Application server for delivering applets to client computing devices in a distributed environment

• US 8,856,779 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Implicit, LLC (Edward Balassanian)
• Original Assignee: Implicit, LLC (Edward Balassanian)
• Inventors: Balassanian, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US13/269,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-103, 717120-121, 717169-178, 709203-204
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44589 Program code verification, e.g. Java bytecode verification, proof-carrying code high-level semantic checks G06F8/43; testing and debugging software G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

An applet server accepts requests for applets from client computers. A request specifies the format in which an applet is to be delivered to the requesting client computer. The applet server has a cache used to store applets for distribution to client computers. If the specified form of the requested applet is available in the cache, the applet server transmits the applet to the requesting client. If the applet is not available in the cache, the server will attempt to build the applet from local resources (program code modules and compilers) and transformer programs (verifiers and optimizers). If the applet server is able to build the requested applet, it will transmit the applet to the requesting client computer. If the applet server is unable to build the requested applet, it will pass the request to another applet server on the network for fulfillment of the request.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an applet request at a computer system from a first client computer, wherein the applet request specifies a particular applet for the first client computer and specifies one or more client parameters for the first client computer;

the computer system processing the applet request to cause, the particular applet to be generated, wherein the generated particular applet includes source code that is in a form based on the specified one or more client parameters for the first client computer; and

sending the particular applet from the computer system to the first client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the source code is in a high-level programming language.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the form of the source code is suitable for running on the first client computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer system storing the particular applet in an applet cache;

receiving a second applet request for the particular applet, wherein the second applet request is for a second client computer and specifies one or more client parameters for the second client computer; and

sending the particular applet from the computer system to the second client computer from the applet cache without re-generating the particular applet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sending the particular applet to the second client computer is in response to a determination that, based on at least one of the one or more client parameters for the first client computer and at least one of the one or more client parameters for the second client computer, the cached particular applet is suitable for the second client computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to causing the particular applet to be generated in response to the applet request, checking to see if the particular applet is present in an applet cache accessible to the computer system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the at least one executable component to be generated includes sending a request to a different computer system located in a network that is external to the computer system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the applet to be generated includes the computer system:

sending a request to a different computer system located in a network that is external to the computer system;

receiving a source code module from the different computer system; and

including the received source code module in the particular applet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the applet to be generated includes the computer system transforming the received source code module to generate the source code included in the particular applet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more client parameters for the first client computer include a requested security parameter.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the applet request is received via HTTP in association with a web page, and wherein the particular applet is a web applet.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable to cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving an applet request from a first client computer for a particular applet, wherein the applet request specifies one or more parameters for the particular applet that are based on one or more characteristics of the client computer;

acquiring a specific form of the particular applet that includes source code, based on the specified one or more parameters in the applet request, wherein the specific form complies with the specified one or more parameters; and

sending the specific form of the particular applet to the first client computer in response to the applet request.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein acquiring the specific form of the particular applet includes acquiring one or more applet components from an external trusted network.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein acquiring the specific form of the particular applet includes acquiring one or more applet components from an external untrusted network;

and

wherein the operations further comprise verifying the one or more applet components prior to sending the specific form of the particular applet to the first client computer.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein acquiring the specific form of the particular applet includes:

in response to failing to locate the specific form of the particular applet within the computer system, receiving at least a portion of the applet from another computer system; and

generating the specific form of the particular applet prior to sending the specific form of the particular applet to the first client computer.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise performing a first transformation operation on at least one applet component of the particular applet, and performing a second transformation operation on at least a different applet component of the particular applet.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first transformation operation is a compression operation and the second transformation operation is a verification operation.

18. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

receiving an applet request from a first client computer, wherein the applet request specifies a particular applet for the first client computer and specifies one or more client parameters for the first client computer;

processing the applet request, including causing at least a portion of the particular applet to be generated, based on the specified one or more client parameters for the first client computer, in response to the applet request, wherein the generated applet includes source code in a form that is based on the one or more client parameters; and

causing the particular applet to be sent to the first client computer.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

caching the particular applet for future requests from other client computers.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

optimizing the particular applet for the first client computer based on the one or more client parameters for the first client computer.