Recycling components after self-deactivation

• US 7,062,770 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Limprecht, Rodney T., Agsen, Mohsen M., Helland, Patrick James
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opie, George L.
• Application Number:
  US11/058,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 719/315, 719/316, 719/310, 719/313, 719/328, 718/100, 718/101, 707/203, 707/206
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0261 using reference counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5022 Mechanisms to release resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A component-based framework includes system services and component integration interfaces that provide a run-time environment for component-based server application in which server application components have control over the duration of their state independent of client action. The framework provides functions that a server application component calls to indicate its work for a client is complete, and its state is to be destroyed. On the component'"'"'s return from the client'"'"'s method call, the framework destroys the component'"'"'s state thus releasing any server computer resources held by the component. This allows the server application components to be programmed so as to minimize the duration that their state remains in memory consuming server computer resources, and which enhances scalability of the server application.

Claims

1. In a computer, a computer operating environment for scalable, component-based server applications, comprising:

a run-time service for executing an application component in a process, the application component having a state and implementing a set of functions;

an instance creation service operative, responsive to a request of a client, to return a reference to the application component through the run-time service to the client, whereby the client calls functions of the application component indirectly through the run-time service using the returned reference to initiate work by the application component;

before the client releases the reference, the run-time service being operative, responsive to an indication from the application component that the application component has completed work, to destroy the application component'"'"'s state upon returning from a client'"'"'s function call; and

the run-time service being operative, responsive to a post destruction function call comprising a function call from the client using the returned reference after the application component'"'"'s state is destroyed, to activate a recycled application component to perform the post destruction function call.

2. The computer operating environment of claim 1 wherein the recycled application component is a same application component previously used to perform work for the client.

3. The computer operating environment of claim 1 wherein the recycled application component is one of plural instances of application components accessed via the returned reference while the client continues to hold the returned reference.

4. The computer operating environment of claim 1 wherein the run-time service destroys the application component'"'"'s state by resetting the state.

5. The computer operating environment of claim 1 wherein the application component initiates the indication before returning from a call by the client and before the client releases the returned reference.

6. The computer operating environment of claim 1 wherein a stream of instances of application components are activated and deactivated to perform functions calls made by the client while the client holds the returned reference.

7. The computer operating environment of claim 1 wherein while application components in the stream of instances are deactivated, a list of deactivated application components are held in an instance pool.

8. The computer operating environment of claim 7 wherein the run-time service is operative, responsive to the post destruction function call, to check the instance pool in order to determine whether an application component corresponding to the returned reference is available for recycling.

9. In a computer, a method of encapsulating state of processing work for a client by a server application in a component with improved scalability, comprising:

encapsulating function code and a processing state for the work in a component;

providing a reference through an operating service for a client to call the function code of the component to initiate processing of the work by the component;

receiving an indication from the component that the work by the component is complete;

before receiving any indication that the client has released the reference, discarding the processing state of the component responsive to the component indicating completion of the work; and

subsequent to discarding the processing state of the component, activating a recycled component upon receiving a call to initiate processing from the client using the reference.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the indication that the work is complete is received from the recycled component before the client releases the reference, whereby the processing state of the recycled component is discarded immediately upon return from the client'"'"'s call.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the operating service holds a reference to an instance of the recycled component, and discard'"'"'s the recycled component'"'"'s state by releasing the reference to the instance.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the operating service discards the processing state by resetting the processing state.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the component initiates the indication before returning from a client'"'"'s call to initiate processing of the work.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein a stream of instances of recycled components are discarded and activated to perform processing of work for the client.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the client holds the reference provided through the operating service while the stream of instances perform processing.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the stream of instances comprises two or more separate instances of the component.

17. A computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions responsive to a request from a client program to create an application component, to return a reference to the client program;

instructions responsive to a call from the client program using the reference to initiate processing of work by the application component, the application component producing a processing state during processing the work;

instructions for receiving an indication from the application component that processing by the application component of the work is complete;

instructions for destroying the processing state of the application component responsive to the indication from the application component that processing by the application component of the work is complete; and

instructions for, subsequent to destroying the processing state of the application component, activating an application component responsive to receiving a call from the client program using the reference.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions further comprise recycling an application component upon destroying the processing state of an application component.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein a stream of instances of recycled application components perform processing of work requested by the client via the reference while the client program holds the reference.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the stream of instances are references to a single memory location.