Communications handles and proxy agents

• US 9,077,764 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zarzycki, David Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, TAE K
• Application Number:
  US13/857,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-229, 713 1- 2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for proxying communication requests to services hosted on a data processing system. In one exemplary method, an open-ended configuration file is distilled to create an object tree from the configuration file. In addition, distillation creates communication handles for the services. The object tree is serialized and forwarded to a proxy agent. The proxy agent registers the service and monitors the communication handles for service requests by establishing a kernel callback. When a communication handle is readable, the proxy agent passes the communication handle to appropriate service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

prior to launching a service,

distilling a configuration file by a computer, the configuration file comprises a plurality of objects for configuring the service that runs on the computer, wherein the service includes a plurality of sub-services, with each of the plurality of sub-services serving a different function of the service, and that sub-service is bound to a different operating system port and, the distilling comprises,

creating multiple communication handles, wherein each communication handle is associated with an object from the plurality of objects, is bound to a different one of the plurality of sub-services, and includes the operating system port corresponding to the different one of the plurality of sub-services,

creating a serialized object tree from the plurality of objects, the serialized object tree comprises the multiple communication handles, and

registering the service with a proxy agent, said registering comprises forwarding the serialized object tree to the proxy agent to allow an operating system kernel callback to return a data structure stored with the kernel callback for the service with the multiple communication handles; and

launching the service with the proxy agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the launching the service is in response to receiving a request to the service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the launching the service is in response to the registering the service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the distilling further comprises creating a second communication handle associated with the object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the distilling a configuration file comprises:

creating an object tree from the plurality of objects;

translating a user name associated with the plurality of objects into a user ID; and

translating a group name associated with the plurality of objects into a group ID.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the service with a proxy agent comprises:

adding the service to a register list; and

retrieving the communication handles from the serialized object tree.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple communication handle is selected from the group consisting of an Internet Protocol socket and a Mach port.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects further comprise at least one of a user name, a group name, a root directory, a working directory, a priority value and a value indicating the service launches on demand.

9. A method for launching a software process, the method comprising:

retrieving, by a computer operating system kernel callback prior to launching a communication service on that computer, a data structure stored with the kernel callback containing a plurality of communication handles for the communication service that runs on the computer, wherein each of the plurality of communication handles is opened prior to the launching of the communication service, each of the plurality of communication handles is bound to a different sub-service of the communication service, wherein each of the different sub-services serves a different function of the communication service, each of the different sub-services is bound to a different operating system port and, each of the plurality of communication handles includes the operating system port corresponding to the different one of the plurality of sub-services;

registering the communication service with a proxy agent by passing the plurality of communication handles from the data structure to the proxy agent; and

launching the communication service with the data structure and the proxy agent, wherein a software entity responsible for creating the plurality of communication handles is separate from a software entity responsible for said launching.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the launching the communication service is in response to receiving a request to the communication service.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the launching the communication service is in response to the registering the communication service.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the registering the communication service with a proxy agent comprises:

adding the communication service to a register list;

retrieving the plurality of communication handles from a serialized object tree; and

requesting a kernel callback for the communication service for each of the plurality of communication handles.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of communication handle is selected from the group consisting of an Internet Protocol socket and a Mach port.

14. A method for launching a service comprising:

prior to launching a service, wherein the service includes a plurality of sub-services with each of the plurality of sub-services serving a different function of the service, and that sub-service is bound to a different operating system port,

distilling, by a computer, a configuration file with a distillation agent, wherein the distilling comprises,

reading-a set of configuration information associated with the service,

creating multiple communication handles, wherein each of the multiple communication handles is bound to a different one of the plurality of sub-services and includes the operating system port corresponding to the different one of the plurality of sub-services and,

converting at least some information in the configuration file into an operating system dependent user identifier, the set of configuration information comprises the multiple communication handles created and opened by the distilling and the operating system kernel callback dependent information;

registering the service with a proxy agent by passing the set of configuration information to the proxy agent; and

causing a launching of the service with a data structure stored with the kernel callback and the proxy agent, the service to run on a computer.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

prior to launching a service,

distilling a configuration file by a computer, the configuration file comprises a plurality of objects for configuring the service that runs on a computer, wherein the service is bound to an operating system port and, the distilling comprises,

creating a communication handle, wherein the communication handle is associated with an object of the plurality of objects, is bound to the service, is an identification for a communication channel between the service and a client, and includes the operating system port corresponding to the service,

creating a serialized object tree from the plurality of objects, the serialized object tree includes the communication handle, and

registering the service with a proxy agent, said registering comprises forwarding the serialized object tree to the proxy agent to allow an operating system kernel callback to return a data structure stored with the kernel callback for the service with the multiple communication handles; and

launching the service with the proxy agent.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the distilling a configuration file comprises:

creating an object tree from the plurality of objects;

translating a user name associated with the plurality of objects into a user ID; and

translating a group name associated with the plurality of objects into a group ID.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein registering the service with a proxy agent comprises:

adding the service to a register list; and

retrieving the multiple communication handles from the serialized object tree.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for launching a software process, the method comprising:

retrieving, by a computer operating system kernel callback prior to launching a communication service on that computer, a data structure stored with the kernel callback includes a communication handle for the communication service that runs on the computer, wherein the communication handle is opened prior to the launching of the communication service, the communication handle is an identification for an opened communication channel between the service and a client, the communication handle is bound to the communication service, the service is bound to an operating system port, and the communication handle includes the operating system port corresponding to the service;

registering the communication service with a proxy agent by passing the plurality of communication handle from the data structure to the proxy agent; and

launching the communication service with the data structure and the proxy agent, wherein a software entity responsible for creating the plurality of communication handles is separate from a software entity responsible for said launching.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the registering the communication service with a proxy agent comprises:

adding the communication service to a register list;

retrieving the communication handle from a serialized object tree; and

requesting a kernel callback for the communication service for each of the communication handle.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for launching a software process, the method comprising:

prior to launching a service, wherein the service is bound to a different operating system port, distilling, by a computer, a configuration file with a distillation agent, wherein the distilling comprises,

reading a set of configuration information associated with the service,

creating a communication handle, wherein the communication handle is bound to the service, is an identification for a communication channel between the service and a client, and includes the operating system port corresponding to the service and,

converting at least some information in the configuration file into an operating system dependent user identifier, the set of configuration information comprises the communication handle created and opened by the distilling and the operating system kernel callback dependent information;

registering the service with a proxy agent by passing the set of configuration information from the operating system dependent information to the proxy agent; and

causing a launching of the service with the proxy agent.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for distilling a configuration file prior to launching a service, the configuration file comprises a plurality of objects for configuring a service that runs on a computer, wherein the service includes a plurality of sub-services, with each of the plurality of sub-services serving a different function of the service, and that sub-service is bound to a different operating system port and the means for distilling comprises means for creating multiple communication handles and each of the communication handles is associated with an object from the plurality of objects, is bound to a different one of the plurality of sub-services, and includes the operating system port corresponding to the different one of the plurality of sub-services;

means for creating a serialized object tree from the plurality of objects, the serialized object tree comprises the multiple communication handles;

means for registering the service with a proxy agent, said registering comprises means for forwarding the serialized object tree to the proxy agent to allow an operating system kernel callback to return a data structure stored with the kernel callback for the service with the multiple communication handles; and

means for launching a service.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for distilling a configuration file comprises:

means for creating an object tree from the plurality of objects;

means for translating a user name associated with the plurality of objects into a user ID; and

means for translating a group name associated with the plurality of objects into a group ID.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for registering the service with a proxy agent comprises:

means for adding the service to a register list;

means for retrieving the multiple communication handles from the serialized object tree.

24. An apparatus for launching a software process, the apparatus comprising:

means for retrieving, by a computer operating system kernel callback prior to launching a communication service on that computer, a data structure stored with the kernel callback containing a plurality of communication handles for the communication service that runs on the computer, wherein each of the plurality of communication handles is opened prior to the launching of the communication service, is bound to a different sub-service of the communication service and includes the operating system port corresponding to the different one of the plurality of sub-services, wherein each of the different sub-services serves a different function of the communication service, and is bound to a different operating system port;

means for registering the communication service with a proxy agent by passing the plurality of communication handle from the data structure to the proxy agent; and

means for launching the communication service with the data structure and the proxy agent, wherein a software entity responsible for creating the plurality of communication handles is separate from a software entity responsible for said launching.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the registering the communication service with a proxy agent comprises:

means for adding the communication service to a register list;

means for retrieving the plurality of communication handles from a serialized object tree; and

means for requesting a kernel callback for the communication service for each of the plurality of communication handles.

26. An apparatus for launching a service comprising:

means for distilling a configuration file with a distillation agent prior to launching a service, wherein the service includes a plurality of sub-services with each of the plurality of sub-services serving a different function of the service, and that sub-service is bound to a different operating system port and, the distilling comprises means for reading a set of configuration information associated with the service, means for creating contemporaneously opening multiple communication handles, wherein each of the multiple communication handles is bound to a different one of the plurality of sub-services, and includes the operating system port corresponding to the different one of the plurality of sub-services, and means for converting at least some information in the configuration file into an operating system dependent user identifier, the set of configuration information comprises the multiple communication handles created and opened by the distilling and the operating system kernel callback dependent information;

means for registering the service with a proxy agent by passing the set of configuration information from the operating system dependent information to the proxy agent; and

means for causing a launching of the service with the operating system dependent information and the proxy agent, the service to run on a computer.