Application server for delivering applets to client computing devices in a distributed environment

Abstract

An applet server accepts requests for applets from client computers. A request specifies the format in which an applet is to be delivered to the requesting client computer. The applet server has a cache used to store applets for distribution to client computers. If the specified form of the requested applet is available in the cache, the applet server transmits the applet to the requesting client. If the applet is not available in the cache, the server will attempt to build the applet from local resources (program code modules and compilers) and transformer programs (verifiers and optimizers). If the applet server is able to build the requested applet, it will transmit the applet to the requesting client computer. If the applet server is unable to build the requested applet, it will pass the request to another applet server on the network for fulfillment of the request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method operating on a computer system for delivering one or more applets to one or more client computers, the method comprising:
 configuring an applet server manager at an applet server to manage at least one request from the one or more client computers for the one or more applets, the applet server manager having access to one or more resources within one or more connected networks, the applet server manager further having access to an applet database;   receiving at the applet server the at least one request from the one or more client computers for the one or more applets;   processing at least one of the one or more applets at the applet server manager; and sending the one or more applets from the applet server manager to the one or more requesting client computers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the applet database contains the one or more applets in the form of source code. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the applet database contains the one or more applets in the form of intermediate code. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the applet database contains the one or more applets in binary form. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein processing includes compressing at least one of the one or more applets before sending to the one or more client computers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein processing includes optimizing at least one of the one or more applets before sending to the one or more client computers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein processing includes verifying at least one of the one or more applets before sending to the one or more client computers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more resources is a trusted network. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more resources is an untrusted network. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the one or more client computers contains an interpreter to process an applet in intermediate form. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the one or more client computers contains an virtual machine to process an applet in intermediate form.