Computer apparatus and method for communicating between software applications and computers on the world-wide web

• US 6,125,384 A
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Olson, Diane Elaine, Dykes, Pernell James, Snyder, Devon Daniel, Brown, Kenneth Edgar, Selden, Jeffrey Edward, Lindberg, Erik Duane, Brandt, Marcia Lynn, Walts, James Orrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/780,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.33, 395/200.31, 707/9, 709/203, 709/201, 709/249
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

A computer system and method provides access to a software application from a web browser over the world-wide web (WWW). The system includes one or more computers executing a web browser, a web server application, an application gateway, and a software application. The system and method allows a user of the web browser to access the software application. The user inputs data via the web browser, which is communicated to the web server application. The web server application authenticates the web browser and passes appropriate input data to an application gateway, including data to uniquely identify and track the user'"'"'s request. The application gateway then performs the function requested in the web server input data by formatting the appropriate commands with the software application. The software application responds by outputting data to the application gateway that includes an identifier that the application gateway uses to match the output data with the web browser that requested the output data. This system thus allows numerous web browsers access to the software application simultaneously.

Claims

1. A computer system for communicating between a plurality of web browsers and a software application over the World-Wide Web comprising:

at least one Central Processing Unit (CPU);

a memory coupled to the CPU; and

a transaction support mechanism, the transaction support mechanism residing in the memory and being executed by one of the at least one CPU, wherein the transaction support mechanism is capable of receiving and transmitting data to and from the plurality of web browsers, the transaction support mechanism using an identifier mechanism to identify and track the data, the transaction support mechanism communicating with a native interface to the software application.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the transaction support mechanism comprises:

an application gateway in communication with the plurality of web browsers and the software application, the application gateway residing in the memory and being executed by at least one of the plurality of CPUs, the application gateway including the identifier mechanism, the identifier mechanism generating an identifier for each of the plurality of web browsers and routing data from the software application to the selected one of the plurality of web browsers that correspond to the identifier.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the application gateway processes data received from the plurality of web browsers and processes data received from the application program.

4. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the software application is a process engineering software application.

5. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the software application is a FlowMark software application.

6. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising at least one activity program interface (API) in communication with at least one activity program that executes under the direction of the software application, the at least one activity program interface communicating between the at least one activity program and the application gateway.

7. A computer system for communicating between a plurality of web browsers and a software application over the World-Wide Web comprising:

a plurality of Central Processing Units (CPUs);

a memory coupled to the plurality of CPUs;

each of the plurality of web browsers residing in the memory and being executed by at least one of the plurality of CPUs;

a web server application in communication with at least one of the plurality of web browsers, the web server application residing in the memory and being executed by at least one of the plurality of CPUs;

the software application residing in the memory and being executed by at least one of the plurality of CPUs; and

an application gateway in communication with the web server application and the software application, the application gateway residing in the memory and being executed by at least one of the plurality of CPUs, the application gateway including;

an identifier mechanism, the identifier mechanism generating an identifier for each of the plurality of web browsers and routing data from the software application to the selected one of the plurality of web browsers that correspond to the identifier; and

a plurality of world-wide web application program interfaces (WWW API'"'"'s) that can be invoked by the software application to converse with the plurality of web browsers during the execution of at least one process requested by at least one of the plurality of web browsers.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the application gateway processes environment data received from the web server application and processes data received from at least one of a plurality of application program interfaces (API'"'"'s) residing in the software application and/or from at least one of a plurality of activity programs residing in the software application.

9. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the software application is a process engineering software application.

10. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the software application is a FlowMark software application.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of WWW API'"'"'s comprise:

an Open API for opening a conversation between the software application and one of the at least one of the plurality of web browsers;

a Close API for terminating a conversation between the software application and one of the at least one of the plurality of web browsers;

a Send API for sending data from one of the at least one of a plurality of activity programs residing in the software application to one of the plurality of web browsers; and

a Receive API for obtaining data from one of the plurality of web browsers at the request of one of the at least one of a plurality of activity programs residing in the software application.

12. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the web server application comprises:

an authenticator, the authenticator determining from authentication data passed from one of the plurality of web browsers whether the selected web browser is authorized to access the web server application; and

wherein the web server processes data received from the plurality of web browsers and data received from the application gateway.

13. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the web browser is executed on a client workstation by at least one of the plurality of CPUs.

14. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the web server application is executed on a web server computer by at least one of the plurality of CPUs.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the application gateway is executed on the web server computer by at least one of the plurality of CPUs.

16. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the application gateway is executed on a first computer by at least one of the plurality of CPUs.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein the software application is executed on a second computer by at least one of the plurality of CPUs.

18. The computer system of claim 17 wherein the application gateway is executed on the second computer by at least one of the plurality of CPUs.

19. A program product for communicating between a plurality of web browsers and a software application, the program product comprising:

(1) an application gateway in communication with the plurality of web browsers and the software application, the application gateway comprising;

an identifier mechanism, the identifier mechanism generating an identifier for each of the plurality of web browsers and routing data from the software application to a selected one of the plurality of web browsers that correspond to the identifier; and

a mechanism for communicating with a native interface to the software application; and

(2) computer-readable signal bearing media bearing the application gateway.

20. The program product of claim 19 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

21. The program product of claim 19 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

22. The program product of claim 19 wherein the software application is a process engineering software application.

23. The program product of claim 19 wherein the software application is a FlowMark software application.

24. The program product of claim 19 further comprising at least one activity program interface (API) in communication with at least one activity program that executes under the direction of the software application, the at least one activity program interface communicating between the at least one activity program and the application gateway.

34. The program product of claim 19 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

35. The program product of claim 19 wherein the computer-readable signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

25. A computer-implemented method for communicating between a plurality of web browsers and a software application over the World-Wide Web, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of Central Processing Units (CPUs);

providing a memory coupled to the plurality of CPUs;

executing at least one of the plurality of web browsers residing in the memory by at least one of the plurality of CPUs;

providing a web server application residing in the memory and being executed by at least one of the plurality of CPUs;

executing the software application residing in the memory by at least one of the plurality of CPUs;

providing an application gateway having a plurality of world-wide web application program interfaces (WWW API'"'"'s) for communicating with the software application, the application gateway residing in the memory and being executed by at least one of the plurality of CPUs;

a selected one of the plurality of web browsers initiating an access to the software application by sending authentication data and environment data to the web server application;

determining whether the authentication data authorizes the selected web browser to access the web server application;

processing the environment data if the authentication data authorizes the selected web browser to access the web server application;

outputting the processed environment data to the application gateway;

generating an identifier corresponding to the selected web browser and a desired process to be executed by the software application;

outputting the processed environment data, the identifier, and the desired process to be executed to the software application; and

executing the desired process by the software application, the execution invoking at least one of the plurality of WWW API'"'"'s;

returning at least one result of executing the desired process and/or at least one request for more information to the application gateway with the identifier;

determining based on the identifier which of the plurality of browsers should be sent the at least one result and/or the at least one request for more information;

sending data from the application gateway to the web server application, the data comprising the at least one result and/or the at least one request for more information; and

sending data from the web server to the selected web browser corresponding to the identifier, the data comprising the at least one result and/or the at least one request for more information.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the software application is a process engineering software application.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the software application is a FlowMark software application.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the software application is a FlowMark software application.

28. A system for communicating between a web browser and a software application over the World-Wide Web comprising:

a client workstation running the web browser;

a web server computer running a web server application;

a first computer running an application gateway;

a second computer running the software application;

a communication mechanism between the web browser and the web server application which allows data to be transmitted between the web browser and the web server application;

a communication mechanism between the web server application and the application gateway which allows data to be transmitted between the web server application and the application gateway;

a communication mechanism between the application gateway and the software application which allows data to be transmitted between the application gateway and the software application; and

a plurality of world-wide web application programming interfaces (WWW API'"'"'s) residing in the application gateway that are invoked by the software application to communicate with the web browser over the World-Wide Web.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the software application is a process engineering software application.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the web server computer comprises the first computer.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein the first computer comprises the second computer.

33. A program product for communicating between a plurality of web browsers and a FlowMark software application, the program product comprising:

(1) an application gateway capable of transmitting input data to the FlowMark software application and receiving FlowMark output data from the FlowMark software application, the application gateway comprising;

an identifier mechanism, the identifier mechanism capable of generating an identifier from environment data received from a selected web browser, the identifier mechanism capable of using the identifier in the FlowMark output data to match the FlowMark output data to one of the plurality of web browsers;

wherein the application gateway is capable of receiving input data from the selected web browser, and in response thereto, the application gateway is capable of transmitting the identifier as part of the FlowMark input data; and

wherein the application gateway is capable of receiving the FlowMark output data from the FlowMark application, the FlowMark output data including the identifier to identify the web browser that will receive the FlowMark output data;

(2) at least one world-wide web application program interface (WWW API) residing in the application gateway, the at least one WWW API capable of communicating with at least one activity program that executes under the direction of the FlowMark software application, the at least one WWW API communicating between the at least one activity program and the application gateway;

(3) a common gateway interface (CGI) that is capable of receiving a processing information from the plurality of web browsers; and

(4) computer-readable signal bearing media bearing the application gateway, the at least one WWW API, and the common gateway interface.

36. A method of communicating between a web browser and a FlowMark application overt the WWW, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a client workstation running the web browser;

providing a web server computer running a web server application;

providing a first computer system running an application gateway;

providing a second computer system running the FlowMark application;

providing a first communication mechanism between the web browser and the web server application which allows data to be transmitted between the web browser and the web server application;

providing a second communication mechanism between the web server application and the application gateway which allows data to be transmitted between the web server application and the application gateway;

providing a third communication mechanism between the application gateway and the FlowMark application which allows data to be transmitted between the application gateway and the FlowMark application;

providing a plurality of world-wide web application programming interfaces (WWW API'"'"'s) residing in the application gateway that allow the web browser to communicate with the software application over the WWW;

the web browser initiating an access to the FlowMark Application by sending authentication data and environment data to the web server application via the first communication mechanism;

the web server application determining whether the authentication data authorizes the selected web browser to access the web server application;

the web server application processing the environment data if the authentication data authorizes the selected web browser to access the web server application;

the web server application outputting the processed environment data to the application gateway via the second communication mechanism;

the application gateway generating an identifier corresponding to the selected web browser and a desired process to be executed by the FlowMark application;

the application gateway outputting the identifier and the desired process to the FlowMark application via the third communication mechanism;

the FlowMark application executing the desired process the execution invoking at least one of the plurality of WWW API'"'"'s;

the FlowMark application returning at least one result of executing the desired process and/or at least one request for more information to the application gateway with the identifier via the third communication mechanism;

the application gateway determining based on the identifier which of the plurality of browsers should be sent the at least one result and/or the at least one request for more information;

the application gateway sending the at least one result and/or the at least one request for more information to the web server application via the second communication mechanism; and

the web server application sending the at least one result and/or the at least one request for more information to the selected one web browser corresponding to the identifier via the first communication mechanism.