Computer program code and method for delivering external data to a process running on a virtual machine

Abstract

A method and system for delivering external data to a process running on a virtual machine, said virtual machine running on an operating system. The method includes the steps of executing instructions on the virtual machine that obtain state data related to the process; querying the virtual machine to obtain component data related to the state data; and manipulating the component data to deliver the external data to the process. In one example, the system provides a single sign-on application that passes user credentials to a Java applet running on a Java virtual machine.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for delivering external data to a process running on a virtual machine, said virtual machine running on an operating system, the method including the steps of: 
 executing instructions on the virtual machine that obtain state data related to the process;    querying the virtual machine to obtain component data related to the state data; and    manipulating the component data to deliver the external data to the process.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the process implements a user interface and the state data is user interface state data.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI) and the user interface state data indicates the creation of a top level window in the GUI.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the instructions utilise an application programming interface (API) running on the virtual machine to obtain the state data.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein the API is an accessibility API and the state data is obtained by hooking the virtual machine process using that API.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein the process is a Java applet.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6  including, prior to the querying step, the step of calling a second process that executes outside the virtual machine and obtaining attribute data relating to the state data from the second process.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein the attribute data includes any one or more of: 
 a location indicator specifying a directory containing a main Class file of the applet,  
 a name of the main Class file,  
 a unique identifier allocated by the operating system to a parent window of the applet, and  
 a time value representing the time when GUI objects created by the applet were loaded and displayed.  
 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8  further including instructions for forwarding the attribute data for use by the instructions executing on the virtual machine.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein the attribute data is forwarded in a UDP packet.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein the instructions executing on the virtual machine are additionally operative to: 
 determine the unique identifier allocated by the operating system to a parent window of the applet; and  
 confirm that the unique identifier determined by the virtual machine instructions matches the unique identifier allocated externally by the operating system.  
 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the external data is delivered to the parent window identified by the unique identifier.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the external data is a login script for entering authentication credentials into the process.  
     
     
         14 . Computer program code for carrying out the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . Computer program code for carrying out the method of  claim 12 .  
     
     
         16 . A Single Sign On system for use on a computer terminal having an operating system installed thereon and a virtual machine running on the operating system, and wherein a server is communicatively coupled to the computer terminal; said system including: 
 a Java applet stored at the server, the applet including instructions for execution on a virtual machine to define a user interface;    a browser installed on said computer terminal operative to download the Java applet from the server and run the Java applet on the virtual machine;    a database of authentication credentials accessible to the computer terminal; and    instructions executable on the virtual machine, which instructions are operative to: 
 obtain user interface state data from the Java applet;  
 query the virtual machine to obtain component data related to the user interface state data; and  
 manipulate the component data so as to deliver authentication credentials to the Java applet.  
   
     
     
         17 . A Single Sign On System according to  claim 16  wherein the Java applet includes instructions for presenting an object in the user interface that prompts a user of the terminal to authenticate themselves to a resource provided by the server, the virtual machine instructions automatically delivering the authentication credentials to the object to effect the authentication.