than the client-side agent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side agent takes less time to start up as compared to the client-side agent.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client-side agent loads data into a memory on the client data processing system, wherein the data is used to provide the information to the server-side agent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the client-side agent performs steps to process data stored on the client data processing system to generate the information requested by the server-side agent.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises a policy for a single sign-on service.

10. A method for processing information, the method comprising:

establishing a session between a client-side agent running on a client data processing system and a server-side agent running on a server data processing system;

receiving, by the client-side agent, a request for information from the server-side agent,

wherein the server-side agent monitors for a selected event in an application running in the session for processing by the server-side agent and sends the request for information based on detecting the selected event, and

wherein the server-side agent performs a subset of functions performed by the client-side agent;

based on receiving, by the client-side agent, the request for information, performing, by the client-side agent, a set of steps to obtain the information;

sending, by the client-side agent, a response including the information to the server-side agent,

wherein, based on the response, the server-side agent performs a set of steps included in the subset of functions to process the selected event using the information sent by the client-side agent.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the client-side agent receives requests for the information from a plurality of server-side agents running on a plurality of server data processing systems.

12. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes program code, the program code for executing a server-side agent; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit runs the program code to perform a method, the method comprising;

establishing a session between the server-side agent and a client-side agent running on a client data processing system;

monitoring, by the server-side agent, for a selected event in an application running in the session for processing by the server-side agent;

detecting, by the server-side agent, the selected event for processing by the server side agent;

based on the detecting, requesting, by the server-side agent, information to process the selected event from the client-side agent,

wherein the server-side agent performs a subset of functions performed by the client-side agent; and

receiving, by the server-side agent, a response with the information to process the selected event from the client-side agent;

based on the response, performing, by the server-side agent, a set of steps included in the subset of functions to process the selected event using the information received from the client-side agent.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein in running the program code to monitor for the selected event for processing by the server-side agent, the processor unit runs the program code to monitor a session on the server data processing system for the selected event occurring in the session for processing by the server-side-agent, wherein the selected event includes a request for information and the request for information is sent by the server-side agent to the client-side agent.

14. The data processing system of claim 12 further comprising:

establishing a communications channel between the server-side agent and the client-side agent, wherein the server-side agent is a smaller version of the client-side agent that has less functionality than the client-side agent.

15. A computer program product for processing information comprising:

a computer recordable storage device; and

program code, stored on the tangible computer recordable storage device, the program code for, when executed by a processor, performing a method, the method comprising;

establishing a session between a server-side agent running on a server data processing system and a client-side agent running on a client data processing system;

monitoring, by the server-side agent, for a selected event in an application running in the session for processing by the server-side agent;

detecting, by the server-side agent, the selected event for processing by the server side agent;

based on the detecting, requesting, by the server-side agent, information to process the selected event from the client-side agent,

wherein the server-side agent performs a subset of functions performed by the client-side agent; and

receiving, by the server-side agent, a response with the information to process the selected event from the client-side agent;

based on the response, performing, by the server-side agent, a set of steps included in the subset of functions to process the selected event using the information received from the client-side agent.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein program code, stored on the tangible computer recordable storage device, for monitoring for the selected event for processing by the server-side agent comprises:

program code, stored on the tangible computer recordable storage device, for monitoring a session on the server data processing system for the selected event occurring in the session for processing by the server-side-agent, wherein the selected event includes a request for information and the request for information is sent by the server-side agent to the client-side agent.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code, stored on the tangible computer recordable storage device, for establishing a communications channel between the server-side agent and the client-side agent, wherein the server-side agent is a smaller version of the client-side agent that has less functionality than the client-side agent.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the server-side agent performs a single sign on for applications in the session and wherein the selected event is an attempt to access an application requiring a user identifier and a password.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the server-side agent uses fewer resources than the client-side agent.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the server-side agent takes less time to start up as compared to the client-side agent.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the client-side agent loads data into a memory on the client data processing system, wherein the data is used to provide the information to the server-side agent.

22. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the client-side agent performs steps to process data stored on the client data processing system to generate the information requested by the server-side agent.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the data comprises at least one of a policy for a single sign-on service, single sign-on (SSO) specifications, credentials for a user application, access control lists, and virus signatures.

24. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code is stored on the tangible computer recordable storage device in a data processing system, and wherein the program code is downloaded over a network from a remote data processing system to the data processing system.

25. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code is stored on the tangible computer recordable storage device in the server data processing system, and wherein the program code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a second tangible computer recordable storage device with the remote data processing system.