JP2002116919A - Application for network base, architecture and system for processing the same and method for executing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a distributed application system of a network base for locally establishing service in a client system. SOLUTION: This system can be provided with application logic and presentation logic and at least, a part of it is processed without discrimination by a server or a client without being changed. A function to be a core provided by this application can be preserved between the client and the server, the possibility of offline service is improved and network performance is improved as well.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly, to multi-tiered application architectures.
attributed applications a
The present invention relates to a network-based application that provides an application, an architecture and a system for processing the application, and a method for executing the application. The present invention facilitates operation of higher performance networks / systems and allows portions of remote applications to be executed from a local system to provide a consistent offline / online experience to the user.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The explosive development of the Internet and other network technologies has accelerated innovation since the late twentieth century. These new and exciting technologies have allowed both start-ups and traditional companies to grow, but the surrounding environment has to some extent accepted existing systems and network architectures that have evolved over time and continue to provide existing services. Did not get. For example, a common theme among Internet systems is to provide very powerful servers that are tightly coupled to large databases. The server can handle thousands of requests from remote users surfing the World Wide Web with server-provided applications.
Although this model can continue to handle Internet traffic, performance and logic issues remain unsolved in current systems.

[0003]

One problem associated with the server-provided application model involves using local client resources. For example,
Network servers tend to be bottlenecks because they have to perform multiple duplicate calculations to respond to multiple and diverse remote service requests. Although the performance of personal computers (PCs) has been improved by increasing the speed of microprocessors and clocks, server bottlenecks have caused
Frequently, the PC is made to wait until the remote processing is completed, and the performance of the entire network cannot keep up with the improvement of the performance of the PC. Therefore, the improvements in current PC technology are not fully working and are not utilized by current models.

[0004] Another problem associated with the server-provided application model is generally related to network performance. Accessing and manipulating web pages, for example, typically requires frequent exchange of vast amounts of data between remote clients and servers. As the number of users increases, the number of data processes on the Internet increases, and as a result, the overall communication performance decreases. Accordingly, there is a need for a more powerful and flexible system architecture that allows clients to continue to enjoy interactivity with the network while reducing the associated requests and latency from the network.

[0005] Yet another problem associated with existing architectures relates to the offline performance of network-based systems. Many web pages provide, for example, a user with an interactive and vibrant experience for monitoring and utilizing data provided by a given site.
experience). As long as the user stays online at the current site, the interactive experience will continue. Unfortunately, even though data files can be downloaded from those sites, the loss of interactive and often useful data display / manipulation is lost when disconnected from the server application that operates the web page. When the user later monitors the data offline, it is very appropriate and useful to be able to view and manipulate the data as if online with the associated server. Accordingly, there is a need for a system and / or method that provides an offline service function similar to the function currently available online, but this remains unresolved.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multi-tier application architecture that allows applications to be shared and utilized between multiple systems. The multi-tier architecture allows local system resources to service applications previously provided by a centrally located application server system. Therefore, as opposed to being provided, or communicated, from a central location
If the client's personal computer system is a network application (Internet, intranet, wireless network, telecommunications (Teleco)
inventions) can be provided and serviced locally,
Performance and offline capabilities are improved. By shifting the performance function from the server system to the client system, network performance can be improved and the waiting time related to a remote service request can be reduced. Further, the offline function can be improved.

[0007] More specifically, the present invention provides a multi-tier architecture capable of performing interactive processing associated with a remote data system locally. This architecture is based on the presentation layer (presenta).
Tion tier), mobile layer (mobile t
ier) (eg, unguardedt)
i.), a guarded tier, and a data tier. The presentation layer may include, for example, a browser for generating a remote user data request. In this case, the browser may, for example, generate a local request at the mobile tier residing on the client machine. The local application logic associated with the mobile tier can then send a remote service request to a protection tier associated with a remote server that has access to the data tier. The protection layer, upon receiving the remote request, the web page and / or
Or to interact with and manipulate remote data associated with other network applications,
Portions of the application logic along with associated data can be downloaded from the data tier to the mobile tier. It should be noted that the aforementioned application part can alternatively be loaded on the client terminal, for example from a CD ROM. By installing the application on the mobile tier, the client system can interact locally with the remote data and, therefore, local computing resources.
s), and can further alleviate network access to the server system. further,
A unified application model is provided that more fully utilizes client resources, improves security, reduces installation costs, and increases the round-trip latency associated with the traditional server model. As will be described in more detail below, it is possible to facilitate local access by providing a request processing system that can transparently direct local system access to local resources and remote access to remote locations to users. it can. By allowing applications to run locally, users can interact with network data offline in a manner similar to an online experience. Thus, the present invention enhances the offline user experience.

[0008] One aspect of the invention involves a network-based application, the application including application logic and presentation logic,
At least some of them are uninterrupted by the server or client without modification.
changeable).

[0009] Another aspect of the invention involves an architecture for processing network-based applications. The architecture includes a presentation layer for a client to interact with a web-based application. The mobile tier is operatively coupled with the presentation tier and provides for executing at least a portion of a network-based application on a client side or a server. The protection layer is operatively coupled to at least one of the mobile layer and the presentation layer and provides for executing the rest of the web-based application on the server.

[0010] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of executing a network-based application, comprising executing at least a portion of the network-based application on a client computer, wherein the web-based application comprises application logic. And presentation logic, at least a portion of which is processed indiscriminately by the server or client without modification.

The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the invention. However, while these embodiments show only some of the various ways in which the principles of the present invention may be implemented, the present invention is intended to include all such embodiments and their equivalents. I do. Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

[0012]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Similar elements are denoted by similar reference numbers throughout.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for executing a network server application on a client machine (eg, in a browser) without requiring the network server application to be installed locally on the machine. Thus, applications can be automatically downloaded and installed, thereby facilitating zero cost installation and execution in a secure environment. The invention enables the use of network applications that look similar and / or identical to the network applications written on the network server. Furthermore, those applications can be run off-line without the need for hardware typically associated with the host network server.

Referring first to FIG. 1, an exemplary system 1
0a illustrates an exemplary aspect of a multi-tier distributed application architecture according to the present invention. Local system 2
0 is provided to handle local system requests and local data processing (eg, web pages, wireless data) operations. Browser (not shown) (eg, Internet Explorer, Nets
presentation layer 24, which may include a cape, HTML 3.2, WML, JAVA).
Provides an interface for users to access local (eg, web) information on local system 20. When a user accesses the presentation layer 24, a local data request 28 (eg, H
TTP) is sent to the mobile layer 32. Mobile Tier 3
2 provides local application logic (not shown). This translates and sends the local request 28 for processing by the local system 20 and / or
Or local application logic (not shown) for sending a remote request 36 (eg, HTTP) to the remote system 40. The mobile tier 32 is generally “unguarded” except in systems where a high degree of reliability can be established, for example, between the remote system 40 and the local system 20.
ed) logic. Remote system 40 provides a protection layer to provide local application logic to mobile layer 32 and / or to provide an interface to data related to information associated with data layer 48 (eg, web pages, remote application data). 44 may be included. By allowing application logic and data associated with the data layer to be downloaded from the protection layer 44, the resources of the local system 20 are made available, thereby facilitating information access and allowing the data layer 48 to be accessed. Can be operated and used off-line from the local system 20. The application logic of the mobile tier 32 is:
Alternatively, on the local system 20, for example, a CD
Note that it can also be provided locally by loading from a floppy disk.

When a local request 28 is generated to access and manipulate local data, the mobile tier 32 determines whether application logic for processing the local request 28 resides on the local system 20. Is determined. If the application logic is not resident, the mobile layer 32 can initiate a download request with a remote request 36 to the protection layer to cause the application logic to be transmitted from the remote system 40. Upon receiving this logic, mobile layer 32 may also receive data from data layer 48 for processing local data request 28. After the mobile tier 32 is configured to process the local request 28, the user can access the information as if it were being provided on a remote system 40, for example. However, the resources of the local system 20 can be used to process the request. In this way, performance improvements and information (eg, web pages)
Improved offline operation can be achieved. If the local request 28 requires more data for operation, an additional remote request 36 can be initiated to the protection layer 44 and / or at a later time, after the user works offline, goes online. You can start this when you re-establish.

The protection layer 44 transmits the application logic and the aforementioned data to a remote request 54 (eg, an XML file, a wireless markup language (WML)).
sMarkup Language)) file). It is further noted that the mobile tier 32 logic can reside in either the protection tier 44 or the mobile tier 32. For example, the protection layer 44 may include portions of an interface (not shown) for responding to mobile layer 32 download requests in accordance with the present invention, and for processing requests from the presentation layer 24 directly. Logic can be included. Referring briefly to FIG. 2, if a protection layer configured in accordance with the present invention is not provided by the remote system 40, a bypass request 56 may be initiated by the presentation layer 24 to directly access the remote system. .

Referring again to FIG. 1, after the configuration of the local system 20 is completed (eg, downloading and / or installing a CD), the offline system according to the present invention can be used. For example, the application can be downloaded from an Internet shopping site. The application can provide a portion of its data catalog in XML format for offline display from the data layer 48 described above. Internet shopping sites can advertise on their entry pages, for example, that users can view and order their inventory by clicking a link, even while offline. In this case, the shopping application and the XML data catalog can be downloaded and automatically installed locally. Customers browse the catalog locally throughout the week, and add items to their shopping cart whenever they come up with something they need. Once the order has been submitted, the queued transactions can be generated in an XML store maintained in the application's storage (not shown). When the user next comes online, he can navigate to the shopping application, which notifies the user that there is an order to submit. The user can then authorize the submission of the order, which is then processed. The user can receive notification of any change in price (sale, or increase), and then allow or reject the order, which can be returned at the time of its estimated delivery.

While the foregoing has described examples of Internet applications, it should be understood that the present invention is applicable to virtually any local and remote systems configured in accordance with the present invention. For example, wireless telephones, personal digital assistants (P
DA), or other handheld device, may be configured to load the mobile tier logic according to the present invention from a storage location on a remote server. For example, a wireless telephone user can download application logic and data about a phone book from a remote system. For example, a user can later access and manipulate the phone book as if they were still connected to the remote system via a direct wireless connection. If additional data is requested from the remote system, the mobile tier logic may request the additional data the next time the user accesses the remote system, or may initiate a wireless connection to the remote system based on the request. . It should be further understood that multiple other local / remote systems can be similarly configured.

As will be described in more detail below, to protect local files in local system 20 from unwanted access, mobile layer 32 may include a security system. The remote system 40 has a protection layer 4
It should also be noted that the protection layer logic for accessing the data layer can be highly dependent on the data layer 48, which can include a tightly coupled relationship between the data layer 4 and the data layer 48. In contrast, the present invention provides a loosely coupled relationship between local system 20 and remote system 40. The data can then be accessed from time to time by instructions of the local system request, thus facilitating maximum flexibility and performance between systems. It is further noted that tightly coupled and / or loosely coupled configurations can be established between the presentation layer 24 and the mobile layer 32.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the system 10b
Illustrates the architecture of the local system 20 according to an exemplary aspect of the invention. Although system 10b is described with reference to the Internet example, the present invention
It should be understood that it can be applied to virtually any of the local / remote data access systems described above. For example, local system 20 may include a browser 60 that provides a user interface for communicating with local application logic 64 to access web pages 68 and / or other data types. The web page 68 can include, for example, HTML headers and scripts for manipulating the web page. A handler 72 (eg, HTTP) may also be provided to process the local request 28. As described in detail below, when loading local application logic 64, local requests can be mapped to the local system. For example, the remote Internet request is http: www
w. The present invention, when loading logic 64, sends a remote request to MyComp for local web page access.
any: www. It can be mapped to XXXXXXXXXXXX. Therefore, in the local system 20,
A user is provided with a seamless and transparent system for processing web pages and / or other requests.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the system 10c
1 illustrates a request processing system according to one aspect of the present invention. System 10c can be configured to run with or within browser 60. The system 10c includes an asynchronous pluggable protocol handler (APP) (asynchrono) that can be registered as a handler for a protocol scheme described later.
us pluggable protocol hand
ler) 80 is used. When a request is generated by the browser 60 using the protocol scheme, the URL monitor 84 activates a handler (APP) 80. A
The PP 80 passes the request to a worker request 88 written to the system 10c, which sends the request to a local handler 92 (via this mechanism, a static file request) that is configured to process a local HTTP request 96. Is also sent) to the URI (Un
inverse Resource Identify
er). APP 80 provides browser 60 with an appropriate security zone for a given application based on information from a local registry (not shown).

Next, the above-mentioned protocol system will be described in detail.
The system 10c can use a protocol scheme to identify all URIs, including dynamic and static content. For example, a website application can present the following URI, which is all broken down into local handlers 92 (the mapping mechanism is described in more detail below), and the example web
Provides an exemplary mapping to local resources.

Exampleweb: // www. Xx
×××××××××××××××××××××××××
××××× example web: // www. ××××××××
×××××××××××××××××××××××××
Xx exampleweb: // www. ××××××××
×××××××××××××××××××××××× example web: // www. ××××××××
×××××××××××××××××××××××××
×××

The system 10c provides local mapping of installed applications and their URs.
The I-name space can be maintained at a local storage location. This allows the user to, for example,
I can be used to refer to a remote application. In addition, this may allow URIs to be exported in some manner to other installations, and may enable demand driven installations configured to operate with the present invention. In addition, alerting browser applications that locally installable browser applications can originate remotely and should therefore be run with the appropriate reliability for the remote site and not the local machine Can be.

[0025] For example, if the user
leweb: // www. ×××××××××××××
Assume that you install a future version of Microsoft Money using XXXXXX. The first attempt to invoke the URI causes the system 10c to use the naming pattern to create a manifest from the site.
(See below) (eg, http: //www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX). If the user chooses to install the application, the data can be copied and installed locally. Later, the user will be prompted to enter the application URI (exampleweb: //www.xx.xx).
Returning to (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX), the system 10c can call the locally installed version of the application. However, when the application is local, the browser may, for example, use a cross-frame attack (cr
It is necessary to warn the browser 60 that the application is a remote application so that it does not access local resources by performing an oss frame attack. This mechanism also allows the user to know what they are doing and where the file came from.

When resolving names, the system 10c
For example, looking for the longest match can be repeated throughout the list of local mappings. After selecting the longest match, the system can decompose the match into the application domain of the installed application and call the appropriate handler 92. In the case of shadowing, the user installs the application from a given point and later desires to install the application from a deeper point in the same hierarchy (eg, exampleweb: //www.xxx.xx). ×
×××××××××××××××××××××××××
×××××××××××). At that time, the request-installation can still be possible because there are no handlers 92 registered at that URI.

The following example illustrates how URI mapping can work with system 10c. The user can have two applications installed as follows.

[0028]

[Table 1]

The root of each of these applications is a web page and a COM of a bin directory.
+ Can have a hierarchy composed of assemblies, static content, and data. These applications can have any configuration except this example, which can have the following exemplary configurations:

Approot bin @ # Business logic (var
ios assemblies) img @ # imagesdata @ # XML stores default. aspx config. cfg

The following table shows various exemplary application URIs and their corresponding physical files. It should also be appreciated that virtual URIs can be maintained by associating requests for portions of the application's URI namespace with a given handler 92.

[0032]

[Table 2]

To install the application, at least the standard installation platform (standard installation platform)
how to install an application using a platform, and a demand-driven installation where a remote URI is requested using the aforementioned protocol scheme.
)). The installed application may be maintained in a local registry (not shown) that maps the URI to the location where it was installed. The registry can also maintain installation information, including installation time and usage information. Information about the application is, for example, HKEY_CURRENT
_USER {SOFTWARE} ×××××××××
It can be stored in the system registry under \ XSP \ Exampleweb. Each application has a key specified by its origin host and application path (eg, www.xxxxxx)
Xxxxxxxxxx). Installed applications can include the following registry values:

[0034]

[Table 3]

The installation for explicit and / or demand-driven scenarios can be performed with cabinets (CA) specified in a roster (described below) with optional dependencies.
B) Can consist of retrieving files or explicit files. When the file is retrieved, the file can be placed in a directory in the file system (CAB files can be exploded while maintaining their directory hierarchy). An entry can be added to the registry, thus mapping the application's URI to a physical storage location. The physical storage location can be determined by a unique identifier (such as a GUID not shown). This is desirable because the names are not easily computed.

An application can be put into the file system using the following naming convention: Starting from the base application directory (eg, c: \ program files), append the server name, then the application name, and a uniquely generated identifier. For example, http: // www. ××××××
An application originating from XXXXXXXXXXXX can reside in a directory with the following title:

[0037]

[Table 4]

The random part of the name is unpredictable,
Before installing the application system 10c
Generated by The application can consist of any suitable web page handler, including pages, messaging / web, method files, handlers, and configuration data. The configuration data can activate a handler for the application scope and provide settings for that application.

When a user attempts to navigate to a URI that is not locally installed, by clicking on a link or by typing the URI into the browser 60, the system 10c searches for a directory of applications, described below. An attempt can be made. If the submitted URI identifies the roster of the application as determined by the extension, the system retrieves it and parses the roster file. In this case, the user may be presented with a user interface UI (not shown) indicating that the system 10c is attempting to install the application locally. For example, the UI indicates the required disk space (based on the <DISKSPADE> OSD element, if presented, plus the size required to store any dependent CAB files) and if the user requests , Overrides the default disk quota and allows viewing of file names contained in the application. The installation UI provides default views of basic configuration data and extended views that display individual files and allow users to control application execution permissions (eg, file I / O permissions and / or standard COM interaction). Operability) can be provided.

It should be noted that the configuration can be provided if desired, but the installation cannot initially require a configuration. To enable transparent operation,
The user must click to confirm the installation and proceed, using the defaults. UR
If I did not refer to the roster file directory,
The system 10c can attempt to retrieve the directory by combining the standard directory name with the host / path portion of the URI. If this fails, the system can use a back-off algorithm consisting of removing parts of the path and placing a roster file at each level. For a packaged installation (eg, CD ROM, Floppy®), the application can call the registry API to register properly. The default value allows those applications to be given local trust. However, those applications can defend themselves using COM + code access security, for example, to request a requestable permission.

The aforementioned UI may include an option to automatically update applications that are considered overdue or to manually check for updates of any applications that are considered overdue. . When the system checks for updates to the application, it can first retrieve the roster file. If there are different versions of the roster file, the user can be deferred and the various dependencies can be retrieved and installed. In addition to installation, the system can restrict download updates from the application origin server as a safeguard. Furthermore, an isolated storage (Isolated St)
For example, the function “durable storage (durable)”
It can be provided by COM + to allow it to be maintained locally at storage. Isolation storage provides a managed file system that supports isolation through multiple mechanism management, expiration management, and lifetime management. This is a COM + feature for system 10c because the application maintains separate data storage without exposing the user to having the application access the local file system.

System 10c supports installing applications using the roster (eg, OSD) described above. The default list name is, for example, exampleweb. osd. The OSD directory supports implementation tags that allow the directory to define various representations of software resources. For example, there may be a unique Win32 version and a system 10c version. The type of implementation can be indicated by the IMPLTYPE element. For example, the system uses “Com +” “Exam
IMP with one or less implementation elements deficient in "pleweb" or explicit IMPLTYPE elements
Applications with LTYPE can be installed. The OSD format can support an element called an OS, thus allowing different implementations for different OSs. The system 10c can support this tag without using the OS on any supported platform, accept implementations, or attempt to respect OS tags that restrict the platform. This allows applications that require platform-specific support, such as transactions, to limit installation on that platform that supports the desired functionality. For example, an application that has a transactional semantics might use Windows
(Registered trademark) 2000 may be required.

[0043]

[Table 5]

If the application also provides a version of the application that does not require a transaction, the second embodiment can include the following elements:

[0045]

[Table 6]

An exemplary roster includes the following:

[0047]

[Table 7]

It will be appreciated that there are several other optional elements that can be used to provide information to potential consumers of the application. For example,
The OSD may have a DISKSPACE element that details how much disk storage is required to include the (unpacked) application.

The following attributes may be extensions to the OSD format supported by the system 10c.

[0050]

[Table 8]

The downloaded application can be executed by a code access permission (not shown) to a remote domain, which is authorized by a policy on the local machine. When a local application is installed, permissions can be granted based on the URI provided to the application at the time of installation. Here, the installation may be local and / or remote, as desired by the user. System 10c can add a policy to the application domain to indicate that any code loaded from the application directory hierarchy is associated with the original domain of the application. For example, if the application is www. ××××××××××××××
Downloaded from and installed. When the system 10c loads code from an application, the system 10c
The code is www. Provide evidence that it is from XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX so that permissions for that domain can be applied. Further, the system 10c stores the code loaded from the application directory (and the child directory) in the remote URI: www. A policy can be added so that it can be associated with XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. This alleviates allowing an application to load an assembly from its own directory and thus ignoring the security of the domain. The system may also add a policy to indicate that network I / O will be available to the original remote host (www.xxxxxxxxx in the example above).

[0052] The management UI can also be implemented when the system 10c is installed. For example,
A toolbar button can be added to the toolbar of the browser 60. When this button is clicked, for example, it is possible to call the management UI.
eb: // Home. exam
pleweb: /// or exampleweb: //
When the user moves to Home, the management UI can be executed. The management UI may include the following exemplary pages.

Homepage: A page on which installed applications can be listed and a method for easily removing them is provided. Additionally, a link can be provided to install a new application from a local or remote source.

Installation page: If this page is presented with a remote URI, this page may present the user with information from a roster about the application and allow the application to be installed. This page is remote UR
If not presented with I, it may be indicated.

Local Install Page: A page that specifies the local directory and the local URI to use for the application and allows the user to install the local application.

Deletion confirmation page: A page for prompting the user for confirmation before deleting the page.
When confirmation is obtained, remove the application.

Update page: A page that informs the user that a new version of the application is available and asks if he or she wants to retrieve it. Once approved, the new version is downloaded and installed. When an application updates a page, this page must be redirected to after a successful update.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the method according to the present invention. At step 150, the user initiates a data request. At step 154, a determination is made as to whether the application has been loaded on the local system for operation at the request of step 150. If the application is already loaded, method 1
Proceed to 60 and map the request to the local system as described above. After the request has been mapped, at step 164,
Users can access their data (for example,
Web pages). If the application providing the requested service did not load at step 154, the process proceeds to step 168. At step 168, an application to serve the data request is loaded on the local system.
As described above, the application can be downloaded from a remote system and / or loaded locally from a CD and / or other storage media.
At step 168, after the application has been loaded, the process proceeds to step 160 and begins mapping requests to the local system.

To provide a context for various aspects of the present invention, FIG. 6 and the following discussion provide a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment in which various aspects of the present invention may be implemented. Intended to be provided. Although generally described above in terms of computer-executable instructions of a computer program executed on one or more computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can also be implemented in combination with other program modules. Will understand. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks and / or implement particular abstract data types. Further, the method of the present invention can be used in a single-processor or multi-processor computer system, a minicomputer,
Mainframe computers as well as personal computers and handheld computing devices (han
d-held computing device),
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other computer system configurations can be implemented, including microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include:
The invention can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. However, some, if not all, of the invention can be practiced on stand-alone computers. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local or remote memory storage devices.

Referring to FIG. 6, an exemplary system for implementing various aspects of the present invention includes a processing unit 22.
1, including a conventional computer 220, including a system memory 222 and a system bus 223 that couples various system components including the system memory to a processing unit 221. Processing unit is Intel x86
Pentium (R), Intel and C
Compatible microprocessors from other companies, including Yrix, AMD, Nexgen, Digital A
lpha, MIPS Technology, NEC,
Any of a variety of commercially available processors, including but not limited to IDT, MIPS from Siemens and other companies, and Power PC from IBM and Motorola. Dual microprocessors and other multi-processor architectures also have processing unit 2
21 can be used.

The system bus includes a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and PCI, VESA, Microchannel, IS
There may be several types of bus configurations, including A and local buses using any of a variety of conventional bus architectures such as EISA. The system memory includes a read only memory (ROM) 224 and a random access memory (RAM) 225. The basic input / output system (BIOS) is stored in the ROM 224, and the server computer 220 during startup or the like.
Includes basic routines that help transfer information between elements within.

The computer 220 includes a hard disk drive 227 and a removable disk 229, for example.
And a magnetic disk drive 228 for reading from the disk and writing to the removable disk 229, for example, a CD-ROM
An optical disk drive 230 for reading the disk 231 or reading from another optical medium and writing to another optical medium is further included. Hard disk drive 22
7, the magnetic disk drive 228 and the optical disk drive 230 include a hard disk drive interface 232 and a magnetic disk drive interface 23.
3 and an optical disk drive interface 234, respectively. The drives and the computer-readable media associated with the drives provide data, data structures,
Provide non-volatile storage such as computer-executable instructions. Although the above description of computer readable media refers to hard disks, removable magnetic disks, and CDs, other types of media that can be read by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory, etc., are required to implement the methods of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that cards, digital video discs, Bernoulli cartridges, and the like can also be used in the exemplary operating environment, and that any such media can include computer-executable instructions.

Operating system 235, one or more application programs 236, other program modules 237, and program data 2
Some program modules, including 38, may be stored on the drive and RAM 225. Operating System 235 in Exemplary Computer
May be the Microsoft operating system (eg, the Windows NT operating system). It should be understood that other operating systems can be used, such as, for example, UNIX.

The user can enter the keyboard 240 and the mouse 2
Commands and information can be input to the server computer 220 via a pointing device such as 42. Other input devices (not shown) include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 221 via a serial port interface 246 that couples to a system bus, but may include a parallel port, a game port, or a universal serial bus (USB).
It can also be connected by other interfaces. A monitor 247 or other type of display device may also be connected to the system bus 223 via an interface, such as a video adapter 248. Computers typically include, in addition to a monitor, other peripheral output devices (not shown) such as speakers and printers.

Computer 220 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as remote client computer 249. The remote computer 249 has a memory storage device 250 in FIG.
Although only shown, it may be a workstation, server computer, router, peer device, or other common network node, and typically includes many or all elements described with respect to server computer 220. The logical connection shown in FIG. 6 includes a local area network (LAN) 251 and a wide area network (WAN) 252. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise wide area computer networks, intranets and the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the server computer 220 can connect to the local network 251 via a network interface or adapter 253. When used in a WAN networking environment, the server computer 220 may generally include a modem 254 and / or may be connected to a communication server on a LAN and / or a wide area network 25 such as the Internet.
2 having other means of establishing communication over the network. A modem 254, which may be internal or external, may be connected to system bus 223 via serial port interface 246. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 220, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory device. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communication link between the computers may be used.

In accordance with the practices of those skilled in computer programming, the present invention has been described with reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations performed by a computer, such as computer 220, unless otherwise indicated. Such an activity or action is sometimes referred to as computer-executed. The activities and symbolically indicated actions are performed by the processing unit 221 to manipulate the electrical signal representing the data bits, causing the electrical signal display to be deformed or reduced;
A memory system (system memory 222, hard drive 227, floppy disk (registered trademark) 2) that reconfigures or changes the operation of the computer system.
It will be understood that this includes maintaining the data bits in memory locations (including 29 and CD-ROM 231) and processing other signals. A memory location where such data bits are maintained is a physical location having specific electrical, magnetic, and optical properties corresponding to the data bits.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Of course, it is not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methods for describing the invention, but many additional combinations and permutations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Would. Thus, it is intended that the present invention embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0069]

As described above, the multi-layer architecture enables the local system resources to service applications provided by the application server system located at the center. Thus, according to the present invention, the client's personal computer system can provide and service network applications locally, as opposed to being provided or communicated from a central location, Performance and offline capabilities are improved.

Further, by shifting the performance function from the server system to the client system, it is possible to improve the network performance, reduce the waiting time related to a remote service request, and further improve the offline function. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a multi-layer architecture according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a multi-layer architecture according to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a local application environment according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a request processing system according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a multi-layer architecture according to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a system according to one aspect of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10a system 20 local system 40 remote system 60 browser 92 local handler

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 15/16 620 G06F 9/06 640B (72) Inventor Gary S. Bird United States 98033 Kirkland, Washington Northeast 103 Street 11411 (72) Inventor Scott Dee. Guthrie United States 98004 Bellevue, Washington Northeast 1st Street 10011 Apartment E610 (72) Inventor Satoshi Nakajima United States 98052 Redmond, Washington 166 Court Northeast 4902 (72) Inventor Eric B. Olson United States 98053 Redmond, Washington Northeast 23 Place 22612 (72) Inventor Dmitry Robbsman United States 98008 Bellevue, Washington 169 Place Northeast 1238 (72) Inventor John P. Shuchak United States 98053 Redmond, Washington Northeast 67 Street 21604 (72) Inventor Michael Jay. Tortonk United States 98115 Seattle, Washington 19 Avenue Northeast 7752 (72) Inventor Manu Basantani United States 98007 Washington, Bellevue Northeast 39 Street 14523 Apartment 1088 F-Term (Reference) 5B045 GG06 HH03 5B076 BA04 BB06 5B085 AA01 BG07 5B098 AA10 GA GC16

Claims (21)

[Claims] Claims 1. An application comprising a network-based application, the application comprising application logic and presentation logic, at least a part of which is processed indiscriminately by a server or client without modification. . 2. The network-based application according to claim 1, wherein core application functions are stored between the client and the server. 3. The network-based application of claim 1, further comprising a mobile logic that can be downloaded from the server to the client. 4. The network-based application according to claim 3, wherein the mobile logic part is loaded via a CD or a flexible disk. 5. The network-based application of claim 3, wherein the mobile logic portion further comprises logic that is not protected for a less secure system. 6. The network-based application according to claim 3, wherein the remote data is downloaded based on a remote data request. 7. The network-based application according to claim 6, wherein the remote data request is an HTTP request. 8. The remote data is transmitted by a local data request sent to the mobile logic part.
The network-based application of claim 6, wherein the application is processed locally at the client. 9. The network-based application according to claim 6, wherein the remote data is provided by at least one of an XML response and a WML response. 10. The network-based application of claim 6, wherein the remote data is communicated over at least one of the Internet, an intranet, and a wireless network. 11. An architecture for processing a network-based application, comprising: a presentation layer for interacting with a network-based application on a client; and operably coupled to the presentation layer; A mobile layer that executes at least a portion of the network-based application, and at least one of the mobile layer and the presentation layer
And a protection layer operably coupled to the server and executing the rest of the network-based application at the server. 12. The architecture of claim 11, further comprising a data layer operably coupled to the protection layer and including data used in executing the network-based application. 13. The architecture of claim 11, wherein the protection layer includes logic that enables the mobile layer to execute the network based application. 14. The architecture of claim 12, wherein the presentation layer generates a local request to the mobile layer to manipulate data provided by the data layer. 15. The architecture of claim 14, wherein the mobile layer executes application logic associated with the protection layer that operates on data provided by the data layer. 16. The protection layer to process a local data request offline and to perform at least one of transmitting or receiving data associated with the data layer based on the offline local request. Generating a remote request to a server.
5. The architecture according to 5. 17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for implementing the architecture of claim 16. 18. A system for processing a network-based application, comprising: means for interacting with a network-based application at a client; and based on a request generated by the client.
Means for executing at least a portion of the network-based application on either the client or the server. 19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for providing remote data for use in performing a local data request associated with the network-based application. 20. A means for requesting the local data request off-line and generating a remote request based on the off-line local request to transmit and / or receive data associated with remote data. The architecture of claim 19 comprising: 21. A method for executing a network-based application, the method comprising executing at least a portion of a network-based application on a client computer, wherein the network-based application comprises application logic and presentation logic, A method wherein some are processed indiscriminately by a server or said client without modification.