System for development, management and operation of distributed clients and servers

• US 6,947,943 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zeosoft Technology Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zeosoft Technology Group Inc.
• Inventors: DeAnna, Robert, Freeland, Bryan, Huestis, Erik, McFeely, Dan, Huestis, Michael, Gockeler, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US10/268,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20030084056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/10, 707/200, 709/219, 717/120, 717/115
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A lightweight application server for use on portable or embedded devices includes an application manager and services containers. Each of these is managed by an admin server allowing for remote and rapid deployment and maintenance of applications, objects and features associated with the server-enabled portable or embedded devices. This permits portable devices like PDAs to provide server functionality to each other, in a fully portable network if desired. A system including such server-enabled portable or embedded devices may include, among other things, a decision flow server for facilitating distributed decision flow processing.

Claims

1. An application server for use on a handheld device of the type having a processor operable to run application programs responsive to user inputs via a user interface on the device and configurable to receive data wirelessly, the application server comprising:

an application in a services container, the application being responsive both to user inputs via the user interface and to inputs from remote devices operably communicating with the handheld device;

an application manager operable to manage said application, wherein the application manager comprises;

a process manager operable for controlling the processing of inputs by the application;

a device manager operable for determining which of the devices are operable to provide inputs to the application; and

a naming service operable for storing address information for said application and remote objects operating on the remote devices, and providing the application address information in response to a request from one of the remote devices;

wherein the services container comprises a database application and a data access bean having an interface conforming to the database access API, operable to access the data store even if the client is using a different database application.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the services container comprises an admin object operable for controlling applications operating on at least one of the remote devices.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the application manager further comprises a database access manager.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the database access manager comprises a database access API operable for receiving a client database request, accessing a data store on the portable device, populating a business object with returned data, and sending the populated business object to a calling method of the client.

5. The server of claim 3, wherein the database access manager further comprises an encryption module using one of the group of a private key operable to decrypt data accessed from the data store, a shared private key operable to encrypt the business object, and a public key of the client operable to encrypt the business object.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the application manager further comprises an ORB, and a GUI operable to provide a user of the portable device with secure management functionality to control the application manager and the application.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the application manager comprises an on-demand deployment engine for changing server functionality in response to remote control.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the application manager is operable to automatically deploy at least one of a further services container, a registered modification to an application resource of within a predefined folder of the application, a modification to a Java class file within the application, and a Java bean.

9. The server of claim 7, wherein the application manager further comprises a file context object operable to enforce a file structure parameter for the application and a security parameter operable to determine that the deployment engine only functions for software being deployed from a trusted source.

10. The server of claim 7, wherein the application manager further comprises an admin tool operable to automatically poll at predetermined periods including initiation of on-line status for application software updates.

11. The server of claim 7, wherein the application manager further comprises a security manager operable to verify that communications with the server are with trusted sources and to enable encrypted communications.

12. The server of claim 1, further comprising plural services containers each comprising a Java application, wherein the application manager runs on a Java virtual machine and is operable to deploy, initiate or stop Java applications in the plural service containers without closing the Java virtual machine.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the services container comprises a security service configurable to set a parameter for determining a security requirement for responding to requests from remote objects.

14. The server of claim 1, further comprising at least one service container and an application object, wherein the application manager is operable to manage the object.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the application object separate from the service container, wherein said service container comprises a security service, the application manager being operable to manage the application object at least partially by managing the security service.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the security service is an access control service and the application object is an application, the application manager being operable to set a parameter for limiting access to the application unless a security requirement is satisfied for responding to requests from remote objects.

17. The server of claim 1, wherein the portable device is one of the group consisting of a Personal digital assistant, a phone, a radio, a handheld camera, and a portable remote controller.

18. A method for operating an applications server, said method operable at least in part within an information processing system of a handheld device of the type having a processor operable to run application programs responsive to user inputs via a user interface on the device and configurable to receive data wirelessly, the method comprising:

operating an application in a services container, the application being responsive both to user inputs via the user interface and to inputs from remote devices operably communicating with the handheld device;

managing the application using an application manager, the step of managing comprising;

controlling the processing of inputs by the application using a process manager of the applications manager;

determining which of the devices are operable to provide inputs to the application using a device manager of the applications manager; and

storing address information for said application and remote objects operating on the remote devices, and providing the application address information in response to a request from one of the remote devices using a naming service of the applications server;

wherein the services container comprises a database application and a data access bean having an interface conforming to the database access API, operating to access the data store even if the client is using a different database application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the services container is configured to comprise an admin object operable for controlling applications operating on at least one of the remote devices.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the application manager comprises a database access manager, and the database access manager operating to receive a client database request via a database access API, access a data store on the portable device, populate a business object with retumed data, and sending the populated business object to a calling method of the client.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising using via an encryption module one of the group of a private key operable to decrypt data accessed from the data store, a shared private key operable to encrypt the business object, and a public key of the client operable to encrypt the business object.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing, via an ORB, and a GUI, a user of the portable device with secure management functionality to control the application manager and the application.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising, via an on-demand deployment engine, changing server functionality in response to remote control.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising automatically deploying, using the application manager, at least one of a further services container, a registered modification to an application resource of within a predefined folder of the application, a modification to a Java class file within the application, and a Java bean.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising, via a security service configurable to set a parameter, determining a security requirement for responding to requests from remote objects.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising, via a file context object, enforcing a file structure parameter for the application and a security parameter operable to determine that the deployment engine only functions for software being deployed from a trusted source.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising, via an admin tool, automatically polling at predetermined periods including initiation of on-line status for application software updates.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising, via a security manager, verifying that communications with the server are with trusted sources an enable encrypted communications.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising running the application manager on a Java virtual machine so as to deploy, initiate or stop Java applications in the plural service containers without closing the Java virtual machine.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising, via at least one service container and an application object, managing the application object.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising managing the application object at least partially by managing the security service.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the security service is an access control service and the application object is an application, further comprising setting a parameter for limiting access to the application unless a security requirement is satisfied for responding to requests from remote objects.