Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-04-10
Coulter, Kenneth R. (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
C709S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216164
ABSTRACT:
MICROFICHE APPENDIX
This application includes a microfiche appendix having four microfiches and 189 frames.
NOTICE
Copyright © 1999 Florida State University. A portion of the disclosure of the patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to information management and, particularly, to an interactive information management system that provides integration between a mainframe computer and an interactive wide area network, such as the Internet.
Although the use of personal computers is becoming increasingly widespread, mainframe computers still store and manage the vast majority of data relied upon by businesses and institutions for their critical operations. For example, a university system will often use a mainframe to house the academic registration data for tens of thousands of students. Database management in a clearinghouse environment such as this often involves the execution of complex software routines by the mainframe computer to control the organization, storage and retrieval of data in a database. With the increasing popularity of the wide area, or global, network commonly referred to as the Internet, many users desire access to information housed in a mainframe via the Internet. Unfortunately, mainframes are typically associated with batch processing rather than interactive use and are not easily integrated with the Internet. In other words, conventional systems are unable to provide a mainframe host on-line.
Those skilled in the art recognize “3270” as a class of terminals, or display devices, for communicating with a mainframe. Customer information control system (CICS) applications written for 3270 input and output provide relatively clean, fast and easy-to-create application front ends for data processing by mainframe computers. Unfortunately, a communications monitor such as CICS generally cannot be extended to the Internet because its transactions are “closed” and only available through a 3270 terminal. A 3270 emulation package, which simulates a dummy terminal connected to the mainframe, usually makes the connections. For example, TN3270 refers to a 3270 terminal emulator program used to connect IBM mainframe computer hosts over a network. The user logs in with a name/password and sends a series of menu-driven commands taking the session to the desired location for data viewing. Since the Internet is completely stateless, this continuous connection is a problem with using conventional CICS and 3270 sessions to provide data access via the Internet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,830, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a server and web browser terminal emulator but requires a persistent connection to a legacy host system. The computer network environment disclosed by this patent uses an application within an application, namely, an applet, which is still a 3270 session within a browse.
For these reasons, a database management system is desired for integrating a mainframe computer with the Internet to provide fast and efficient on-line access to the information stored in the mainframe's database, as well as creating a common gateway interface (CGI) to the mainframe's CICS area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention meets the above needs and overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing an improved data management system and method that provides integration between a mainframe computer and an interactive wide area network, such as the Internet. Among the several objects and features of the present invention may be noted the provision of such system and method that permit integration between a mainframe and an interactive wide area network; the provision of such system and method that permit a mainframe to be accessed by personal computer users via a user friendly interface; the provision of such system and method that permit an on-line mainframe host; the provision of such system and method that extend CICS applications to an interactive wide area network; the provision of such system and method that facilitate student advising based on information stored in a mainframe database; and the provision of such system and method that are economically feasible and commercially practical.
Briefly described, a data management system embodying aspects of the invention includes a web server for accessing sites on a global network and a remote computer connected to the global network via the web server. The remote computer communicates on the global network using a client-server communications protocol. The system also includes a database storing data and a mainframe computer associated with the database. The mainframe is operable to execute CICS transactions that control an application program for processing the stored data. The mainframe receives an open socket command from the remote computer via the web server and responds by enabling CICS sockets. In turn, the CICS sockets permit the remote computer to communicate with the mainframe by the client-server communications protocol so that the CICS transactions are executed by the remote computer for controlling the application program at the mainframe.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of managing data stored in a database. A mainframe computer associated with the database is operable to execute CICS transactions that control an application program for processing the stored data. The method includes the steps of generating an open socket command with a remote computer and receiving the command at the mainframe. The remote computer is connected to a global network via a web server for accessing sites on the global network and communicates on the global network using a client-server communications protocol. The mainframe and remote computer are connected via the web server. The method also includes enabling CICS sockets in response to the open socket command from the remote computer. The CICS sockets permit the remote computer to communicate with the mainframe by the client-server communications protocol. The method further includes the step of executing the CICS transactions by the remote computer for controlling the application program at the mainframe.
In another form, a method of extracting selected academic registration data from a database embodies aspects of the invention. The method includes generating an open socket command with a remote computer, receiving the command at a mainframe computer and connecting the mainframe and the remote computer via a web server in response to the command. The remote computer is connected to a global network via the web server for accessing sites on the global network and the mainframe is associated with the database. The method also includes the step of defining a rules list. The academic registration data stored in the database includes an inventory of courses completed by one or more students and the rules list includes information representative of required courses and prerequisites for courses in an academic degree program. The method further includes mapping the courses of a selected student as objects, comparing the mapped course objects to the rules lists and generating an audit report based on the comparison.
In yet another form, a method of extracting data from a database embodies aspects of the invention. The data stored in the database includes an inventory of items for use in a clearinghouse environment. The method includes generating an open socket command with a remote computer, receiving the command at a mainframe computer and connecting the mainframe and the remote computer via a web server in response to the command. The remote computer is connected to a global network via the web server for accessing sites on the global network and the mainframe
Coulter Kenneth R.
Florida State University
Senniger Powers Leavitt & Roedel
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