EP0733971A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for managing connections for communication among objects in a distributed object system
Assignee: Sun Microsystems Inc
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Filing: 1996-03-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-03-07
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for managing connections between objects in a distributed object system includes a method and apparatus for terminating connections between objects. In one aspect, the method for terminating a connection, a connection end message is sent from a server to a client indicating to the client that the server will no longer accept requests before the connection is terminated. Preferably a connection end code is included with the connection end message. In another aspect, the invention includes a method for making connections between objects are formed by intelligently closing existing connections that meet the criteria of being established and across which no unfulfilled requests or unforwarded replies are pending. If several connections meet these criteria, the oldest unused connection is terminated. The methods and apparatus described provide for the creation and termination of connections efficiently and robustly by allowing the controlled shut down of connections between clients and servers without invoking an error state.
Inventors
- 👤 David M. Brownell
- 👤 Pavani Diwanji
- 👤 Neguine Navab
- 👤 Peter Vanderbilt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:13
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/465; G06F9/54; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/10; H04L67/1001; H04L9/00; H04L9/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 67
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
In a distributed object system in which a server associated with a server process for use in a computer system communicates with a client across a computer connection between the server process and the client, a computer implemented method for terminating the connection between the server process and the client, the method comprising the computer controlled steps of: a) sending a connection end message from said server to said client across said connection, said connection end message being effective to indicate to said client that said server will no longer respond to request messages from said client; and b) closing said connection.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said connection is a computer controlled multiplexed connection.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said server process maintains a connection with at least a second client in addition to said client.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, further including the computer controlled step of determining that said client is not waiting for an outstanding reply from said server.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 4, further including the computer controlled step of sending a connection shut down message to said client.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 5, further including the computer controlled step of sending a request from said client to an object request broker to restart said server.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 6, wherein said step of sending said connection end message is performed in response to a determination that said server process is overloaded.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 7, wherein said determination includes the step of determining that the number of connections made to said server process exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said connections are listed in a data structure including a list of active connection records.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said server is a server object resident in said server process.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said client is a client process executing on a remote computer system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said client is a client object resident in a client process executing on a remote computer system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
160 words
A computer implemented method for establishing a connection between a client and a server process in a distributed object environment, said server process for use on a computer system, said method comprising the computer controlled steps of: a) searching for an active connection record in a table of connection records; b) examining the host and name and the ID server port of at least one discovered active connection record in said table to determine whether said active connection is effective to establish a communication link between said client and said server process; c) determining whether said active connection record is in an established state if said active record is effective to establish a communication link between said client and said server process; d) determining the write lock state of said active connection record if said active connection record is in an established state; and e) acquiring said active connection record if said write lock is not held by another thread.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 13, further including the computer controlled step of acquiring a table lock on said table prior to said step of searching for an active connection record.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 14, further including the computer controlled step of releasing said table lock after the step of acquiring said active connection.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 15, wherein said step of acquiring said active connection further includes the computer controlled step of acquiring said write lock.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 13, further including the computer controlled step of entering a wait state in response to a determination that said active connection is in an opening state.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
111 words
The method of claim 13, further including the computer controlled steps of: a) searching for a free connection record in response to a determination that no active record connection is available; b) initializing said free connection record and moving said free connection record to said active list in response to a determination that a free connection record is available to create thereby a new active connection; c) marking said new active connection record as opening; d) acquiring the write lock of said new active connection; e) acquiring a communication endpoint and establishing a connection between said client and said server process; and f) marking said new active connection record as established.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 18, further including the computer controlled step of acquiring a lock on said table of active records after said step of initializing and prior to said step of acquiring said write lock.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 19, further including the computer controlled step of signaling waiting threads of said marking said new active connection as established.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 20, further including the computer controlled step of releasing said table lock after said step of signaling said waiting threads.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 18, further including the computer controlled step of closing an existing active connection in response to a determination that no free connections are available.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 22, wherein said step of closing includes the computer controlled step of choosing an existing active connection to close.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said step of choosing an active connection to close includes the computer controlled steps of: a) determining if said active connection is in an established state; b) determining if any request that has been issued on said active connection has not been responded to; and c) determining if any request received on said active connection has not been responded to.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 24, including the computer controlled step of closing the oldest unused active connection that is established and for which all requests issued and received have been responded to.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 24, further including the computer controlled step of setting the state of said active connection to closing.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 26, further including the computer controlled step of releasing said table lock.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 22, wherein said step of closing includes the computer controlled steps of: a) sending a connection end message from said server process to said client, said connection end message being effective to indicate to said client that said server process will no longer respond to request messages from said client; and b) closing said connection.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 28, further including the computer controlled step of sending a connection end message including a connection end code.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 29, further including the computer controlled step of releasing said connection.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 30, further including the computer controlled steps of a) reacquiring said table lock; b) marking said active connection as free; and c) moving said free connection from said active list to said free list.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
77 words
A computer process for use on a first computer system in a distributed object system, said computer process comprising an active connection table including: a) a table lock operable to inhibit access to said active connection table such that only a single entity having possession of said table lock may access said active connection table; and b) a connection record for use in storing information regarding a connection between said computer process and a host computer system.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
158 words
A computer process as recited in claim 32 wherein said connection record has a data structure including: a) a host name field for use in identifying said host computer system with which the computer process has said connection; b) a port identification field for use in specifying a port number for said host computer system; c) a connection handle field which uniquely identifies said connection; d) a connection state; e) a connection write lock indicative of whether said connection is available for writing; f) a connection read lock indicative of whether said connection is available for reading; g) a requests outstanding field indicative of the number of requests made by a client across said connection for which a response has not been received, said client associated with said computer process; and h) a replies outstanding field indicative of the number of replies a server has not yet provided across said connection, said server associated with said computer process.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
41 words
A computer process as recited in claim 33 wherein said connection state is free and therefore said host name field, said port identification field, said connection handle, said requests outstanding field, and said replies outstanding field do not contain meaningful information.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
A computer process as recited in claim 32 wherein said connection state is selected from the group consisting of opening, established, and closing.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
24 words
A computer process as recited in claim 35 wherein said host name field indicates that said host computer system is a remote computer system.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer process as recited in claim 35 wherein said host name field indicates that said host computer system and said first computer system are a same computer system.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
81 words
A computer process as recited in claim 32 wherein said connection record contains information regarding said connection, said computer process further including an object resident in said computer process and in communication with a client across said connection, said object and said computer process operable to send a connection end message to said client across said connection, said connection end message being effective to indicate to said client that said object will no longer respond to request messages from said client.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
24 words
A computer process as recited in claim 38 wherein said object, said client, and said computer process are together operable to close said connection.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
15 words
A computer process as recited in claim 38 wherein said connection is a multiplexed connection.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
26 words
A computer process as recited in claim 39 wherein said server process maintains a connection with at least a second client in addition to said client.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
25 words
A computer process as recited in claim 38 wherein said object is further operable to send a connection end code with said connection end message.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
31 words
A computer process as recited in claim 41 wherein said client is further operable to send a request from said client to an object request broker to restart said server process.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
40 words
A computer process as recited in claim 38 wherein said computer process is operable to determine if said computer process is overloaded and said computer process is arranged to send said connection end message in response to such a determination.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
37 words
A computer process as recited in claim 44 wherein said computer process is arranged to determine that said computer process is overloaded if a number of connections made to said computer process exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
23 words
A computer process as recited in claim 33 wherein said computer process is operable to establish said connection between itself and a client.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
15 words
A computer process as recited in claim 45 wherein said connection is a multiplexed connection.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
99 words
In a distributed object system in which a server object associated with a server process communicates with a client across a connection between the server process and the client, a system for terminating the connection between the server object and the client, the system comprising: a) a messaging device operable for sending a connection end message from said server object to said client across said connection, said connection end message being effective to indicate to said client that said server object will no longer respond to request messages from said client; and b) a mechanism for closing said connection.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 47, wherein said connection is a multiplexed connection.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 48, wherein said server process maintains a connection with at least a second client in addition to said client.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 47, further including a first device operable for sending a connection end code with a connection end message.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 50, further including a restart device operable for sending a request from said client to an object request broker to restart said server process.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 47, wherein said messaging device is arranged to activate in response to a determination that said server process is overloaded.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 53, wherein said determination includes determining that the number of connections made to said server process exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 52, wherein said connections are listed in a data structure including a list of active connection records.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
38 words
A computer system for use in a distributed object system, said computer system comprising: a) a central processing unit; b) a memory accessible by said central processing unit; and c) a server process as recited in claim 47.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
25 words
A distributed object system comprising: a) a plurality of computers as recited in claim 55; and b) a computer network interconnecting said plurality of computers.
Claim 58
Independent Claim
170 words
A system for establishing a connection between a client and a server process in a distributed object system, comprising: a) a first search mechanism to search for an active connection record in a table of connection records; b) an examination device for examining a host name and a server port ID of at least one discovered active connection record in said table, said examination device arranged to determine whether said active connection is effective to establish a communication link between said client and said server process; c) a first state evaluator arranged to determine whether said active connection record is in an established state if said active record is effective to establish a communication link between said client and said server; d) a second state evaluator arranged to determine the write lock state of said active connection record if said active connection record is in an established state; and e) an acquisition device arranged to acquire said active connection record if said write lock is not held by another thread.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 58, further including a wait mechanism arranged to place said system into a wait state in response to a determination that said active connection is in an opening state.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
138 words
The system of claim 58, further including: a) a second search mechanism arranged to search for a free connection record in response to a determination that no active record connection is available; b) an initializer arranged to initialize said free connection record and move said free connection record to said active list in response to a determination that a free connection record is available to create thereby a new active connection; c) a first marking device operable to mark said new active connection record as opening; d) a second acquisition device arranged to acquire the write lock of said new active connection; e) a communications device for acquiring a communication endpoint and establishing a connection between said client and said server process; and f) a second marking device operable to mark said new active connection record as established.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 60, further including a third acquisition device arranged to acquire a lock on said table of active records after said step of initializing and prior to said step of acquiring said write lock.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 61, further including a signal mechanism operable to signal waiting threads of said marking that said new active connection as established.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 62, further including a release mechanism arranged to release said table lock in response to said signal mechanism.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 63, further including a closing device arranged to close an existing active connection in response to a determination that no free connections are available.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
73 words
The system of claim 64, wherein said closing device includes: a) a third state evaluator operable to determine if said active connection is in an established state; b) a request issued evaluator operable to determine if any request that has been issued on said active connection has not been responded to; and c) a request received evaluator operable to determine if any request received on said active connection has not been responded to.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
63 words
The system of claim 65, wherein said closing device further includes: a) a messaging device operable to send a connection end message from said server object to said client, said connection end message being effective to indicate to said client that said server object will no longer respond to request messages from said client; and b) a connection closer for closing said connection.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 66, wherein said connection end message includes a connection end code.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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