Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-29
2003-12-02
Voeltz, Emanuel Todd (Department: 2121)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
C709S238000, C709S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06658450
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to the field of computer software, and more particularly to the storage of data relating to the operation of computer processes. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a memory-resident storage method and system for permitting transient storage of data associated with a variety of collaborating computer processes, even when the collaborating computer process are operating on different computers at different locations, and even when the collaborating computer processes may or may not have associated persistent storage mechanisms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
On the Internet, as well as with other on-line networked computer systems, a given application may provide a service to one or more users, while collaborating with many different computer processes on many different computers. The different computer processes may be on different computers and even at different locations. For this reason, in this situation the traditional concept of the client or a server, or a server amongst servers is not relevant. This is true because no one processor will possess the entire state of the application satisfying the needs of the user or users.
One problem related to the above situation occurs when the collaborating computer processes operate on different processors at different times concerns properly and appropriately notifying either the user or one of the collaborating computer processes when a certain event has occurred. When computer processes collaborate with one another, there is a desire to permit a first computer process to assign to a second computer process the job of completing a certain task. After the second computer process accepts the assignment, the first computer process may disengage with the second computer process. The second computer process may then complete the desired assignment. Upon completing the assigned operation, the second computer process should then notify the first computer process that its assigned task has been completed.
Presently, collaborating computer processes do not provide this form of notification for HTTP or Web-based computer processes, but are highly transaction-oriented. The computer programs of these types cannot work with a server to “push” to a collaborating computer process something that another computer process did not originally request. For example, in the Microsoft® Transaction Server® environment, server push applications are not feasible. Although Microsoft® Transaction Server® applications may provide some form of active channel, currently they do not provide any form of notification or server push function. In addition, no other known methods of collaborating among computer processes in an on-line environment provide this desired type of notification.
Another limitation of existing technologies is that they do not provide a way to determine the addresses of the different processes that may provide different operations for collaborating computer processes. This lack of addressing capability prohibits associations between the server and the associated collaborating computer processes. In such environments, communications are usually point-to-point and protocols are defined on an ad hoc basis. With such a structure, when collaborating processes attempt to communication with one another, there is first the need to determine the protocol or the method in which the two collaborating computer processes will talk to one another. Because of this, there is often a lack of uniformity in the communications that might occur between the collaborating computing processes. This complicates the interface between the collaborating computer processes and may ultimately inhibit or restrict their ability to collaborate.
Another limitation associated with traditional methods and systems for storing data in an HTML or Web-based system is that the systems store information in a flat manner. Thus, in identifying a recipient for a message, such a system simply looks for a user with the desired name and sends the message directly to that user.
Still another limitation associated with conventional methods and systems for permitting computer processes to collaborate concerns the inability to determine all of the potential computer processes that may desire to collaborate with one another. With conventional methods of storing data associated with collaborating computer processes, there is no practical way to usefully detect or meaningfully “listen” to which computer processes are collaborating. This lack of ability to listen inhibits fully using the collaborating computer processes during their collaboration.
Yet another limitation associated with storing data relating to collaborating computer processes arises from the fact that traditional methods use databases for a “persistent” store of data. With persistent storing of information, the data survives in a magnetic or other physical form of memory after the computer processes cease to collaborate. For many applications, however, persistently storing data is inefficient and lacks the dynamic characteristics associated with a “transient” storage of data that accompanies the collaborating computer processes. Moreover, for the persistent store of data a storage mechanism must be designed and registered ahead of time for use by the collaborating computer processes. Clearly, this restricts the flexibility of systems that can only store data persistently.
Conventional systems also suffer from the requirement to identify, register and install all of the potential users of or listeners to the collaborating computer processes. This is true even though listening may occur at a point substantially after the initiation of computer process collaboration. With conventional memory-resident storage method and systems, however, no practical way exists to transiently create a listening connection from the server to the collaborating computer processes as the computer processes dynamically collaborate with one another.
Another problem with conventional data storage mechanisms that exist for collaborating computer processes relates to the expense and time necessary to distribute the user-side collaborating technology to users.
Still another limitation exists with conventional solutions relating to the desire for collaborating computer processes. Presently, a number of mechanisms exists for real time communication on the network, such as the Internet. This includes chat products, instant messaging products, and other products that are disparate and that move events in small bits of information from one place to another. These solutions or mechanisms are controlled in different ways and administered in different ways. This creates the problem of expense and complexity in maintaining the different incompatible communication schemes.
Still another limitation associated with conventional methods of permitting computer processes to collaborate with one another associates with the use of network resources dedicated on each end of the communication link between the collaborating computer processes. In traditional applications, two computer processes seeking to collaborate with one another must establish a socket or network resources that permit the communication between the two computer processes. When numerous computer processes desire to collaborate with one another, the requirement that each set of processes consume a socket, can be very expensive in terms of network resources. Moreover, the necessary handshakes, failure preparedness and other requirements for the dedication of network resources for this collaboration is expensive and consumes substantial resources, depending on the number of computer processes with which collaboration is desired.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method that permit describing events that occur when numerous computer processes collaborate with one another, even when the computer processes may reside on different computers and at different locations.
There is the need for a system that provides notif
Balakrishnan Govind
Bunyan Peter
Avaya Technology Corp.
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Todd Voeltz Emanuel
LandOfFree
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