Methods and apparatus for implementing server functions in a distributed heterogeneous environment

Claim 2

The process of claim 1 wherein the step of analyzing the reference includes the substep of converting the extracted reference into a name for the first method which is recognizable by the server data processing platform.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein the step of extracting the reference to the first method includes the substep of placing the reference to the method object into an input structure recognizable by the server data processing platform.

Claim 4

The process of claim 3 wherein the method object includes a reference to a first instance in the message sent by the client application; wherein the data processing network further contains a transport service for performing network communication functions between data processing platforms; wherein the step of receiving the method object includes the substep of receiving a first transport data structure corresponding to the reference to the first method and a second transport data structure corresponding to the reference to the first instance; and wherein the substep of placing the object into the input structure further includes the substep of translating, using the transport service, the first and second transport data structures into the input structure recognizable by the server data processing platform.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 wherein the step of executing the server application includes the substeps of generating an output structure as a result of the executing of the server application, and translating, using the transport service, the generated output structure from the server application into a third transport data structure for transmission to the client data processing platform.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein the server data processing system further includes a control server containing status information on the applications, including the server application, capable of being executed by the server data processing system, and wherein the step of executing the server application includes the substeps of referencing the status information to determine whether the server application is currently executing, and starting the server application if the server application is not currently executing.

Claim 7

The process of claim 6 wherein the step of executing the server application includes the substep of changing the status information to indicate that the server application is currently running.

Claim 8

The process of claim 6 wherein the step of executing the server application includes the substep of executing the server application if the status information indicates that the server application is currently running.

Claim 9

In a data processing network containing a plurality of data processing platforms for executing applications, wherein a client one of the data processing platforms generates a method object from a message sent by a client one of the applications executing on the client data processing platform, the method object including a reference to a first method, a process of performing the first method on a server one of the data processing platforms, comprising the steps of: receiving the method object by the server data processing platform; extracting the reference to the first method by the server data processing platform; analyzing the extracted reference to determine a server one of the applications to be executed to perform the first method; causing a control server in the server data processing platform to start the server application if it is not currently running; registering the server application with a method server registration facility if the server application was caused to be started by the control server; and executing the server application on the server data processing platform to perform the first method.

Claim 10

The process of claim 9 wherein the data processing network further contains a transport service for performing network communication functions between data processing platforms, wherein the step of receiving a method object includes the substeps of receiving a first transport data structure, including a transport data structure corresponding to the method object; and placing the reference to the method object into an input structure recognizable by the server data processing platform.

Claim 11

The process of claim 10 wherein the step of executing the server application includes the substeps of: executing the server application; receiving an output structure from the server application; and placing the output structure from the server application into a second transport data structure for transmission to the client data processing platform.

Claim 12

The process of claim 9 wherein the control server stores information on the status of all applications executable on the server data processing platform and wherein the step of causing the control server of the server data processing platform to start the server application includes the substep of: referencing the status information by the control server to determine whether the server application can be currently executed by the server data processing platform.

Claim 13

The process of claim 12 wherein the step of causing the control server to start the server application includes the substep of: starting the server application if the server application is not currently executing.

Claim 14

The process of claim 13 wherein the step of causing the control server to start the server application includes the substep of changing the status information to indicate that the server application is currently running.

Claim 15

The process of claim 14 wherein the step of causing the control server to start the server application includes the substep of executing the server application if the status information indicates that the server application is currently running.

Claim 16

In a data processing network containing a plurality of data processing platforms executing applications which include a client one of the data processing platforms for generating a method object from a message sent by a client one of the applications executing on the client data processing platform, the method object including a reference to a first method, a server one of the data processing platforms comprising: means for receiving the method object; means, coupled to the receiving means, for extracting the reference to the first method; means, coupled to the extracting means, for analyzing the extracted reference to determine a server one of the applications to be executed to perform the first method; and means, coupled to the analyzing means, for executing the server application to perform the first method.

Claim 17

The server data processing platform of claim 16 further comprising a control server containing status information on the applications, including the server application, capable of being executed by the server data processing system, and wherein the means for executing the server application includes means for referencing the status information to determine whether the server application is currently executing, and means for starting the server application if the server application is not currently executing.

Claim 18

The server data processing platform of claim 17 wherein the means for executing the server application includes means for changing the status information to indicate that the server application is currently running.

Claim 19

The server data processing platform of claim 18 further including means, coupled to the starting means, for registering the server application with a method server registration facility to indicate that the server application is running.

Claim 20

The server data processing platform of claim 17 wherein the means for executing the server application includes means for executing the server application if the status information indicates that the server application is currently running.