Apparatus and method for providing downloadable code for use in communicating with a device in a distributed system

• US 6,560,656 B1
• Filed: 03/20/1998
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Peter C., OʼSullivan, Bryan, Waldo, James H., Wollrath, Ann M., Arnold, Kenneth C. R. C., Scheifler, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US09/044,939
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/223, 709/229, 709/315, 709/317, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/220, 709/250, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/433 with asynchronous transmission, e.g. token ring, register insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Downloading code for communicating with a device that joins a network. When the device joins the network, it transmits a multicast packet including a reference to code for use in communicating with the device. Receivers in the network use the reference to download the code for constructing objects to communicate with the device, and the receivers respond with a reference to a lookup service in the network. Using the reference from the receivers, the device registers with the lookup service.

Claims

1. A method for processing downloadable code for use in communicating with a machine in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines, the method comprising:

receiving from a machine a multicast packet including a request to join the distributed system and including an indication of code for communicating with the machine;

using the indication of code to download the code;

constructing an object using the downloaded code to communicate with the machine;

constructing a response to the machine including a reference to an entity for registration with the system; and

transmitting the response to the machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using the indication of code to access and download the code further comprises:

using a universal resource locator to download the code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving from the machine the multicast packet further comprises:

including in the multicast packet an identification of at least one of the type and state of the object to be downloaded.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast packet includes a stub for communicating with a booting device.

5. An apparatus for processing downloadable code for use in communicating with a machine in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines comprising:

a receiving module for receiving from a machine a multicast packet including a request to join the distributed system and including an indication of code for communicating with the machine;

a use module for using the indication of code to download the code;

a constructing module for constructing an object using the downloaded code to communicate with the machine;

a constructing module for constructing a response to the machine including a reference to an entity for registration with the system; and

a transmitting module for transmitting the response to the machine.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the use module for using the indication of code to access and download the code further comprises:

a use module for using a universal resource locator to download the code.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiving module for receiving from the machine the multicast packet further comprises:

an including module for including in the multicast packet an identification of at least one of the type and state of the object to be downloaded.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the multicast packet includes a stub for communicating with a booting device.

9. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for processing downloadable code for use in communicating with a machine in a distributed system comprised of multiple machines comprising:

receiving from a machine a multicast packet including a request to join the distributed system and including an indication of code for communicating with the machine;

using the indication of code to download the code;

constructing an object using the downloaded code to communicate with the machine;

constructing a response to the machine including a reference to an entity for registration with the system; and

transmitting the response to the machine.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein using the indication of code to access and download the code further comprises:

using a universal resource locator to download the code.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein receiving from the machine the multicast packet further comprises:

including in the multicast packet an identification of at least one of the type and state of the object to be downloaded.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the multicast packet includes a stub for communicating with a booting device.