Object-oriented networking system with dynamically configurable communication links

• US 5,499,343 A
• Filed: 12/17/1993
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taligent, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pettus, Christopher E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, KENNETH S
• Application Number:
  US08/169,869
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/650, 395/200.03, 395/200.05, 395/200.09, 395/200.12, 395/200.2
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Novel object-oriented client-server facility (CSF) and networking service facility (NSF) interfaces implement communication between application programs residing in client and server nodes of a distributed services network. The CSF interface includes remote procedure call (RPC) objects for invoking and responding to service requests at the nodes, and application programming interface (API) objects for transporting those requests between the nodes. However, the API objects only provide communication transports within a node. Accordingly, the API and RPC objects interact with dynamically-configurable protocol stacks within the NSF interfaces to complete the transport mechanism needed by an application program on the client node when accessing services on a remote server node. A preferred embodiment provides an efficient way to perform object operations in a broadcast fashion over a communication network and ensures the receipt and execution of the operation by each target of the broadcast.

Claims

1. A multi-node computer network system for connecting a client node to a sewer node over a plurality of alternate communication links, the computer network system comprising:

(a) a network having a plurality of alternate communication links, each of the alternate communication links using a different network protocol;

(b) a server node attached to the network by a first reconfigurable protocol stack;

(c) a client node attached to the network by a second reconfigurable protocol stack and having an application program running therein for generating a service request;

(d) a service program located in the server node for providing a service to the application program, the service program being accessible by the plurality of alternate communication links and having means for reconfiguring the first reconfigurable protocol stack to connect the service program to the plurality of alternate communication links using a network protocol appropriate for each of the alternate communication links;

(e) a directory server located in the client node for receiving a service object from the service program, the service object including reconfiguration data for each of the alternate communication links; and

(f) networking means responsive to the service request or retrieving the service object from the directory server and using the data therein to reconfigure the second reconfigurable protocol stack to connect the application program to the plurality of alternate communication links using a network protocol appropriate for each of the alternate communication links.

2. A computer network system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the networking means comprises;

a first application program interface object instantiated in the application program and responsive to the service request for converting the service request into a predetermined format; and

a second application program interface object instantiated in the client node and responsive to the formatted service request for accessing the directory server to retrieve the service object and for forwarding the retrieved service object to the second reconfigurable protocol stack.

3. A computer network system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first reconfigurable protocol stack comprises a plurality of first protocol layers, each of the plurality of first protocol layers being vertically linked to another of the plurality of first protocol layers.

4. A computer network system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second reconfigurable protocol stack comprises a plurality of second protocol layers, each of the plurality of second protocol layers being vertically linked to another of the plurality of second protocol layers.

5. A computer network system as recited in claim 1, wherein the networking means comprises means for selecting one of the alternate communication links based on predetermined service criteria.

6. A method for connecting a client node to a server node over a plurality of alternate communication links, each of the alternate communication links using a different network protocol and forming a network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) defining a server node attached to the network by a first reconfigurable protocol stack;

(b) defining a client node attached to the network by a second reconfigurable protocol stack;

(c) running an application program in the client node for generating a service request;

(d) running a service program in the server node for providing service to the application program, the service program being accessible by the plurality of alternate communication links and having means for reconfiguring the first reconfigurable protocol stack to connect the service program to the plurality of alternate communication links using a network protocol appropriate for each of the alternate communication links;

(e) running a directory server in the client node for receiving a service object from the service program, the service object including reconfiguration data for each of the alternate communication links; and

(f) retrieving the service object from the directory server and using the data therein to reconfigure the second reconfigurable protocol stack to connect the application program to the plurality of alternate communication links using a network protocol appropriate for each of the alternate communication links.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein step (f) comprises the steps of:

(f1) instantiating a first application program interface object in the application program;

(f2) using the first application program interface object to convert the service request into a predetermined format in response to the service request;

(f3) instantiating a second application program interface object in the client node;

(f4) using the second application program interface object to access the directory server to retrieve the service object in response to the formatted service request; and

(f5) forwarding the retrieved service object to the second reconfigurable protocol stack.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first reconfigurable protocol stack comprises a plurality of first protocol layers, each of the plurality of first protocol layers being vertically linked to another of the plurality of first protocol layers and wherein step (d) includes the step of reconfiguring at least one of the plurality of first protocol layers.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the second reconfigurable protocol stack comprises a plurality of second protocol layers, each of the plurality of second protocol layers being vertically linked to another of the plurality of second protocol layers and wherein step (f) includes the step of applying the retrieved service object to one of the plurality of second protocol layers.

10. A method as recited in claim 6, including the step of:

(g) selecting one of the alternate communication links based on predetermined service criteria.

11. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

(h) arranging parameters to be provided from the server node to the client node into a predetermined message type;

(i) streaming the arranged parameters from the server node to the client node;

(j) generating an exception during the streaming step;

(k) re-arranging the arranged parameters at the client node; and

(l) detecting an exception at the client node during the re-arranging step.