Patent US1479352A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0457684A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0457684A2
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EP
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Routing objects on action paths in a distributed computing system
Assignee: Digital Equipment Corp
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Filing: 1991-05-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-05-16
Abstract
Abstract A system for routing an "object" (in the sense that object means an abstraction that encapsulates data in a known way, with a known list of operations or methods to access the data, and the object has a unique identity, is mobile, and possibly persistent). The "object" is routed in a distributed computing system along an action path (itself an "object") which defines the logical path to be traversed by the object. The action path consists of action stops naming or describing functionally principals (people or automated mechanisms) required to act upon the routed object in a prescribed order. The object routing system propagates the object along this action path, and monitors and controls its progress until it completes the path. The system includes mechanisms of dispatching the routed object between principals, finding the principals required to act on the routed object, notifying the principals in turn of their required action, and potentially relocating the routed object to the nodes of the principals. Optionally, the object routing system may use mechanisms for nagging principals about pending actions (if no progress occurs within a specified period), reporting such lack of action or progress to other principals, supporting the sharing of an action path by multiple routed objects, and facilitating the routing of an object in parallel to multiple principals. This object routing system is constructed as a generic service layer above services for object management, migration, persistence and interobject communication.
Inventors
- 👤 Yeshayahu Artsy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 10:23
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
285 words
A method of routing an object in a distributed computing system, comprising the steps of: (a) creating a routed object and creating an action path object attached to said routed object, the action path object defining a sequence of action stops for the routed object; (b) dispatching said routed object to the next principal named in the next action stop, including, if necessary, translating the identification of a principal named or described functionally in such action stop and then finding the principal's object handle; (c) notifying that principal object described in such action stop using said handle; (d) logically or physically delivering said routed object to the node preferred by said principal; (e) receiving at a node of said system said routed object and action path object attached to said routed object, the action path object defining a sequence of action stops for the routed object; (f) letting a principal perform an action on said routed object at said node, and when done, indicating so by asking to dispatch said routed object to next principal; (g) dispatching said routed object to the principal named or described in the next action stop of said sequence, including, if necessary, translating the identification of a principal named or described functionally in said next action stop to the principal's object handle; (h) letting a principal perform some action on said routed object at said node, and when done, indicating so by asking to dispatch said routed object to next principal; (i) repeating steps (b) through (h) until the last action stop of said action path is finished; and (j) performing a series of operations requested when the action path is created to be performed after the last action stop.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said distributed computing system has a number of nodes, and said action stops describe names or functional descriptions of principals associated with particular ones of said nodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 2 including the step of determining whether to physically migrate said routed object to such node, in said step of delivering, based upon migration information in said action path object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said action path object includes an indicator pointing to a current one or more of said action stops.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein said step of repeating is not performed if said indicator is pointing beyond the last of said action stops of said sequence.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said sequence of action stops may include action stops in parallel, but said routed object is not replicated for parallel action stops, thus permitting efficient synchronization of modifications of that object.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of notifying includes a mechanism by which the object routing system lets the principals describe their particular method by which they want to be notified or have a routed object be forwarded to someone else.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
145 words
A method of routing an object in a distributed computing system, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving at a node of said system a routed object and an action path object attached to said routed object, the action path object defining a sequence of action stops for the routed object, said node being associated with one of said action stops; (b) letting a principal perform an action on said routed object at said node, and when done, indicating so by asking to dispatch said routed object to next principal; (c) dispatching said routed object to the next principal named or functionally described in the next action stop of said sequence, including, if necessary, translating the identification of a principal named or described functionally in said next action stop to its object handle; (d) logically or physically delivering said routed object to said next action stop.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said distributed computing system has a number of nodes, and said action stops are identified as handles of principal objects associated with particular ones of said nodes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said step of notifying includes a mechanism by which the object routing system lets the principals describe their particular method by which they want to be notified or have a routed object be forwarded to someone else.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said action path object includes an indicator pointing to a current one or set of said action stops.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 11 including the step of checking said indicator to see if the indicator points beyond the last of said action stops of said sequence.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said sequence of action stops may include action stops in parallel, but said routed object is not replicated for parallel action stops.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 8 including the step of attaching said routed object to a folder object, and attaching additional objects to said folder object, and attaching the former (or new) action path object to the folder, and hence letting said objects be routed and migrated together.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 8 including the step of determining whether to physically migrate said routed object to said next action stop, in said step of delivering, based upon migration information in said action path object.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
167 words
A system for routing objects in a distributed computing network, comprising: (a) means for receiving at a node of said network a routed object and an action path object attached to said routed object, the action path object defining a sequence of action stops for the routed object, said node being associated with one of said action stops; (b) means for letting a principal perform an action on said routed object at said node, and when done, indicating so by asking to dispatch said routed object to next principal; (c) means for dispatching said routed object to the next principal named or functionally described in the action stop of said sequence, including, if necessary, translating the identification of a principal named or described functionally in said next action stop to the principal's object handle; (d) means for notifying a principal object recorded at said next action stop using said handle; (e) means for logically or physically delivering said routed object to a node preferred by said principal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein said distributed computing network has a number of nodes, and said action stops describe names or functional descriptions of principals associated with particular ones of said nodes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein said action path object includes an indicator pointing to a current one of said action stops.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 18 including means for checking said indicator to see if the cursor points beyond the last of said action stops of said sequence.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of a message, a file, a script, a form and a combination thereof.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein said principal is either a human user, a group of human users, or an automated tool.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system according to claim 16 including means for reminding a principal of the requested action if said action is not performed within a selected time period.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system according to claim 16 including means to report to other principals if said principal has not finished the action and so indicated by dispatching said routed object, or report to other principals when said principal does dispatch said routed object.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 18 including means for alserting principals using said indicator to find out which principal or principals have to act next oon said roouted object.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
60 words
A system according to claim 22 further including means to report to other principals if said principal has not finished the action and so indicated by dispatching said routed object, or report to other principals when said principal does dispatch said routed object, and also includes means for monitoring the progress of the routed object and to trace its state.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system according to claim 16 including means for allowing recovery of the state of both the routed object and its route.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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