Process for running applets over non-IP networks

• US 5,805,829 A
• Filed: 10/01/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MacKinnon, Matthew Raymond, Kaminsky, David Louis, King, Richard Adam, Cohen, Geoffrey Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDI, NABIL Z
• Application Number:
  US08/724,450
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.32, 395/200.34, 395/200.33, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.51, 395/200.53, 395/712, 395/684, 395/200.59 , 395/187.01
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A method and apparatus for allowing applets to be executed natively over a non-IP network. The method and apparatus provide an applet loader that initiates the applet download, services the class faults that are encountered and allows calls to non-IP APIs without compromising the security mechanisms of Java running on TCP/IP. This allows applets to be run without web browsers or web servers.

Claims

1. A method for executing an applet represented as class files from a computer workstation over a non-IP network, said method comprising the steps of:

a user inputing a name for an applet to be invoked;

parsing a server name and an applet name from the input name;

establishing a connection with said named server if said server is not the workstation from which the user input came;

issuing a file transfer request to said server for a first class file of said applet;

receiving said first class file from said server;

submitting said first class file to a virtual machine, thereby executing said applet;

wherein said applet requires additional class files causing said virtual machine to issue a `class fault`; and

in response to said class fault, said workstation re-establishes a connection with said named server;

issues a file transfer request to said server for said additional class files;

receives said additional class files from said server; and

submits said class files to said virtual machine for processing.

2. A method as in either of claim 1 wherein said applet invokes a `native call`, said method further comprising the steps of:

determining if the native call is a request to load a DLL;

if said native call is a request to load a DLL, is the DLL to be loaded for a non-IP protocol API;

if said request is for a non-IP protocol API then satisfy the request, otherwise reject the request.

3. A computer workstation comprising:

a non-IP connection to a computer network;

means for allowing a user to input a name for an applet to be invoked across said non-IP network;

means for parsing said name to identify an applet name and a server name;

means for establishing a non-IP connection to said server parsed from said name if said server is not said computer workstation;

means for issuing a file transfer request to said server for a first class file of said applet parsed from said name;

means for receiving said first class file at said workstation from said server;

means for executing said applet from said workstation across said non-IP network;

means for processing a `class fault` indicating said applet requires additional class files from said server;

means for re-establishing a non-IP connection to said server;

means for issuing a file transfer request to said server for said additional class files; and

means for receiving said additional class files from said server at said workstation.

4. A computer workstation as in either of claim 3, further comprising:

means of intercepting a `native call` by said applet;

means for determining if said native call is a request to load a DLL;

if said native call is a request to load a DLL, means for determining if said DLL is for a non-IP protocol API;

if said DLL is for a non-IP protocol API, then means to satisfy said request, otherwise rejecting said request.