Computerized system and associated method of optimally controlled storage and transfer of computer programs on a computer network

• US 6,065,046 A
• Filed: 07/29/1997
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catharon Products Intellectual Property, LLC (Fred DuFresne)
• Original Assignee: Catharon Productions Inc.
• Inventors: Feinberg, Michael A., Feinberg, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US08/902,591
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.3, 395/200.33, 395/200.46, 395/200.62, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/675, 385/684, 709/200, 709/216, 709/203, 709/232, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Abstract

A computerized system and an associated method for optimally controlling storage and transfer of computer programs between computers on a network to facilitate interactive program usage. In accordance with the method, an applications program is stored in a nonvolatile memory of a first computer as a plurality of individual and independent machine-executable code modules. In response to a request from a second computer transmitted over a network link, the first computer retrieves a selected one of the machine-executable code modules and only that selected code module from the memory and transmits the selected code module over the network link to the second computer.

Claims

1. A method for optimally controlling storage and transfer of computer programs between computers on a network to facilitate interactive program usage, comprising:

storing an applications program in a nonvolatile memory of a first computer, said applications program being stored as a plurality of interacting individual and independent machine-executable code modules;

in response to a request from a second computer transmitted over a network link, retrieving a selected one of said machine-executable code modules and only said selected one of said machine-executable code modules from said memory; and

transmitting said selected one of said machine-executable code modules over said network link to said second computer.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said first computer is a server computer on a network, said second computer being a secondary server on said network, further comprising, in response to a user request directed to said first computer, forwarding said user request from said first computer to said second computer to initiate processing of said user request by said second computer, said selected one of said machine-executable code modules being required by said second computer to process said user request.

3. The method defined in claim 2, further comprising:

storing, in a memory of said first computer, a list of secondary servers on said network, said list including response times for the respective secondary servers;

periodically updating said response times, said updating including (a) sending echo packets from said first computer to said secondary servers and (b) measuring, at said first computer delays between the sending of said echo packets and a receiving of responses to said echo packets from the respective secondary servers; and

selecting said second computer from among said secondary servers as the secondary server having the shortest response time.

4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

storing a list of user authentification codes in said memory;

upon receiving said request from said second computer, comparing a user authentification code in said request with said list of user authentification codes in said memory;

proceeding with the retrieving and transmitting of said selected one of said machine-executable code modules only if the user authentification code in said request matches a user authentification code in said list.

5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein said request from said second computer is contained in an encryption packet, further comprising decrypting said encryption packet prior to the comparing of said user authentification code in said request with said list of user authentification codes in said memory.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said request from said second computer is a second request directed to said first computer from said second computer, further comprising:

receiving a first request directed to said first computer from said second computer via said network link, said first request asking for transmission of a first version of a particular code module included in said machine-executable code modules;

transmitting, from said first computer to said second computer via said network link, a signal indicating that a more recent version of said particular code module is available, said selected one of said machine-executable code modules being said more recent version of said particular code module.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said machine-executable code modules are written in a user-friendly programming code, further comprising translating said selected one of said code module at said second computer from said programming code into machine code directly utilizable by said second computer.

8. A method for optimally controlling storage and transfer of computer programs between computers on a network to facilitate interactive program usage, comprising:

storing a portion of an applications program in a first computer, said applications program comprising a plurality of interacting individual and independent machine-executable code modules, only some of said machine-executable code modules being stored in said first computer;

executing at least one of said machine-executable code modules on said first computer;

transmitting, to a second computer via a network link, a request for a further machine-executable code module of said applications program;

receiving said further machine-executable code module at said first computer from said second computer over said network link; and

executing said further machine-executable code module on said first computer.

9. The method defined in claim 8, further comprising:

sending a request from the first computer to a further computer for a list of servers on said network;

after transmission of said list of servers from said further computer to said first computer, determining response times for said servers by (a) sending echo packets from said first computer to said servers and (b) measuring, at said first computer, delays between the sending of said echo packets and a receiving of responses to said echo packets from the respective servers; and

selecting said second computer from among said servers as the server having the shortest response time, the transmitting of said request for said further machine-executable code module being executed after the selecting of said second computer.

10. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said request from said first computer is a second request directed to said second computer from said first computer, further comprising transmitting a first request from said first computer to said second computer via said network, said first request being for a first version of a particular machine-executable code module of said applications program, said second request being transmitted in response to a signal from said second computer indicating that a more recent version of said particular machine-executable code module is available, said second request being for said more recent version of said particular machine-executable code module.

11. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said second computer stores at least some of said machine-executable code modules of said applications program, said second computer executing at least one of said machine-executable code modules in response to the execution of a machine-executable code module by said first computer, whereby said first computer and said second computer engage in interactive processing via said network.

12. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said machine-executable code modules are written in a user-friendly programming code, further comprising translating said selected one of said code module at said second computer from said programming code into machine code utilizable by said second computer.

13. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said machine-executable code modules each incorporate an author identification, further comprising, in response to an instruction received by said first computer over said network and prior to executing said one of said machine-executable code modules on said first computer, determining whether the particular author identification incorporated in said one of said machine-executable code modules is an allowed identification and proceeding with the executing of said one of said machine-executable code modules only if said particular author identification is an allowable identification.

14. The method defined in claim 8 wherein the storing of said portion of said applications program in said first computer includes caching said code modules in a nonvolatile memory of said first computer.

15. The method defined in claim 8, further comprising transmitting a request from said first computer to said second computer for a machine-executable code module during an idle time on said first computer.

16. A computing system comprising:

digital processing circuitry;

a nonvolatile memory storing general operations programming and an applications program, said applications program including a plurality of interacting individual and independent machine-executable code modules, said memory being connected to said processing circuitry to enable access to said memory by said processing circuitry;

a communications link for communicating data and programs over a network to a remote computer; and

a code module exchange means operatively connected to said memory and to said communications link for retrieving a single code module from among said machine-executable code modules and transferring said single code module to said remote computer in response to a request for said single code module from said remote computer.

17. The computing system defined in claim 16 wherein said computing system is a server computer on said network.

18. The computing system define in claim 17 wherein said memory contains a list of secondary servers on said network, said list including response times for the respective secondary servers, further comprising:

detection means for detecting an overload condition of the computing system, and

server selection means operatively connected to said detection means, said memory and said communications link for determining which of said secondary servers has a shortest response time and for shunting an incoming user request to the secondary server with the shortest response time when said overload condition exists at a time of arrival of said user request.

19. The computing system defined in claim 18 wherein the secondary server to which said user request is shunted is said remote computer, said single code module being required for enabling said remote computer to process the user request.

20. The computing system defined in claim 18, further comprising updating means operatively connected to said memory and said communications link for (I) periodically sending echo packets to said secondary servers, (II) measuring delays between the sending of said echo packets and a receiving of responses to said echo packets from the respective secondary servers, and (III) updating the response times in said list in accordance with the measured delays.

21. The computing system defined in claim 17 wherein said network is the Internet.

22. The computing system defined in claim 16 wherein said memory contains a stored list of user authentification codes, further comprising comparison means for comparing a user authentification code in said request with said list of user authentification codes in said memory and for preventing code-module retrieval and transmission in the event that the user authentification code in said request fails to correspond to any user authentification code in said list.

23. The computing system defined in claim 22 wherein said request from said remote computer is contained in an encryption packet, further comprising means connected to said communications link and said comparison means for decrypting said encryption packet prior to the comparing of said user authentification code in said request with said list of user authentification codes in said memory.

24. The computing system defined in claim 16, further comprising means for determining whether a requested code module has an updated version and for responding to said request with an invitation to said remote computer to accept the updated version of the requested code module.

25. The computing system defined in claim 16 wherein said machine-executable code modules are written in a user-friendly programming code, further comprising an interpreter for translating said programming code into machine code directly utilizable by said processing circuitry.

26. A computing system comprising:

a first computer;

a second computer remotely located relative to said first computer;

communications links at said first computer and said second computer for tying said first computer and said second computer to one another over a network,

said first computer including a nonvolatile memory storing at least a portion of an applications program, said applications program including a plurality of interacting individual and independent machine-executable code modules,

each of the computers being provided with code module exchange means for cooperating with the code module exchange means of the other computer to transfer a single code module from among said machine-executable code modules from said first computer to said second computer.

27. The computing system defined in claim 26 wherein said first computer is a primary server and said second computer is a secondary server on said network, said first computer including detection means for detecting an overload condition of said first computer, said first computer further including shunting means operatively connected to said detection means and the communications link at said first computer for shunting an incoming user request to said second computer when said overload condition exists at a time of arrival of said user request.

28. The computing system defined in claim 27 wherein said first computer further includes updating means operatively connected to said memory and said communications link for (I) periodically sending echo packets to a plurality of secondary servers on said network, (II) measuring delays between the sending of said echo packets and a receiving of responses to said echo packets from the respective secondary servers, and (III) updating the response times in a list in said memory in accordance with the measured delays.

29. The computing system defined in claim 26 wherein said first computer is a server computer and said second computer is a user computer.

30. A computing system comprising:

a memory storing a portion of an applications program, said applications program comprising a plurality of interacting individual and independent machine-executable code modules, only some of said machine-executable code modules being stored in said memory;

digital processing circuitry operatively connected to said memory for executing at least one of said machine-executable code modules;

a communications link for communicating data and programs over a network to a remote computer; and

a code module exchange means operatively connected to said memory and to said communications link for communicating with a remote computer via a network link to obtain from said remote computer a further machine-executable code module of said applications program, said digital processing circuitry being operatively tied to said code module exchange means for executing said further machine-executable code module upon reception thereof from said remote computer.

31. The computing system defined in claim 30 wherein said computing system is a user computer on said network and said remote computer is a server computer.

32. The computing system defined in claim 31 wherein said memory contains a list of servers on said network, said list including response times for the respective servers, further comprising server selection means operatively connected to said memory and said code module exchange means for instructing said code module exchange means to communicate with a server selected from among said secondary servers as having a shortest response time, said remote computer being the selected server.

33. The computing system defined in claim 32, further comprising updating means operatively connected to said memory and said communications link for (I) periodically sending echo packets to said servers, (II) measuring delays between the sending of said echo packets and receiving of responses to said echo packets from the respective servers, and (III) updating the response times in said list in accordance with the measured delays.

34. The computing system defined in claim 30, further comprising a software modified circuit operatively connected to said code module exchange means for encrypting communications transmitted to said remote computer and for decrypting communications received from said remote computer.

35. The computing system defined in claim 30 wherein said machine-executable code modules are written in a user-friendly programming code, further comprising an interpreter for translating said programming code into machine code directly utilizable by said processing circuitry.

36. A method for distributing processing among computers on a computer network, comprising:

storing an applications program in a nonvolatile memory of a first computer, said applications program being stored as a plurality of interacting individual and independent machine-executable code modules;

executing portions of said applications program on said first computer;

transmitting a request over a network link to said first computer from a second computer not running at full capacity, said request being to take over a part of a work load of said first computer;

in response to said request from said second computer, selectively transmitting machine-executable code modules of said applications program from said first computer to said second computer over said network link, the transmitted code modules being less than all of the code modules of said applications program; and

operating said second computer to follow programming instructions in the transmitted code modules to assist said first computer in executing its work load.