Distributed system architecture for variable coupling

• US 8,239,503 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Vayssiere, Julien J. P., Milliner, Stephen, Elms, Kim, Redding, Guy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, George C
• Application Number:
  US11/054,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,737 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/221, 718/1
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4862 the task being a mobile agent, i.e. specifically designed to migrate

Abstract

A distributed computer system in several embodiments includes several architectures or configurations. Each configuration exhibits a different degree of coupling between an application that provides data and an application that consumes that data. In an embodiment, a provider application knows the identity of a consumer application, converts data into the format of the consumer application, and transmits the data to the consumer application. In other embodiments, the provider application does not know the identity of the consumer application, and transmits data to the consumer application through an intermediary. In such embodiments, either the provider or the intermediary can perform the data conversion. In another embodiment, a manager object oversees the transformation of the system from one configuration to another in real time.

Claims

1. A computer system including:

at least one memory storage device to store a configuration including a mediation configuration, an adaptation configuration, and a crystallization configuration;

one or more processors configured to execute a mobile code technology, such that said computer system is capable of transforming between said mediation configuration, said adaptation configuration, and said crystallization configuration; and

a manager object executable by the one or more processors;

wherein the manager object is configured to;

receive notification of an incoming or outgoing object for an object space on which the manager object resides;

activate or deactivate a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides; and

copy a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides to another object space, thereby booting up the program on the other object space;

wherein the mediation, adaptation, and crystallization configurations comprise one or more of a provider object space, an intermediary object space, and a consumer object space; and

wherein the manager object manages the transformation among the mediation, adaptation, and crystallization configurations by creating, reactivating, copying, or removing one or more proxy objects and one or more converter objects among the provider object space, the intermediary object space, and the consumer object space, thereby transforming the computer system among two or more of the following;

a loosely coupled mediation configuration system, wherein the provider object space does not need to know the identity of the consumer object space, the provider object space does not need to know how to talk to the consumer object space, and the provider object space does not need to know the data format expected by the consumer object space;

a tightly coupled crystallization configuration system, wherein the provider object space handles data conversion with the consumer object space and communication with the consumer object space; and

a middle coupled adaptation configuration system, wherein the provider object space handles data conversion with the consumer object space, and the intermediary object space handles the identity of the consumer object space and the communication between the provider object space and the consumer object space.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein

the provider object space includes data of a first format;

the intermediary space includes the data of the first format and data of a second format; and

the consumer object space includes the data of the second format.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the provider object space includes a provider application, a provider wrapper, and a first proxy object.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the intermediary object space includes a converter object and a second proxy object.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the consumer object space includes a consumer wrapper and a consumer application.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises an adaptation configuration including a provider object space, an intermediary object space, and a consumer object space.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein

the provider object space includes data of a first format and data of a second format;

the intermediary object space includes the data of the second format; and

the consumer object space includes the data of the second format.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the provider object space includes a provider application, a provider wrapper, a converter, and a first proxy object.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the intermediary object space includes a second proxy object.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the consumer object space includes a consumer wrapper and a consumer application.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises a crystallization configuration including a provider object space and a consumer object space.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein

the provider object space includes data of a first format and data of a second format;

and

the consumer object space includes the data of the second format.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the provider object space includes a provider application, a provider wrapper, a converter, and a proxy object.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the consumer object space includes a consumer application and a consumer wrapper.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the mobile code technology includes Java.

16. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the manager object transforms the mediation configuration to the adaptation configuration by:

creating or reactivating a first proxy object in the provider object space;

copying or reactivating a converter object into the provider object space; and

removing or deactivating a second proxy object from the provider object space;

wherein the manager object transforms the adaptation configuration to the mediation configuration by;

reactivating the first proxy object in the provider object space;

deactivating the converter object in the provider object space;

deactivating the second proxy object in the provider object space; and

creating or reactivating the converter object in the intermediary object space;

wherein the manager object transforms the adaptation configuration to the crystallization configuration by;

copying the first proxy object from the intermediary object space to the provider object space; and

deactivating the second proxy object in the provider object space; and

wherein the manager object transforms from the crystallization configuration to the adaptation configuration by;

deactivating the first proxy object in the provider object space;

creating or reactivating the second proxy object in the provider object space; and

creating or reactivating a third proxy object in the provider object space.

17. A computer architecture including:

at least one memory storage device to store a mediation configuration, an adaptation configuration, and a crystallization configuration;

one or more processors configured as a mobile code technology that enables the computer architecture to transform among the mediation configuration, the adaptation configuration, and the crystallization configuration; and

a manager object executable by the one or more processors;

wherein the mediation configuration includes a provider object space, an intermediary object space, and a consumer object space;

wherein in the mediation configuration the provider object space includes a provider application, a provider wrapper, a first proxy object, and data of a first format; and

wherein in the mediation configuration the intermediary object space includes a converter, a second proxy object, and data of the first format and data of a second format; and

wherein in the mediation configuration the consumer object space includes a consumer application, a consumer wrapper, and the data of the second format;

wherein the adaptation configuration includes the provider object space, the intermediary object space, and the consumer object space;

wherein in the adaptation configuration the provider object space includes the provider application, the provider wrapper, the converter, the first proxy object, and the data of the first format and the data of the second format;

wherein in the adaptation configuration the intermediary object space includes the second proxy object and the data of the second format; and

wherein in the adaptation configuration the consumer object space includes the consumer application, the consumer wrapper, and the data of the second format;

wherein the crystallization configuration includes the provider object space and the consumer object space;

wherein in the crystallization configuration the provider object space includes the provider application, the provider wrapper, the converter, the first proxy object, and the data of the first format and the data of the second format; and

wherein in the crystallization configuration the consumer object space includes the consumer application, the consumer wrapper, and data of the second format;

wherein the manager object is configured to;

receive notification of an incoming or outgoing object for an object space on which the manager object resides;

activate or deactivate a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides; and

copy a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides to another object space, thereby booting up the program on the other object space; and

wherein the manager object manages the transformation among the mediation, adaptation, and crystallization configurations by creating, reactivating, copying, or removing one or more proxy objects and one or more converter objects among the provider object space, the intermediary object space, and the consumer object space, thereby transforming the computer system among two or more of the following;

a loosely coupled mediation configuration system, wherein the provider object space does not need to know the identity of the consumer object space, the provider object space does not need to know how to talk to the consumer object space, and the provider object space does not need to know the data format expected by the consumer object space;

a tightly coupled crystallization configuration system, wherein the provider object space handles data conversion with the consumer object space and communication with the consumer object space; and

a middle coupled adaptation configuration system, wherein the provider object space handles data conversion with the consumer object space, and the intermediary object space handles the identity of the consumer object space and the communication between the provider object space and the consumer object space.

18. The computer architecture of claim 17, wherein in the mediation configuration,

the first proxy object in the provider object space transmits the data of the first format from the provider object space to the intermediary object space;

the converter in the intermediary object space converts the data of the first format into the data of the second format; and

the second proxy object in the intermediary object space transmits the data of the second format from the intermediary object space to the consumer object space.

19. The computer architecture of claim 17, wherein in the adaptation configuration,

the converter in the provider object space converts the data in the first format to the data in the second format;

the proxy object in the provider object space transmits the data in the second format from the provider object space to the intermediary object space; and

the proxy object in the intermediary object space transmits the data in the second format from the intermediary object space to the consumer object space.

20. The computer architecture of claim 17, wherein in the crystallization configuration,

the converter in the provider object space converts the data of the first format into the data of the second format;

and

the proxy object in the provider object space transmits the data of the second format to the consumer object space.

21. A computerized method including:

providing in one or more computer memory storage devices a first object space and a second object space, the first object space and the second object space forming a mediation configuration, an adaptation configuration, or a crystallization configuration; and

providing a third object space, the third object space serving as an intermediary between the first object space and the second object space;

providing a first software application executable by one or more processors and a second software application executable by the one or more processors, the first software application residing in the first object space and including data in a first format, and the second software application residing in the second object space and including data in a second format;

converting data in the first object space from the first format into the second format;

transmitting the data in the second format from the first object space to the second object space; and

providing a manager object in the one or more computer memories that upon execution by the one or more processors receives notification of an incoming or outgoing object for an object space on which the manager object resides, activates or deactivates a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides, and copies a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides to another object space, thereby booting up the program on the other object space;

wherein the mediation, adaptation, and crystallization configurations comprise one or more of the first object space, the second object space, and the third object space; and

wherein the manager object manages the transformation among the mediation, adaptation, and crystallization configurations by creating, reactivating, copying, or removing one or more proxy objects and one or more converter objects among the first object space, the second object space, and the third object space, thereby transforming the computer system among two or more of the following;

a loosely coupled mediation configuration system, wherein the first object space does not need to know the identity of the third object space, the first object space does not need to know how to talk to the third object space, and the first object space does not need to know the data format expected by the third object space;

a tightly coupled crystallization configuration system, wherein the first object space handles data conversion with the third object space and communication with the third object space; and

a middle coupled adaptation configuration system, wherein the first object space handles data conversion with the third object space, and the second object space handles the identity of the third object space and the communication between the first object space and the third object space.

22. The method of claim 21, further including:

converting the data in the first format in the first object space into the data in the second format;

transmitting the data in the second data format from the first object space to the third object space; and

transmitting the data in the second data format from the third object space to the second object space.

23. The method of claim 21, further including:

transmitting data in the first format from the first object space to the third object space;

converting the data in the first format in the third object space into the data in the second format; and

transmitting the data in the second format from the third object space to the second object space.

24. A tangible non-transitory machine readable medium including instructions to cause a machine to perform a process including:

providing in one or more computer memory storage devices a first object space and a second object space, the first object space and the second object space forming a mediation configuration, an adaptation configuration, or a crystallization configuration; and

providing a third object space, the third object space serving as an intermediary between the first object space and the second object space;

providing a first software application executable by one or more computer processors and a second software application executable by the one or more computer processors, the first software application residing in the first object space and including data in a first format, and the second software application residing in the second object space and including data in a second format;

converting data in the first object space from the first format into the second format;

transmitting the data in the second format from the first object space to the second object space; and

providing a manager object in the one or more computer memories that upon execution by the one or more computer processors receives notification of an incoming or outgoing object for an object space on which the manager object resides, activates or deactivates a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides, and copies a program running on the object space on which the manager object resides to another object space, thereby booting up the program on the other object space;

wherein the mediation, adaptation, and crystallization configurations comprise one or more of the first object space, the second object space, and the third object space; and

wherein the manager object manages the transformation among the mediation, adaptation, and crystallization configurations by creating, reactivating, copying, or removing one or more proxy objects and one or more converter objects among the first object space, the second object space, and the third object space, thereby transforming the computer system among two or more of the following;

a loosely coupled mediation configuration system, wherein the first object space does not need to know the identity of the third object space, the first object space does not need to know how to talk to the third object space, and the first object space does not need to know the data format expected by the third object space;

a tightly coupled crystallization configuration system, wherein the first object space handles data conversion with the third object space and communication with the third object space; and

a middle coupled adaptation configuration system, wherein the first object space handles data conversion with the third object space, and the second object space handles the identity of the third object space and the communication between the first object space and the third object space.

25. The tangible non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 24, further including:

converting the data in the first format in the first object space into the data in the second format;

transmitting the data in the second data format from the first object space to the third object space; and

transmitting the data in the second data format from the third object space to the second object space.

26. The tangible non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 24, further including:

transmitting the data in the first format from the first object space to the third object space;

converting data in the first format in the third object space into the data in the second format; and

transmitting the data in the second data format from the third object space to the second object space.