System and method for condition-based application logic shifting between a client and a server

• US 9,894,185 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Software AG
• Original Assignee: Software AG
• Inventors: De Angelis, Vittorio, De Angelis, Rocco
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US14/571,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20160173648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]

Abstract

A system for condition-based application logic shifting between a client and a server uses a stub generator, a function processor, and a client stub. Both the stub generator and the function processor are located in the server and the client stub is generated by the stub generator. Normally an application function'"'"'s execution occurs on the client. The client stub determines whether or not a client shift condition (CSC) exists for shifting an application function'"'"'s execution from the client to the server when the CSC does exist, and shifting the application'"'"'s function back to the client when it is determined that the CSC does not exist (or no longer exists).

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a client, including at least a processor and a memory, and a server that implement condition-based application logic shifting between the client and server, a stub generator and a function processor being located in the server, the function processor executing a function, and a client stub being generated by the stub generator,

wherein the stub generator is programmed to configure the client stub to, in a condition shift cycle;

initially and dynamically determine whether a client shift condition (CSC) exists for shifting an application function'"'"'s execution from the client to the server;

package parameters for the application function'"'"'s execution on the client, and pass the packaged parameters to the server, when the CSC is initially determined to exist;

execute a remote call to the server, when the CSC is initially determined to exist, so that the function processor in the server executes the function with the packaged parameters; and

receive a result, returned from the server to the client, of the executed function which is executed with the packaged parameters by the function processor in the server;

when the CSC is initially determined to exist, secondly and dynamically determine if the CSC no longer exists or continues to exist; and

execute the function in the client, when it is secondly determined that the CSC no longer exists, and

wherein the client stub is a piece of code injected by the stub generator at the beginning of the application function.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the stub generator is configured to:

read a configuration file from storage located in the server;

read and parse a returned code file, from a web application server, that represents the function;

generate the client stub based on the configuration file and the CSC defined for the corresponding function and add the client stub to the returned code file, to generate a modified code file;

add helper functions to be used by the client stub to the modified code file; and

return the modified code file to the web application server.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the function processor is configured to:

read a configuration file from storage located in the server;

receive remote procedure call data from the client;

unpack and transform the remote procedure call data that was received from the client;

map the remote procedure call data, which is unpacked and transformed, with the function to be executed based on the configuration file;

execute the function that is mapped with the remote procedure call data that is unpacked and transformed;

pack and transform a result of the executed function; and

return the result of the executed function, which is packed and transformed, to the client stub in the client.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein

the stub generator is programmed to further configure the client stub, in the condition shift cycle, when it is initially determined that the CSC does not exist, to execute the function in the client.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein

the stub generator is programmed to further configure the client stub, in the condition shift cycle, when it is secondly determined that the CSC continues to exists, to refrain from executing the function as the function processor in the server continues to execute the function with the packaged parameters.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein

the stub generator is further programmed to configure the client stub to perform the condition shift cycle repeatedly such that function execution moves one or more times from the client to the server, and possibly from the server to the client, depending on whether the CSC exists, does not exist, continues to exist, or no longer exists.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein

the stub generator configures the client stub to perform the condition shift cycle by appending a function annotation to the application function.

4. A method implemented in a computer system comprising a client, including at least a processor and a memory, and a server, a stub generator and a function processor being located in the server, and a client stub being generated by the stub generator, the method comprising a condition shift cycle including:

initially and dynamically determining, by the client stub executing on the client, whether a client shift condition (CSC) exists for shifting an application function'"'"'s execution from the client to the server;

packaging, by the client stub on the client, parameters for the application function'"'"'s execution on the client, and passing the packaged parameters to the server, when the CSC is initially determined to exist;

executing, by the client stub on the client, a remote call to the server, when the CSC is initially determined to exist, so that a function processor, located in the server, executes on the server the function with the packaged parameters in response to the remote call;

returning, from the server to the client, a result of the executed function which is executed with the packaged parameters by the function processor in the server;

secondly and dynamically determining, when the CSC is initially determined to exist, if the CSC no longer exists or continues to exist; and

executing the function in the client, when it is secondly determined that the CSC no longer exists, wherein

the client stub is a piece of code injected by the stub generator at the beginning of the application function.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to the stub generator;

reading, by the server, a configuration file from storage located in the server;

reading and parsing, by the server, from a web application server, a returned code file that represents the function;

generating, by the server, the client stub based on the configuration file and the CSC defined for the corresponding function and adding it to the returned code file, to generate a modified code file;

adding, by the stub generator, to the modified code file, helper functions to be used by the client stub; and

returning, from the stub generator on the server, to the web application server, the modified code file.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to the function processor;

reading, by the server, from file storage located in the server, a configuration file;

receiving, by the server from the client, remote procedure call data;

unpacking and transforming, by the server, the remote procedure call data that was received from the client;

mapping, by the server, the remote procedure call data, which is unpacked and transformed, with the function to be executed based on the configuration file;

executing, by the server, the function that is mapped with the remote procedure call data that is unpacked and transformed;

packing and transforming, by the server, a result of the executed function; and

returning, from the server to the client stub in the client, the result of the executed function which is packed and transformed.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising

in the condition shift cycle, when it is initially determined that the CSC does not exist, executing the function in the client by the client stub.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

in the condition shift cycle, when it is secondly determined that the CSC continues to exists, refraining from executing the function in the client by the client stub as the function processor in the server continues to execute the function with the packaged parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising

performing the condition shift cycle repeatedly by the client stub such that function execution moves one or more times from the client to the server, and possibly from the server to the client, depending on whether the CSC exists, does not exist, continues to exist, or no longer exists.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein

the condition shift cycle is performed by appending a function annotation to the application function.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for a method implemented in a computer system comprising a client, including at least a processor and a memory, and a server, a stub generator and a function processor being located in the server, and a client stub being generated by the stub generator, the instructions being executed in the computer system to perform a condition shift cycle including:

initially and dynamically determining, by the client stub executing on the client, whether a client shift condition (CSC) exists for shifting an application function'"'"'s execution from the client to the server;

packaging, by the client stub on the client, parameters for the application function'"'"'s execution on the client, and passing the packaged parameters to the server, when the CSC is initially determined to exist;

executing, by the client stub on the client, a remote call to the server, when the CSC is initially determined to exist, so that a function processor, located in the server, executes on the server the function with the packaged parameters in response to the remote call;

returning, from the server to the client, a result of the executed function which is executed with the packaged parameters by the function processor in the server;

secondly and dynamically determining, when the CSC is initially determined to exist, if the CSC no longer exists or continues to exist; and

executing the function in the client, when it is secondly and dynamically determined that the CSC no longer exists, wherein

the client stub is a piece of code injected by the stub generator at the beginning of the application function.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions being executed in the computer system to perform:

in response to the stub generator;

reading, by the server, a configuration file from storage located in the server;

reading and parsing, by the server, from a web application server, a returned code file that represents the function;

generating, by the server, the client stub based on the configuration file and the CSC defined for the corresponding function and adding it to the returned code file, to generate a modified code file;

adding, by the stub generator, to the modified code file, helper functions to be used by the client stub; and

returning, from the stub generator on the server, to the web application server, the modified code file.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions being executed in the computer system to perform:

in response to the function processor;

reading, by the server, a configuration file from storage located in the server;

receiving, by the server from the client, remote procedure call data;

unpacking and transforming, by the server, the remote procedure call data that was received from the client;

mapping, by the server, the remote procedure call data, which is unpacked and transformed, with the function to be executed based on the configuration file;

executing, by the server, the function that is mapped with the remote procedure call data that is unpacked and transformed;

packing and transforming, by the server, a result of the executed function; and

returning, from the server to the client stub in the client, the result of the executed function which is packed and transformed.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions being executed in the computer system to perform:

in the condition shift cycle, when it is initially determined that the CSC does not exist, executing the function in the client by the client stub.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions being executed in the computer system to perform:

in the condition shift cycle, when it is secondly determined that the CSC continues to exists, refraining from executing the function in the client by the client stub as the function processor in the server continues to execute the function with the packaged parameters.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions being executed in the computer system to perform:

performing the condition shift cycle repeatedly by the client stub such that function execution moves one or more times from the client to the server, and possibly from the server to the client, depending on whether the CSC exists, does not exist, continues to exist, or no longer exists.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein

the instructions executed in the computer system to perform the condition shift cycle include a function annotation appended to the application function.