Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-28
2001-08-07
Chaki, Kakali (Department: 2122)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C717S152000, C707S793000, C709S201000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272677
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to application code versions, and more particularly to dynamically updating code versions for running applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Application programs on distributed computer systems in a network are generally based upon the concept of a central manager which resides on a server, exchanging information with agents on remote machines within the network. The installation of agents in such an application environment typically either requires the manual distribution of storage media (e.g., CD-ROMs, or diskettes) on which the agent and its corresponding installation package reside, or the placement of the agent install package on a server for downloading. Utilizing manual distribution results in time-consuming administrative procedures associated with the distribution of the agent's physical storage media. Even greater time is needed due to the heterogeneous network environment that includes systems with differing operating systems, thus requiring multiple versions of the agent software.
While utilizing a server does alleviate some of the distribution difficulties of a manual approach, it is not without problems. The efforts to place the install package on the server remains a somewhat manual administrative procedure, where the procedure typically varies among networks and is prone to human error. Further, the use of a server does not guard against code versioning problems, which result when the application's multiple agents potentially have been downloaded at varying times and are not all the latest version of code.
Thus, software distribution and installation remain concerns for both vendors and customers. Recent Internet and Web technology reemphasize a dynamic approach for software updating in applications by allowing replacement of loaded class files at any time. Wide use is made of this feature in the Internet browser environment, where the latest data files, Web pages, images, etc., are downloaded from a Web server to the Browser client when the client makes a request. However, it is difficult to implement dynamic distribution for non-browser Java applications and applets, since the new class files or modules do not take effect until the next time the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) running on the computer system is started. Further, ‘loaded’ native libraries, (e.g., files *.dll, *.nlm, *.so, *.sl, etc.), are normally locked by the operating system when they are loaded into memory and thus cannot be replaced. Therefore, most current Java applications detect old code versions and perform updates only when the applications are started, not when the applications are running.
Accordingly, a need exists for dynamic updating of a code version for a Java application. The present invention addresses such a need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides aspects for automatic code version update detection and distribution for an application program running on a computer system in a computer network. In a method aspect, the method includes providing two agent processes, a slave agent and a master agent, on an agent system in the computer network. The two agents capably communicate via process-to-process communication, for example, by listening for requests on each of two ports for TCP/IP communication. The master agent comprises a thin code layer of control functionality, while the slave agent comprises a thick code layer of traditional application functionality. A request is received in the slave agent from a manager system in the computer network, the request including an appropriate code version of the running application for response. A determination of whether the slave agent can fulfill the request at the appropriate code version is made, and an automatic updating of the agent system occurs when the request cannot be fulfilled at the appropriate code version. In a further method aspect, two agent processes, a slave agent and a master agent, are provided on an agent system, with identification of whether the agent system is operating at an appropriate code version occurring during discovery and registration of the agent system in a manager system, and automatic updating of the agent system when the agent system is not operating at the appropriate code version.
Through the present invention, manager systems can detect old code versions and update agent systems while the applications are running on the agent systems, not merely when the applications are started. Such capability achieves significant reduction in manual administrative overhead when issuing new code versions on a distributed computer network. Further, the present invention is readily implemented on most standard operating systems and in conjunction with common features of Java. These and other advantages of the aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood in conjunction with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
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Lam An Ngoc
Nguyen-Phuc Vinh-Thuan
Chaki Kakali
Das Chameli C.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Krall Noreen A.
Sawyer Law Group LLP
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