Service framework for a distributed object network system

Abstract

An improved method and apparatus for providing a service framework for a distributed object network system are provided. In some embodiments, an apparatus that includes a server, a service for a limited resource residing on the server, and a pool of workers for the service that execute service requests from a client in a distributed object network system is provided. In some embodiments, a method that includes providing client-side service request encapsulation, balancing workloads among clones of service locators, clones of services, and workers in a worker pool of a service, and improving fault tolerance in a distributed object network system is provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A distributed object network system comprising: 
 a first computer;    a service residing on the first computer, the service providing access to a limited resource that resides on the first computer;    a service framework;    wherein the service framework further comprises: 
 a first set of computer instructions executed by the first computer, the first set of computer instructions providing access to the requested service by allocating a worker in a worker pool for the service in response to a service request, wherein the worker executes the service request, and the first set of computer instructions provides workload balancing among a plurality of workers in the worker pool for the service.  
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of    claim 1    further comprising: 
 a second computer;  
 a network connecting the second computer to the first computer,  
 wherein the service framework further comprises: 
 a second set of computer instructions executed by the second computer, the second set of computer instructions requesting a service from the first computer.  
 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of    claim 2    further comprising: 
 a third set of computer instructions executed by a third computer, the third set of computer instructions providing central management and configuration for administering distributed applications.  
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of    claim 2    wherein the service framework further comprises: 
 a service locator executed by the first computer, the service locator providing an object reference to the first set of computer instructions in response to a get service operation from the second set of computer instructions, wherein the service locator provides workload balancing among instances of the service.  
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of    claim 4    wherein the service framework further comprises: 
 a third set of computer instructions executed by the second computer, the third set of computer instructions providing an object reference to the service locator in response to a find service operation from the second set of computer instructions, wherein the third set of computer instructions provides workload balancing among instances of the service locator.  
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of    claim 2    wherein the service framework further comprises: 
 a third set of computer instructions executed by the first computer, the third set of computer instructions instantiating the second set of computer instructions and registering the service with a service locator, wherein the service locator is executed by the first computer and provides an object reference to the first set of computer instructions in response to a get service operation from the second set of computer instructions.  
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of    claim 2    wherein the second set of computer instructions comprises methods exported by an interface of the worker.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of    claim 2    wherein the second set of computer instructions further comprises: 
 obtaining an object reference to the service locator;  
 obtaining the object reference to the requested service;  
 obtaining a reservation on the worker in the worker pool for the requested service; and  
 executing the service request on the worker in the worker pool for the requested service.  
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of    claim 8    wherein the first set of computer instructions further comprises: 
 allocating reservations among at least two workers in the worker pool for the service.  
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of    claim 9    wherein the first set of computer instructions further comprises: 
 balancing the workload among the workers in the worker pool by providing at least two queues that each comprise workers that have various properties, wherein each queue comprises a sub-queue that comprises workers that have various priorities.  
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of    claim 10    wherein the second set of computer instructions further comprises: 
 providing a reservation context that comprises a client key, a worker key, and a service key.  
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of    claim 11    wherein the service framework is implemented as CORBA extensions.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of    claim 12    wherein the second computer further comprises: 
 a web browser.  
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of    claim 13    wherein the service framework provides session management for a connection between the first set of computer instructions and the second set of computer instructions during a worker reservation.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of    claim 14    wherein the second computer further comprises: 
 a JAVA applet executed by the second computer, wherein the second set of computer instructions provides the service request in Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP) to the first set of computer instructions.  
 
     
     
         16 . A computer implemented method for providing a service framework in a distributed object network system, the method comprising: 
 executing a first set of computer instructions in a first computer, the first set of computer instructions providing access to a service by allocating a worker in the worker pool for the service, wherein the first set of computer instructions provides workload balancing among a plurality of workers in the worker pool for the service, and the service provides access to a limited resource that resides on the first computer; and    executing a second set of computer instructions in a second computer, the second set of computer instructions encapsulating the operation of performing a service request for the second computer, wherein the second computer connects to the first computer over a network.    
     
     
         17 . The computer implemented method of    claim 16    wherein the step of executing the second set of computer instructions further comprises: 
 finding the requested service using a service locator, wherein the service locator provides an object reference to the first set of computer instructions;  
 obtaining an allocated worker in the worker pool for the requested service, wherein the allocated worker is selected and reserved by the first set of computer instructions, and the allocated worker executes service requests;  
 receiving results of the service request from the allocated worker; and  
 passing the results of the service request to the second computer.  
 
     
     
         18 . The computer implemented method of    claim 16    further comprising: 
 executing a third set of computer instructions in the second computer, the third set of computer instructions providing workload balancing among instances of the service locator, wherein the service locator provides an object reference to the first set of computer instructions.  
 
     
     
         19 . The computer implemented method of    claim 16    wherein the step of executing the first set of computer instructions further comprises: 
 allocating reservations among at least two workers in the worker pool for the service based on worker statistics.  
 
     
     
         20 . The computer implemented method of    claim 19    wherein the step of executing the first set of computer instructions further comprises: 
 providing a load balancing manager that comprises at least two queues that each comprise workers that have various properties, wherein each queue comprises a sub-queue that comprises workers that have various priorities.  
 
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable medium comprising software for a service framework for a distributed object network system, the service framework software comprising: 
 a set of objects, the set of objects providing access to a service, the service providing access to a limited resource residing on a first computer,    wherein the set of objects further comprises: 
 a plurality of workers in a worker pool for the service; and  
 a load balancing manager that balances workloads among the plurality of workers in the worker pool for the service.  
   
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium as in    claim 21    wherein the service framework software further comprises: 
 a service proxy object, the service proxy object encapsulating, for a second computer, the operation of a service request to the set of objects, wherein the second computer connects to the first computer over a network.  
 
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium as in    claim 21    wherein the service framework software further comprises: 
 a service proxy locator object, the service proxy locator object providing workload balancing among instances of a service locator, wherein the service locator provides an object reference to the set of objects and balances workloads among instances of the requested service.  
 
     
     
         24 . Computer data signals embodied in a carrier wave comprising: 
 an allocate worker interface in Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP) from a service proxy object to a service object, the service object residing on a first computer and providing access to a limited resource on the first computer, and the service proxy object residing on a second computer and encapsulating the operation of requesting a service, wherein the allocate worker interface comprises service properties and a reservation context; and    an execute request interface in IIOP from the service proxy object to an allocated worker object that resides on the first computer, wherein the allocated worker object executes service requests.    
     
     
         25 . The computer data signals as in    claim 24    wherein the allocate worker interface in IIOP further comprises: 
 a worker hint in the reservation context, wherein the worker hint comprises an object reference of a worker that was previously reserved by the second computer.