WO2001065393A1

WO2001065393A1 - Improved device independent remote data management

Info

Publication number: WO2001065393A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/003998
Authority: WO
Inventors: Horng-Dar Lin
Original assignee: Idini Corporation
Priority date: 2000-03-02
Filing date: 2001-02-07
Publication date: 2001-09-07
Also published as: TW501023B

Abstract

A method and apparatus for remotely controlling server command execution by a client computer are presented. The client is connected through a first general web server (58) to a plurality of servers. The client communicates with the first server using a first language, and the first werver communicates with each of the servers within the plurality of server suing a language necessary to accomplish the desired tack. The language used is determined using the operating environment, the first server consults a rule to identify a set of server commands in a second language which is equivalent to the client command, and then concults capability table to determine one or more servers configured to execute each command.

Description

IMPROVED DEVICE INDEPENDENT REMOTE DATA MANAGEMENT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electronic devices used to interact with information stored on a server. More particularly, the present invention provides an apparatus interface between client devices and network servers which allows applications executed on network server to be remotely controlled and manipulated by the client device.

2. The Background Art

In modern computing, it is commonplace for electronic devices to be linked together in a network and thus be able to share and operate on information contained within that network. Networks include server devices which have information and application software which may be used to "serve" the needs of client devices.

It is known that a given network device may at times act as either a client device or a server device. In this specification, the conventional definitions of server and client devices are retained, and those terms shall refer to devices which, although possibly capable of alternating between server and client modes, are operating in the named mode at the time a described activity is taking place.

Typical networks contain a wide variety of client device types, ranging from larger devices such as personal computers and terminals, to smaller devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's), and network capable cellular telephones.

Each different client device type typically has a different language associated with it, due to the variety of different functions those client device types may be designed to perform.

In order to serve a given client device type, a server is required to store data which would be used by that client device type in the language understood and used by that device type. Examples of those languages include WML, HTML, etc. Further, the server is required to understand the syntax of the commands sent to it by client devices, and respond in kind so that the client device will understand the response.

In addition to certain client device types being incapable of processing information which is in a different language than that used by the client device, the client application software which is available to interact with the server information often has functionality which is substantially reduced from that functionality typically seen in modern desktop computers, due to the client device having much less display area, lower power consumption requirements, less processing power, and less memory. Thus, it is typical that a substantially reduced subset of commands is available to those client device types.

Examples of prior art networks are seen in FIGS. 1 A, IB, and lC.

Referring to FIG. 1 A, a first client device 10 is linked to server 12 which contains information files 14 and 16 in wireless markup language (WML), the language used by client device 10.

Referring to FIG. IB, a second client device 18 is linked to server 20 which contains files 22 and 24 in hypertext markup language (HTML) format, the language used by client device 22.

Referring to FIG. 1C, a network 30 may contain a first client device 32, and a second client device 34, both linked to server 36. Server 36 contains files 38, 40, and 42 in WML, HTML, Xtensive markup language (XML) respectively, the particular languages suited for particular client devices which are expected to occasionally require the information stored therein. File 44 is in text format, and may be a file which is incorporated at runtime into a display controlled by files 38, 40, or 42.

In this FIG. 1C example, files 38, 40, 42 and 44 may contain the same information, but in different formats. Thus, if client device 32 requires files in WML format and requests information contained in the group of files represented by files 38, 40, 42 and 44, server 36 must select file 38 for distribution to device 32. Correspondingly, if device 34 is requires files in XML format and requests information contained in the group of files represented by files 38, 40, 42 and 44, server 36 must select file 42 for distribution to device 34. Prior art networks, while suited for their intended purpose of delivering information to client devices in the formats well-suited for those devices, suffer significant drawbacks in that it is necessary that servers such as server 36 contain desired information in the many formats desired by the different client devices which it serves. Thus, an individual document is required to be stored in as many formats as the number of types of client devices allowed to be connected to the network.

It would therefore be beneficial to provide a method and apparatus which requires only one copy of a given piece of information in a format known to the server but which can also provide that information in any format required by the various types of portable electronic devices which may become linked to the network.

Further, prior art networks suffer from their ability to allow client devices to remotely control the manipulation of files. It was previously stated that client devices have limited processing power and are therefore limited in the application software that they can execute. It would therefore be tremendously beneficial to provide a system and method for client devices to be able to manipulate information in many different formats and using multiple languages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and apparatus for remotely controlling server command execution by a client computer are presented. The client is connected through a first server to a plurality of servers. The client communicates with the first server using a first language, and the first server communicates with each of the servers within the plurality of servers using the language necessary to accomplish the desired task. The language used is determined using the operating environment and the application program interface receiving the command. In one embodiment, the first server consults a rule identify a set of server commands in a second language which is equivalent to the client command, and then consults a capability table to determine one or more servers configured to execute each command. The respective servers are then caused to execute one or more of the commands with the set of server commands. Any results from those command executions are then translated back into the client language and transmitted to the client for processing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 A, IB, and 1C are examples of prior art networks.

FIG. 2 is one example of a present invention electronic system wherein client devices are linked to servers.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a flow chart showing a present invention method for processing client device commands in a network.

FIG. 4 is an example of a present invention rule table.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a second present invention method.

FIG. 6 is an example of a present invention capability table.

FIG. 7 is an example of a present invention server loading table.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are a flow chart showing a third present invention method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT

Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for allowing client devices having limited command functionality and which utilize a first language to control the execution of application programs on remote servers using a second language.

Briefly, a client device is connected to a second server through a present invention first server. Commands are issued by the client to the first server in a first command language such as WML. If the command relates to an application provided by a second server, the first server translates the command into the language and format used by the second server, and transmits that command to the server for action. Following the execution of the command by the second server, the results are transmitted by the second server to the first server. Depending on what those results are, the first server may transmit the results to the client device.

In this manner, a limited functionality client device may remotely cause applications to be executed on a server which operates using a command syntax or language unfamiliar to the client device.

Referring to FIG. 2 network 50 includes client devices 52 and 54 which are of different types and therefore have different command syntax and use different languages, adaptive server 56, and servers 58, 60, and 62. Adaptive server 56 includes an adaptive client interface 64, a personalization module 66, a service routing module 68, and application 70. Client devices 52 and 54 and servers 58, 60, and 62 are typical prior art devices.

Server 58 is an example of a typical prior art web server. Servers 60 and 62 are examples of typical prior art application servers. For the purposes of this disclosure, servers 50, 60, and 62 use different command syntax and languages. Client interface 64 receives input information from either of clients 52 or 54. Interface 64 is adaptive in that it is configured to determine the type of devices connected at different ports, and communicate with those devices in their own desired command syntax. Therefore, by way of example, a first device may use WML, and a second device may use HTML, but commands issued by either device through interface 64 will be understood by interface 64. Each port on the interface may be attached to any type of device.

Personalization module 66 is configured to personalize each networking session with each client. Following an authentication session which may be managed by either interface 64 or personalization module 66, a preferences set is consulted to determine the various settings the particular user of the client device prefers. Methods to personalize network sessions are known in the art.

Service routing module 68 determines the proper resources with which to handle command requests submitted by client devices. After a command is initiated on a client device and transmitted to server 56, routing module 68 determines the proper server resources to utilize to accomplish the desired tasks, and then routes the requests to those servers. In order to determine the resources, routing module 68 examines a rule table to identify the proper server commands to satisfy particular client command requests.

Once the proper server commands are identified, routing module 68 examines a capability table and a loading table to determine which servers are configured to perform the needed commands, and ranks those properly configured servers in order of their loading. Generally, the most available server having the quickest anticipated execution time will be chosen to execute the commands, and the commands will be particularly structured and formatted for that server.

Application interface 70 is configured to transmit the proper server commands and handle all of the communications between server 56 and servers 58, 60, and 62. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that each application program has a set of commands associated with it. Those commands are typically received through the use of an application program interface (API) which has a format associate therewith. It is this format, coupled with any special method of transferring data to the server, that is termed "language" in this specification. The term "language" as used herein is therefore meant to be broad, rather than limiting.

Process manger 72 is configured to manage events and processes within server 56.

FIGS. 3A and 3B comprise a flowchart showing a method of the present invention.

In describing methods of the present invention herein, reference is made to a first server and a second server. It is intended that the term "first server" apply to a server such as server 56 (FIG. 1) through which client commands are passed in order to be processed and translated from the client device language into a server language understood by a second server. It is therefore intended that the term "second server" apply to those servers such as servers 58, 60, and 62 which receive translated commands from the first server.

Referring to FIGS. 3 A and 3B together, the method begins at block 80 where a client device initiates a command. Such a command is not restricted and can therefore be an application command, a web display command, or any other commands used in a network.

At block 82, the client device transmits that client command to a present invention first server.

At block 84, the first server receives the client command and consults a rule table to determine a set of one or more server commands equivalent to the client command. An example of such a rule table is seen in FIG. 4 where a first column of commands 86 translates into a set of one or more commands in a second column of commands 88. By way of example and not intended to be limiting, a client "compare" conunand 90 translates into a set of server commands including commands 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, and 104.

The server commands equivalent to "compare" command 90, in this example, would be a set of commands which include the steps of (92) determining whether the files being compared are in the same file format, (94) if the files being compared are not the same file format, converting one document into the other documents format, or converting both documents into a common third format, (96) opening the first file, (98) opening the second file, (100) comparing the two files, (102) closing the first file, and then (104) closing the second file. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that commands such as those described herein may be presented in one or more alternate sequences and still 10 accomplish an equivalent result.

The foregoing example is meant to be illustrative only. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that many different command constructs will achieve the same result. It is intended that all such constructs be included in the present invention.

Returning to the discussion of FIG. 3, at block 110, the first server chooses, in order of required execution, a command from the set of server commands previously determined at block 84.

At block 112, the first server translates the chosen command into the language (or format) required by the second server and transmits that translated command to the second server for execution.

At block 114, the second server executes the translated command and returns any results back to the first server.

At block 116, it is determined whether all commands from the set of server commands have been processed through blocks 110, 112, and 114. If yes, the method proceeds with block 118 where the first server collates the results of the various command executions and translates those results into the first language (or format) and transmits the translated results to the client for display.

If, at block 116, not all commands from the set of server commands had been processed, the method proceeds at block 110 where a new command is chosen from the set and processed.

In the preceding example, a client command is translated into a set of server commands, and those server commands are then processed in the order with which those commands are expected to be executed. As each command is processed, it is transmitted to the proper server for execution. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the commands making up the set of server commands identified as being equivalent to the client command may be occasionally be processed in parallel, and alternatively in different order, and still achieve an equivalent result. Further, rather than transmitting each command as it is processed, all commands may be processed and then transmitted to the respective servers as a set.

A more detailed presentation of one method contemplated by the inventor to accomplish the execution of block 84 is seen in FIG. 5.

Prior to the execution of block 84, the first server has received a client command from the client device.

Referring to FIG. 5, the detailed method of block 84 begins at block 130 where the first server interrogates a rule base such as seen in FIG. 4 in order to map the client command into a set of equivalent server commands.

At block 132, the first server routing module chooses one of the server commands from the set of equivalent server commands to be processed. It is contemplated that each of the server commands will be chosen in the desired order of execution, but it is not necessary that the order of command processing be chosen in that manner.

Those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will readily recognize that this example method operates on the commands in order, and transmits translated commands to the second server as they are translated. However, an alternate embodiment may cause the commands to be translated in any order, cache the results, then transmit the translated commands in their correct order.

At block 134, the first server routing module interrogates a capabilities list to determine one or more servers which are configured to execute the required server commands. One example of such a capabilities table is seen in FIG. 6 which includes a column 136 of commands, a column 138 of applications, and a column 140 of servers being configured to execute those applications.

By way of example, assume that the client command is to convert a file from a first file format to a second file format. The client command is transmitted from the client device in the client language to the first server which translates that client command into one or more server commands using the rule base. The capabilities table shows two servers having IDs 129 and 135 configured to execute the "convert" command.

After determining that there are one or more servers configured to execute the command, a server loading table such as that depicted in FIG. 7 is interrogated to determine which of those two servers can execute the command most efficiently. In this example, and using the capabilities table of FIG. 7, since the loading on server 129 is less than the loading on server 135, server 129 will be chosen to execute the command.

At block 150, it is determined whether each server command has been mapped to a server configured to execute that command.

If yes, the method proceeds with block 152 where it is determined whether all server commands have been processed through blocks 132, 134, and 150. If yes, the method ends.

If, at block 150, there exists at least one server command which doesn't have an associated server configured to execute that command, the routing module, at block 154, identifies a server capable of being configured to execute the command and configures that server. A further illustrative method of the present invention is presented herein as FIGS. 8 A and 8B.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B together, the method begins at block 160 where a client device such as device 52 (FIG. 2) initiates a document display request and transmits that request to a first server of the present invention such as server 56. By way of example, assume that the client device command is to present the details of a word-processing document to the client device for viewing. Since the client device doesn't have the processing power to run such a complex application such as WordPerfect, it is necessary that the first server ensure that the wordperf ect application be executed on a server (its own, or a second server) with the proper document requested by the client device and that display details are translated and forwarded to the client device.

At block 162 the first server receives the block 160 request. It is assumed herein that information describing characteristics of device 52 have previously been received, and that the client device type is known by the present invention first server. It is therefore not necessary that information describing characteristics the devices such as device 52 be transmitted with every document display request.

However, in order for a server such as server 56 to be able to provide display, edit or other device dependent services, it is necessary that such information describing characteristics of device 52 be provided at some point prior to server 56 providing display information back to device 52. In the absence of specific client device characteristic information, server 56 may assume a particular default set of characteristics that would be used absent information pertaining to the specific device such as device 52.

At block 164, the present invention first server identifies the language required to retrieve the document and requests the document from its storage location using that identified language. The identification of the language required is accomplished by determining the type of server on which the document resides, together with identifying the document file format. Those of ordinary skill in the art are readily aware of many ways to identify a server type and a file format type.

At block 166. the first server determines the content of the information stored in the retrieved document and isolates differing content types into content buckets. Examples of content types include images, text, graphics, etc.

At block 168, the first server transmits overview details of each content bucket to the requesting client device, based on preference settings. If, for example, a preference setting shows that the client device associated with a given login identifier prefers text over graphics, or summary information instead of actual text, the information provided the client at this block is adjusted accordingly.

At block 170, the client device displays details relating to the various content buckets, and a particular content bucket is chosen for display by transmitting a "display bucket" command to the first server.

At block 172, the present invention first server compares information about the particular content bucket with the display characteristics of the client device to determine whether all of the information from the desired content bucket can be displayed on a single screen of that client device. If no, at block 174 a subset of information from the content bucket is selected for display by the first server. This subset may include any set of information within the content bucket which may be displayed in a single screen of the client device, such as the upper right region of the content bucket, the upper left region of the content bucket, etc.

The selected subset of information selected for display is then transferred to the client device and displayed. Once the information has been transferred, the first server process manager awaits the receipt of the next client device command. Those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will readily recognize that the client device may transmit windowing commands which cause the first server to refresh the client device display to include different portions of the chosen content bucket.

At block 176, a nonwindowing command is transmitted by the client device to the first server and a determination is made whether the command is to choose a new content bucket for display. If yes, the method proceeds at block 172. If no, the method proceeds at block 178 where the new command is evaluated and processed as described herein.

Those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit if this disclosure will readily recognize that a method for using the client device to view a document which is stored on a remote server may be as described above, where the document is retrieved by the first server and then presented to the client device one display at a time, or may instead be a method wherein the document is left on the remote server and that remote server is remotely controlled by the first server as described herein to provide data relating to the different content buckets.

While embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

What is Claimed is:

1. In a networked computer system having a client connected through a first server to a second server, the client being configured to communicate to said first server using a first language, the first server and the second server configured to communicate using a second language, the second server being configured to execute and manage at least one application program, a method for remotely handling application commands comprising: initiating a first command in said first language on the client and transmitting that command to said first server; translating said first command in said first language into at least one equivalent command in said second language; transmitting said at least one equivalent command to said second server; causing said at least one equivalent command to be executed by said second server.

2. In a networked computer system having a client connected through a first server to a plurality of servers, the client being configured to communicate to said first server using a first language, the first server configured to communicate to said plurality of servers using a plurality of languages, the plurality of servers each being configured to execute and manage at least one application program, a method for remotely handling application commands comprising: initiating a first command in said first language on the client and transmitting that command to said first server; translating said first command in said first language into a set of equivalent commands comprising at least two commands, at least two commands within said set being from two different languages; transmitting said at least two commands to at least two servers within said plurality of servers; causing at least one of said at least two commands to be executed.