Method for supporting an extensible and dynamically bindable protocol stack in a distrubited process system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) further comprises the application server sending an acknowledgment message to the client workstation indicating that the additional protocols have been enabled.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further comprises the application server responding to each protocol packet transmitted by the client workstation with a server protocol packet, at least one of the server protocol packets modifying at least one of the associated protocol parameters.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises: (a-a) the application server broadcasting a service available message on the common transport mechanism; (a-b) one of the plurality of client workstations sending, on the common transport mechanism, a response to the server's service available message; (a-c) the application server and the responding client workstation each enabling a required set of communication protocols for further communication between the application server and the client workstation; and (a-d) the application server transmitting a request protocol message, via the enabled communication protocol, to the responding client workstation.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 further comprising after step (a-a) the step of the application server rebroadcasting a service available message to the client workstations if no client workstation sends a response to the application server's service available message within a predetermined period of time.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 further comprising after step (a-b) the step of the server acknowledging the client workstation's response to the service available message.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of one of the client workstations resending on the common transport mechanism a response to the server's service available message if the server does not acknowledge the client workstation's response within a predetermined period of time.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises the application server responding to each protocol packet transmitted by the client workstation with a server protocol packet indicating acceptance or denial of an additional protocol specified by the client workstation.

Claim 10

A distributed process system comprising an application server, at least one client workstation, and a common transport mechanism for interconnecting the application server and the client workstation, the distributed process system providing an extensible and dynamically bindable protocol stack in the application server based on a method using information exchange between the application server and the client workstation, the method comprising: (a) initializing the application server and the client workstation with a prescribed set of enabled protocols and associated protocol parameters providing a common transport mechanism; (b) the application server transmitting a request protocol message to the client workstation; (c) the client workstation responding to the request protocol message with a plurality of client protocol packets specifying one or more additional protocols and associated protocol parameters that are desired by the client workstation for a client workstation application; (d) the application server responding to each protocol packet transmitted by the client workstation with a server protocol packet counter-specifying one or more associated protocol parameters; and (e) the application server and the client workstation each enabling the additional protocols with the negotiated protocol parameters in preparation for running the client workstation application.

Claim 11

A distributed process system comprising an application server, at least one client workstation, and a common transport mechanism for interconnecting the application server and the client workstation, the distributed process system providing an extensible and dynamically bindable protocol stack in the application server based on a method using information exchange between the application server and the client workstation, the method comprising: (a) initializing the application server and the client workstation with a prescribed set of enabled protocols and associated protocol parameters providing a common transport mechanism; (b) the application server transmitting a request protocol message to the client workstation; (c) the client workstation responding to the request protocol message with a plurality of client protocol packets specifying one or more additional protocols and associated protocol parameters that are desired by the client workstation for a client workstation application; (d) the application server responding to each protocol packet transmitted by the client workstation with a server protocol packet counter-specifying one or more associated protocol parameters; and (e) the application server and the client workstation each enabling the additional protocols with the negotiated protocol parameters in preparation for running the client workstation application.

Claim 12

The system of claim 9 wherein method step (e) further comprises the application server sending an acknowledgment message to the client workstation indicating that the additional protocols have been enabled.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9 wherein method step (d) further comprises the application server responding to each protocol packet transmitted by the client workstation with a server protocol packet, at least one of the server protocol packets modifying at least one of the associated protocol parameters.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9 wherein step (b) further comprises: (b-a) the application server broadcasting a service available message on the common transport mechanism; (b-b) the client workstation sending, on the common transport mechanism, a response to the server's service available message; (b-c) the application server and the responding client workstation each enabling a required set of communication protocols for further communication between the application server and the client workstation; and (b-d) the application server transmitting a request protocol message, via the enabled communication protocol, to the responding client workstation.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 further comprising after step (b-a) the step of the application server rebroadcasting a service available message on the common transport mechanism if no client workstation sends a response to the application server's service available message within a predetermined period of time.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 further comprising after step (b-b) the step of the server acknowledging the client workstation's response to the service available message.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of the client workstation resending on the common transport mechanism a response to the server's service available message if the server does not acknowledge the client workstation's response within a predetermined period of time.

Claim 18

The method of claim 9 wherein step (d) comprises the application server responding to each protocol packet transmitted by the client workstation with a server protocol packet indicating acceptance or denial of an additional protocol specified by the client workstation.

Claim 19

The method of claim 9 wherein step (a) comprises initializing the application server and the client workstation with a prescribed set of enabled protocols and associated protocol parameters providing a common transport mechanism, wherein the common transport mechanism comprises raw ASCII stream mode of communications.

Claim 20

A server method for providing an extensible and dynamically bindable protocol stack for a client workstation, the server initialized with a prescribed set of enabled protocols and associated protocol parameters providing a common transport mechanism, the server method comprising: (a) transmitting a request protocol message to a client workstation; (b) receiving a plurality of client protocol packets from the client workstation, each of the received protocol packets specifying one or more additional protocols and associated protocol parameters that are desired by the client workstation; (c) responding to each received client protocol packets by transmitting a server protocol packet counter-specifying one or more associated protocol parameters; and (d) enabling the additional protocols with the negotiated protocol parameters in preparation for serving the client workstation.

Claim 21

A server method for providing an extensible and dynamically bindable protocol stack for a client workstation, the server initialized with a prescribed set of enabled protocols and associated protocol parameters providing a common transport mechanism, the server method comprising: (a) transmitting a request protocol message to a client workstation; (b) receiving a plurality of client protocol packets from the client workstation, each of the received protocol packets specifying one or more additional protocols and associated protocol parameters that are desired by the client workstation; (c) responding to each received client protocol packets by transmitting a server protocol packet counter-specifying one or more associated protocol parameters; and (d) enabling the additional protocols with the negotiated protocol parameters in preparation for serving the client workstation.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18 wherein step (d) further comprises sending an acknowledgment message to the client workstation indicating that the additional, negotiated protocols have been enabled.

Claim 23

The method of claim 18 further comprising after step (a) the step of rebroadcasting a service available message if no client workstation responds in a predetermined period of time.

Claim 24

The method of claim 18 wherein step (a) further comprises: (a-a) broadcasting a service available message on the common transport mechanism; (a-b) receiving a response from a client workstation on the common transport mechanism; (a-c) enabling a required set of communication protocols for further communication with the client workstation; and (a-d) transmitting a request protocol message to the responding client workstation via the enabled communication protocol.