Data communication system and method for transporting objects over a permanent connections

• US 6,321,250 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Knape, Anthony Brian, Melloni, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/164,300
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200-203, 709/217-219, 709/227-229, 709/231, 709/238-242, 709/223-225, 713/200-201, 713/152-154
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A data communication system for communicating objects of virtually any size and type. The system includes at least one server and at least one client. When an object is to be transferred between the server and the client or between two servers, a permanent connection is established therebetween. The object to be transferred may include entire applications including code and data therefor, or data feed objects. The server may include server programs to generate the object to be transferred. Display objects executing on the client may request or subscribe to the object. The object-oriented communication provides an effective and flexible procedure for broadcasting an object to a number of servers in the computer network.

Claims

1. A data communication system, comprising:

a server having a server engine; and

a client having a client engine that communicates with the server engine of the server, wherein the server engine and the client engine selectively establish and maintain a permanent connection between a port on the server and a port on the client for sending objects between the server and the client on the permanent connection in response to a plurality of distinct requests for an object, the objects including one or more data feed objects transported substantially regularly over the permanent connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the objects include a computer-related application.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the computer-related application includes computer language code and data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the client and server include data feed manager for allowing a client application on the client to subscribe to the one or more data feed objects.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the one or more data feed objects is sent to the client over the permanent connection upon the client application subscribing to the one or more data feed objects.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the server includes a plurality of feed server programs for generating various data feed objects; and

the data feed manager of the server identifies a particular feed server program to generate the subscribed-to data feed object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the data feed manager of the server determines whether the server is capable of providing the subscribed-to data feed object to the client application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server maintains identification information of the port information of the permanent connection and utilizes the identification information for sending any of a plurality of objects over the permanent connection to the client engine.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the client includes an application for executing a plurality of display objects, each display object being capable of requesting an object from the server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server is a web server.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server and client engines maintain a record of the permanent connection, including a identification of the ports utilized therein.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the client includes a client application; and

in response to all requests for objects by the client application, the server engine transports objects over the permanent connection.

13. A method for communicating between a web client and a web server, comprising the steps of:

in response to a request by the web client and the web server, establishing and maintaining a permanent connection between a port on the web server and a port on the web client; and

transporting objects between the web server and the web client on the permanent connection in response to a plurality of distinct request for the objects, the objects comprising substantially regularly transported feed of data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the objects include a computer application.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the objects include a computer application code and data therefor.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the substantially regularly transported objects comprise a substantially continuous feed of data.

17. The method of claim 13, further including the steps of:

initially subscribing to a data feed provided by the web server;

wherein the objects transported in the step of transporting comprises the data feed; and

the data feed is substantially continuously transported to the web client in the step of transporting based upon the step of initially subscribing to the data feed.

18. The method of claim 17, further including a step of:

identifying a feed server program for generating the data feed to be transported to the web client during the step of transporting.

19. The method of claim 17, further including a step of:

determining whether the web server is capable of providing the subscribed-to data feed.

20. The method of claim 13, further including the steps of:

initially receiving a request for an object from the web server; and

selecting a request server program on the web server for providing the requested object.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the step of establishing a permanent connection includes the step of maintaining an identification of port information for the permanent connection; and

the step of transporting includes the steps of determining the identification of the permanent connection based upon the maintained portion information and sending the object over the permanent connection based upon the step of determining.

22. The method of claim 13, further including the steps of:

executing a plurality of display objects on the web client; and

requesting an object by a display object to the web server;

wherein the step of transporting objects is responsive to the step of requesting an object.

23. The method of claim 22, further including the step of:

maintaining the identity of the display object requesting the object.

24. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied thereon, for communicating data between a client and a server in a computer network, the computer program product comprising instructions for:

establishing and maintaining a non-temporary connection between a port on the client and a port on the server; and

transporting objects between the client and the server on the non-temporary connection of substantially any object type, the objects transported on the non-temporary connection including a data feed substantially regularly transported thereon.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein:

the data feed comprises a substantially continuous data feed.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, further including instructions for:

allowing a client application to subscribe to the data feed.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising instructions for:

generating a plurality of objects, each object being selectively transported over the non-temporary connection in response to a request for the object.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising instructions for:

identifying the objects to be transported over the non-temporary connection.

29. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein:

the non-temporary connection comprises a permanent connection between the client and the server.

30. The computer program product of claim 24, further including instructions for:

maintaining a record of port information corresponding to the non-temporary connection.

31. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a first server, the first server including a means for generating data feed objects, receiving subscriptions to at least one of the data feed objects from one or more communications devices, establishing and maintaining a permanent connection between a port on the first server and a port on a communication device subscribing to the at least one data feed object, and sending a data feed object substantially regularly over the permanent connection based upon a received subscription therefor.

32. The communications apparatus of claim 31, further including:

a plurality of second servers, each second server being associated with the communications device.

33. The communications apparatus of claim 32, wherein:

each second server includes a means for receiving subscriptions to the object and a means for sending the object based upon received subscriptions therefor.

34. The computer network of claim 31, wherein:

the object comprises a computer-related application.

35. The computer network of claim 31, wherein:

the first server and the one or more second servers comprise servers for the web.

36. A method of communicating between a plurality of servers in a computer network, comprising the steps of:

generating a data feed object by a first server at substantially regular times;

receiving subscriptions to the data feed object by the first server;

sending the data feed object based upon the step of receiving subscriptions by the first server at substantially regularly times over a substantially maintained permanent connection between the first server and one or more second servers;

receiving subscriptions to the data feed object by the one or more second servers;

receiving the data feed object by the one or more second servers; and

sending a data feed object by the one or more second servers substantially regular time over the permanent connection based upon the step of receiving subscriptions thereby.