Distributed interactive processing method in complex system including plural work stations and plural host computers and apparatus using the same

Claim 2

A distributed interactive processing method in a complex computer system including: at least one work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ); at least one host computer (2₁, 2₂, ..., 2 m ); communication lines (3₁, 3₂, ...) connecting between said work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) and said host computer (2₁, 2₂, ..., 2 m ); and control means (5, 6) for controlling communica­tion paths between processes (4, 7) to enable communica­tions between said work station (1 ₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) and said host computer (2₁, 2₂, ..., 2 m ); wherein in each work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ), a processing request is issued and, a process cor­responding thereto is executed in the own work station (l₁, l₂, ..., l n ) for a predetermined processing request; and in each host computer (2₁, 2₂, ..., 2 m ), in response to information for designating a particular processing process, said information being determined in said work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) based on the proces­sing request issued therein, a relevant one of individual processing processes which can be independently processed is designated and executed, whereby an on-line interactive processing is enabled between a request following process of said at least a work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) and the designated individual process of said host computer (2₁, 2₂, ..., 2 m ) through a communication path (3₁, 3₂, ...) established under control of said control means (5, 6).

Claim 3

A distributed interactive processing method according to Claim 1 wherein said work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) includes a function to execute a server process (4 i ) of a relatively low level and said host computer (2₁, 2₂, ..., 2 m ) comprises a function to execute a server process (7 i ) of a relatively high level.

Claim 4

A distributed interactive processing method according to Claim 1 wherein said at least a work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) includes a step responsive to an input of a processing request to analyze the processing request and determine an existence location where a program cor­responding to the processing request exists (Fig. 5).

Claim 5

A distributed interactive processing method according to Claim 3 wherein said request analyze step (Fig. 5) includes a substep to be executed when it is detected in said work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) a condition that a particu­lar server process (7₁, 7₂ ..., 7 ℓ ) of a particular one of said host computer (2₁, 2₂, ..., 2 m ) is neces­sary for supplying said control means (5, 6) with a name of a processing objective process and said control means (5, 6) connects the particular server process (7₁, 7₂, ..., 7 ℓ ) of said host computer to said work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ) in accordance with the name of the reception processing objective process, thereby allowing the processing request issued from a process of said work station to be received by the server process (7₁, 7₂, ..., 7 ℓ ).

Claim 6

A distributed interactive processing method according to Claim 4 wherein said server process (7₁, 7₂, ..., 7 ℓ ) includes processes (7b) each prepared to process a particular kind of request.

Claim 7

A distributed interactive processing method according to Claim 3 wherein said request analyzing step (Fig. 5) includes the following substeps of: obtaining a process name with reference to a table (12) provided in said work station (1₁, 1₂, ..., 1 n ), said table (12) including process names of processes (7₁, 7₂, ..., 7 ℓ ) each implementing a request to be inputted (61); attaining a name of a processing objective by executing the obtained process (62); and determining an existence location of the pro­cessing objective with reference to a directory (13, 63) provided in said at least work station.

Claim 8

A complex computer system including a plurality of work stations (IWS's), at least one host computer (HOST), communication lines (3₁, 3₂, ...) connecting between the plurality of IWS's and said HOST, and communication control means (5, 6) for establishing and controlling communication paths (3₁, 3₂, ...) between processes (4, 7) to conduct a communication between IWS's and said HOST each work station comprising therein: input means (8-10) for receiving processing requests from the user; a process name table (12) in which names of pro­cesses to respectively implement processings for various processing requests are registered; means (11) responsive to the processing request from said input means (8-10) for determining a correspond­ing process name with reference to said process name table (12) and for initiating a process having the process name; a directory (13) in which existence locations of processing objectives corresponding to names of pro­cessing objectives including a file name and a program name are beforehand registered; process execution means (4₁, 4₂, ..., 4 n ) for executing the initiated process, said process execution means (4₁, 4₂, ..., 4 n ) referencing said directory (13) to determine whether or not the existence location of the processing objectives is in the own IWS, executing the requested processing in the own IWS when the existence location is in the own IWS, and when the existence location is not in the own IWS, determining a server name of a HOST corresponding to the initiated process and issuing a connect request to the HOST; and IWS communication control means (5) for receiv­ing the connect request from said process execution means (4₁, 4₂, ..., 4 n ) to connect to the server process and for connecting the IWS to said communication line (3₁, 3₂, ...) and said host computer comprising: HOST communication control means (5, 6a) for controlling receiving and transferring of communication information from each said IWS, comprising; a buffer existing in a virtual storage for storing information from said communication lines (3₁, 3₂, ...), said store information including a process name of a source IWS issuing a request, a name of a server process as a communication destination in the HOST, and information indicating the content of the request from the IWS and server process execution means (7₁, 7₂, .....) responsive to indication information from said communica­tion control means (6, 6a) of the HOST for executing the server process representing a process to implement a function for a particular operation objective.

Claim 9

A complex computer system including a plurality of work stations (IWS's), at least one host computer (HOST), communication lines (3₁, 3₂, ...) connecting between the plurality of IWS's and said HOST, and communication control means (5, 6) for establishing and controlling communication paths (3₁, 3₂, ...) between processes (4, 7) to conduct a communication between IWS's and said HOST each work station comprising therein: input means (8-10) for receiving processing requests from the user; a process name table (12) in which names of pro­cesses to respectively implement processings for various processing requests are registered; means (11) responsive to the processing request from said input means (8-10) for determining a correspond­ing process name with reference to said process name table (12) and for initiating a process having the process name; a directory (13) in which existence locations of processing objectives corresponding to names of pro­cessing objectives including a file name and a program name are beforehand registered; process execution means (4₁, 4₂, ..., 4 n ) for executing the initiated process, said process execution means (4₁, 4₂, ..., 4 n ) referencing said directory (13) to determine whether or not the existence location of the processing objectives is in the own IWS, executing the requested processing in the own IWS when the existence location is in the own IWS, and when the existence location is not in the own IWS, determining a server name of a HOST corresponding to the initiated process and issuing a connect request to the HOST; and IWS communication control means (5) for receiv­ing the connect request from said process execution means (4₁, 4₂, ..., 4 n ) to connect to the server process and for connecting the IWS to said communication line (3₁, 3₂, ...) and said host computer comprising: HOST communication control means (5, 6a) for controlling receiving and transferring of communication information from each said IWS, comprising; a buffer existing in a virtual storage for storing information from said communication lines (3₁, 3₂, ...), said store information including a process name of a source IWS issuing a request, a name of a server process as a communication destination in the HOST, and information indicating the content of the request from the IWS and server process execution means (7₁, 7₂, .....) responsive to indication information from said communica­tion control means (6, 6a) of the HOST for executing the server process representing a process to implement a function for a particular operation objective.

Claim 10

A complex computer system according to Claim 7 wherein said HOST includes a name table (15) in which names of server processes and identifiers of spaces associated with the respective server processes are registered, said server process execution means (7₁, 7₂, ...) including a communication accept section (6a) for receiving information of a corresponding server space which is obtained by said HOST communication control means (6, 6a) by referencing said process name table (15) in response to the information from the IWS, and said communication accept section (6a) establish­ing, when an acknowledge answer is to be issued, a connec­tion between the process in the IWS and the server in the HOST, thereby enabling the server to effect an accept processing of the processing request from the particular process of the IWS.