EP0456249A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for integrating application programs in a heterogeneous network enviroment
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1991-05-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-05-10
Abstract
Abstract A system which integrates applications that run on a plurality of homogenous or heterogeneous computers on a network. System Configuration files (510) in source code are created from a high level definition of the distributed system (LAN) which is to be integrated. The configuration files (510) include data such as the types and formats of data for each process (402) on each node (400) of the system, identification of all applications and machine types, topography and the data manipulations needed for sending messages and files and the like from an application program in a first computer language and of a first data type to an application program in a second computer language and of a second data type. Node-specific data manipulation modules (DMM 528) are formed at each node (400) during startup of the system, and these modules are automatically distributed to nodes (400) on the network having the same architecture. The invention allows applications having different physical data characteristics to communicate by using the data manipulation modules (DMM 528) so formed to manipulate the data at the source program into a common data representation (CDR) having data types common to all of the languages represented by the system and then reconverting the data to the local representation at the destination node.
Inventors
- 👤 Thong Pham
- 👤 Scott Gulland
- 👤 Mitch Amino
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 22:18
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/06; G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/54; H04L67/10; H04L67/12; H04L67/34; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/06; H04L69/08; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
A system for integrating user software application programs (402) operating on a network (LAN), comprising: application adapting means (404) operating on at least one node (400) of said network (LAN) for providing said user software application programs (402) with communicative access to said network (LAN); message management means (406) at at least one node (400) of said network (LAN) for managing data transfer requests between said user software application programs (402) operating on nodes (400) and other software application programs (402) connected to said network (LAN); means (416, 418) for establishing node to node communications between a source node (400) having a source user software application program (402) operating thereon from which a data transfer request has originated and a destination node (400) having a destination user software application program (402) operating thereon to which data is to be transferred; and data manipulating means (412) at said nodes (400) for manipulating message data from said source user software application program (402) into a common data representation for transmission to said destination user software application program (402), said message data from said source user application program (402) being manipulated when at least one of the data types, data formats and data representations of said source and destination user software application programs (402) do not correspond to each other.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
217 words
A system for integrating user software application programs (402) operating on a network (LAN), comprising: application adapting means (404) operating on at least one node (400) of said network (LAN) for providing said user software application programs (402) with communicative access to said network (LAN); message management means (406) at at least one node (400) of said network (LAN) for managing data transfer requests between said user software application programs (402) operating on nodes (400) and other software application programs (402) connected to said network (LAN); means (416, 418) for establishing node to node communications between a source node (400) having a source user software application program (402) operating thereon from which a data transfer request has originated and a destination node (400) having a destination user software application program (402) operating thereon to which data is to be transferred; and data manipulating means (412) at said nodes (400) for manipulating message data from said source user software application program (402) into a common data representation for transmission to said destination user software application program (402), said message data from said source user application program (402) being manipulated when at least one of the data types, data formats and data representations of said source and destination user software application programs (402) do not correspond to each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A system as in claim 1, further comprising means (418) at said nodes (400) for manipulating message data in said common data representation received from said network (LAN) into the data types, data formats and data representations of said nodes (400) when said destination user software application program (402) operates on said nodes (400).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as in claim 2, wherein said data manipulation means (412) manipulates message data from said source user software application program (402) into said common data representation when said source and destination user software application programs (402) are written in different computer programming languages.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system as in claim 3, wherein said common data representation is independent of the architecture of the nodes (400) and computer programming languages used on said network (LAN).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
240 words
A system as in claim 1, further comprising means (FIG. 5) for forming node-specific data manipulation means (528) at each node (400) for manipulating data from said source user software application program (402) into a common data representation for transmission, and for manipulating data received in said common data representation into data compatible with said destination user software application (402), said data manipulation forming means comprising: file means (502) for storing a high level description of user software application programs (402) and nodes (400) operating on said network (LAN), the characteristics of data at each source and destination user software application program (402), and the manipulations necessary to convert data from source to destination characteristics; validation module means (504) for generating, as source code on a node (400) designated as an administration node (NODE 1), configuration files (510), based on said high level description; configuration table compiling means (506) and data manipulation compiling means (508) for generating, as source code on said administration node (NODE 1), manipulation files (512), based on said high level description; data manipulation module builder means (520) for copying said manipulation files (512) and compiling, on each node (400) designated as a compilation node (NODE 2), said manipulation files (512) to form node-specific data manipulation modules (528); and start up module means (516) for copying said configuration files (510), for loading said configuration files (510) in memory and for starting up said data manipulation files (512).
Claim 7
Independent Claim
201 words
A method of forming a data manipulation module (528) for integrating user software application programs (402) operating on a network (LAN) so as to allow messages to be transmitted from a source user software application program (402) of a first data type to a destination user application program (402) of a second data type, comprising the steps of: (a) storing (502) as configuration source code (510) a high-level description of user software application programs (402) and nodes (400) operating on said network (LAN); (b) storing (508) as manipulation source code (512) the characteristics of data for source and destination user software application program (402) and the manipulations necessary to convert from data having the characteristics of data for a source user software application program (402) to data having the characteristics of data for a destination user software application program (402); (c) compiling, at a compilation node (NODE 2), for each node type in said network (LAN), said configuration source code (510) and said manipulation source code (512) so as to form node-specific data manipulation modules (528) at each compilation node (NODE 2); and (d) distributing said node-specific data manipulation modules (528) to each corresponding node (NODES 3-6) in distributed processing network.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
201 words
A method of forming a data manipulation module (528) for integrating user software application programs (402) operating on a network (LAN) so as to allow messages to be transmitted from a source user software application program (402) of a first data type to a destination user application program (402) of a second data type, comprising the steps of: (a) storing (502) as configuration source code (510) a high-level description of user software application programs (402) and nodes (400) operating on said network (LAN); (b) storing (508) as manipulation source code (512) the characteristics of data for source and destination user software application program (402) and the manipulations necessary to convert from data having the characteristics of data for a source user software application program (402) to data having the characteristics of data for a destination user software application program (402); (c) compiling, at a compilation node (NODE 2), for each node type in said network (LAN), said configuration source code (510) and said manipulation source code (512) so as to form node-specific data manipulation modules (528) at each compilation node (NODE 2); and (d) distributing said node-specific data manipulation modules (528) to each corresponding node (NODES 3-6) in distributed processing network.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
A method as in Claim 6, wherein said compilation site is a node on said network and wherein said steps (a)-(d) are conducted during startup of said nodes (400) on said network (LAN), whereby said node-specific data manipulation modules (528) are used during run time of said network (LAN) to convert messages from said first data type to said second data type to complete transmission of said message from said source user software application program (402) to said destination user software application program (402).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as in claim 7, comprising the further step of validating (504) said configuration source code (510) prior to said startup step.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
220 words
A method of transmitting message data from a first user application program (402) in a first programming language operating on a first node (CPU1) supporting a first data format to a second user application program (402) in a second programming language operating on a second node (CPU2) supporting a second data format, comprising the steps of: generating a request from said first user application program (402) that said message data be sent to said second user application program (402); determining whether a manipulation needs to be performed to send said message data from said first user application program (402) to said second user application program (402) so that said second user application program (402) can understand said message data; if a manipulation needs to be performed, converting said message data to a common data representation independent of said first and second programming languages and said first and second data formats; transmitting said message data from said first node (CPU1) to said second node (CPU2); receiving said message data from said first node (CPU1) at said second node (CPU2); determining whether a manipulation has been performed on said message data; and if a manipulation has been performed on said message data, converting said message data from said common data representation thereof to said second programming language with said second data format.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
220 words
A method of transmitting message data from a first user application program (402) in a first programming language operating on a first node (CPU1) supporting a first data format to a second user application program (402) in a second programming language operating on a second node (CPU2) supporting a second data format, comprising the steps of: generating a request from said first user application program (402) that said message data be sent to said second user application program (402); determining whether a manipulation needs to be performed to send said message data from said first user application program (402) to said second user application program (402) so that said second user application program (402) can understand said message data; if a manipulation needs to be performed, converting said message data to a common data representation independent of said first and second programming languages and said first and second data formats; transmitting said message data from said first node (CPU1) to said second node (CPU2); receiving said message data from said first node (CPU1) at said second node (CPU2); determining whether a manipulation has been performed on said message data; and if a manipulation has been performed on said message data, converting said message data from said common data representation thereof to said second programming language with said second data format.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 9, wherein said first and second user application programs (402) operate on the same node and hence only require programming language manipulations.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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