System for calling procedures on a remote network node

Claim 2

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: upon completion of execution, returning (86) a result parameter set from the service procedure to the local node routing procedure; formatting (88) the result parameter set for the application program; and returning (92) the result parameter set to the application program.

Claim 3

The method of claim 2 wherein said step for returning the result parameter set to the application program comprises the steps of: placing the result parameter set in a queue (116) accessible by the application program; and reading the result parameter set from the queue into the application program.

Claim 4

A computer network for processing procedure calls, the computer network comprising a local and one or a plurality of remote nodes and characterized in that it comprises: computer means located at the local node for executing an application program and thereby, generating an initialization call (74) to a service director (12) by passing parameters identifying the calling application program, and a procedure call in a native language construct for calling a procedure stored at the local node or at one of said plurality of remote nodes and passing a parameter set; means located at the local node responsive to the initialization call for, - selecting service directories (20) by means of said parameters for determining : a - the location of the desired library procedures; b - the parameters required by said library procedures; and c - the language of said procedures ; means located at the local node responsive to a procedure call for generating a procedure identifier, for identifying the language of the application, for determining from the selected mappings and the identification of the procedure whether it is located at the local or at the remote node and, responsive to the calling conventions of the application and the called procedure, for tranlating the parameter set into one compatible with the call procedure; means located at the local node responsive to determination that the procedure is located at the remote node for initiating establishment of a communications session between the local node and the remote node and passing the procedure identifier for the called procedure and the parameter set to the remote node during the communications session; means located at the remote node responsive to establishment of the communications session and receipt of said compatible parameter set and identification of the procedure during the communications session for generating a procedure call for the called procedure; means located at the remote node for executing the call procedure utilizing the parameter set; and, means located at the remote node for returning a result parameter set generated by the procedure to the local node.

Claim 5

The computer network of claim 4 characterized in that: the means for returning the result parameter set to the local node does so during the communications session; and means for returning the result parameter set translates the result parameter set to a parameter set compatible with the conventions of the calling procedure and returns the result parameter set to the local node.

Claim 6

The computer network of claim 5 characterized in that: the procedure call responsive means at the local node include a first interface callable by the application program in a predetermined format, wherein said first interface calls the communications session initiating means; and the means for returning results include a second interface in a second predetermined format, wherein said second interface calls a procedure identifier received during the communications session.

Claim 7

The computer network of claim 4, 5 or 6 characterized in that it further comprises: queue means located at the local node for holding the result parameter set returned from the remote node for later availability to the application program.

Claim 8

The computer network of anyone of claims 4 to 7 characterized in that: the result parameter set returned from said remote node is returned to the application program by said procedure indicating means.