Client-led network computing system and its method

• US 6,199,111 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1997
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Okubo, Takao, Uehara, Sanya, Hara, Hirotaka, Matsutsuka, Takahide, Kanaya, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUAN, ALMARI ROMERO
• Application Number:
  US08/972,363
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/300, 709/224, 709/226, 709/223, 709/217, 709/219, 709/240, 370/352
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a distributed client-server system a client is connected to an arbitrary server using a communication module common to a plurality of servers and it uses data, etc. of each server by switching over its connection. At this time basically there is no need for communication and the replication of data between the servers.

Claims

1. A network computing system for managing information in a distributed system through a communication network, comprising:

a common communication device controlling a communication between a client and a plurality of servers on the network, said common communication device being able to commonly and transparently access the plurality of servers and a first server transmits link information to the client; and

a connection management device connecting the client, when the client is connected with the first server out of the plurality of servers, to a second server out of the plurality of servers by using the link information transmitted from the first server to the client, if necessary, while holding a connecting state between the client and the first server, and for enabling the client to receive a service from said second server.

2. The network computing system according to claim 1, further comprising on a client side:

a link information management device receiving link information between information in the first server and information in the second server from the first server and managing the link information, wherein the connection management device connects the client to the second server transparently on the network using the link information stored in the link information management device.

3. The network computing system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of servers realize complicated processes on the network by exchanging information using the link information management device of the client.

4. The network computing system according to claim 1, wherein the connecting state represents a state in which a request to execute a method can be transmitted between an object in the first server and an object in the second server, and the client receives the service from the second server without communicating between the first and the second server by sending a request to execute a method from the first server to the second server through the client.

5. A network computing system for managing information in a distributed system through a communication network, comprising:

a common communication device controlling a communication between a first server and a client on the network and transparently receiving an access by the client; and

a connection management device transmitting from the first server to the client link information for connecting the client to a second server, if necessary, while holding a connecting state between the client and the first server and enabling the client to receive a service from the second server.

6. The network computing system according to claim 5, further comprising in an arbitrary server distributed on the network:

an object generating device generating an object; and

a link setting device generating a link between objects, wherein the connection management device transmits information relating to a link between an object in the first server and an object in the second server to the client as the link information.

7. The network computing system according to claim 6, wherein the link setting device generates a bi-directional link.

8. The network computing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a class information management device storing class definition information for defining a relation between classes of the objects and managing the link between the objects based on the class definition information.

9. The network computing system according to claim 8, wherein the class information management device holds the class definition information having ta hierarchical structure between the classes.

10. The network computing system according to claim 9, wherein the class information management device defines at least one class out of organization, individual, process and document related to a corporate activity, and constructs a corporate model in the distributed system.

11. The network computing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a director information management device storing directory information relating to a location of each object on the network and managing the directory information.

12. The network computing system according to claim 11, wherein the directory information management device reduces a volume of the directory information by holding directory information of a party of objects.

13. The network computing system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a replication device replicating a part of the directory information between servers.

14. The network computing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a replication device replicating a part of objects in each server between servers.

15. The network computing system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a switching device automatically switching over a connection to a master object of a replicated object and updating the master object when updating the replicated object.

16. The network computing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a device making servers share information relating to a location of each server on the network and managing each object using the information relating to the location.

17. The network computing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a new server setting device registering a new server having the object generating device and link setting device.

18. The network computing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a device managing a suer of the distributed system using an object relating to user information.

19. The network computing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a device performing an information retrieval service using the link information.

20. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for managing information in a distributed system through a communication network is recorded, the program directing a computer to perform:

controlling a communication between a client and a plurality of servers on the network and commonly and transparently accessing the plurality of servers; and

connecting the client, when the client is connected with a first server out of the plurality of servers and a first server transmits link information to the client, to a second server out of the plurality of servers by using the link information transmitted from the first server to the client, if necessary, while holding a connecting state between the client and the first server and enabling the client to receive a service from the second server.

21. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for managing information in a distributed system through a communication network is recorded, the program directing a computer to perform:

controlling a communication between a first server and a client on the network and transparently receiving an access by the client; and

transmitting from the first server to the client link information for connecting the client to a second sever, if necessary, while holding a connecting state between the client and the first server and enabling the client to receive a service from the second server.

22. A network computing method for managing information in a distributed system through a communication network, comprising:

controlling a communication in such a way that a client on the network commonly and transparently accesses a plurality of servers on the network;

controlling a communication so as to connect the client, when the client is connected with a first server out of the plurality of servers and the first server transmits link information to the client, to a second server out of the plurality of servers by using the link information transmitted from the first server to the client, if necessary, while holding a connecting state between the client and the first server; and

enabling the client to receive a service from the second server.

23. The network computing method according to claim 22, wherein the link information is transmitted from the first server to the client for receiving the service from the second server.

24. A network computing system for managing information in a distributed system through a communication network, comprising:

a common communication device controlling a communication between a first server and a client on the network and transparently receiving an access by the client

a connection management device transmitting from the first server to the client link information for connecting the client to a second server, if necessary, while holding a connecting state between the client and the first server and enabling the client to receive a service from the second server;

a replication device replicating a part of objects in each server between servers,

a switching device automatically switching over a connection to a master object of a replicated object and updating the master object when updating the replicated object;

an arbitrary server distributed on the network comprising;

an object generating device generating an object; and

a link setting device generating a link between objects, wherein the connection management device transmits information relating to a link between an object in the first server and an object in the second server to the client as the link information.

25. A method allowing a client connected to a first application server to access a database accessible to a second application server, comprising:

requesting, by the client, access to a database accessible by the second application server;

transmitting link information from the first server to the client; and

connecting, using the link information, to the second application server transparently to access the database, while maintaining a connecting state between the client and the first application server.

26. A computer readable storage medium storing a program to instruct a computer to perform a method allowing a client connected to a first application server to access a database accessible to a second application server, comprising:

requesting, by the client, access to a database accessible by the second application server;

transmitting link information from the first server to the client; and

connecting, using the link information, to the second application server transparently to access the database, while maintaining a connecting state between the client and the first application server.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a common communication device transparently connecting a client to a plurality of servers; and

a connection device transparently connecting the client to a second server using the common communication device while the client is connected to a first server, by using link information transmitted from the first server to the client.