JPH0652083A - Client connecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily set the connecting systems different for each service of a server application into the decentralized application programs of the clients which have accesses to plural servers applications that offer the different services. CONSTITUTION:A service class identifier is designated by a client application 11 among an automatic system connection processing part 13a, a user designated connection processing part 13b, and a user selected connection processing part 13c which are provided by a client connecting device 13. Thus an optimum connection processing can be selected for each service and therefore the connection processing can be easily put into a server application. Then a client connection processing control part 13d controls the connection processing for each service based on the service class identifier even with such a complicated client application program that has accesses to plural services. In such a constitution, the optimum connection processing can be selected for each service class.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a client connection device for connecting a client system requesting a service and a server system providing a service in a client / server model distributed processing system of computers connected by a network. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a client connection device has become an RPC together with a server connection device and a name server management device.
It is widely used when developing a distributed processing system using (Remote Procedure Call). As an example of such a client connection device, a general device is “Building distributed systems”.
with remote procedure call ”by Steve Wilbur and
Ben Bacarisse in IEEE Software Engineering Journa
l, September 1987, pages 148-159.
Also, as a typical example, “Implementing remote proced
ures calls, ”by Andrew D. Birrel and Bruce Nelson
in ACM Trans.on Computer Systems, Vol. 2, No. 1, Fe
b. Grapevine as described in 1984, pp. 35-39.
Those using are known.

A conventional client connection device will be described below in association with a server connection device and a name server management device.

FIG. 8 shows the overall configuration of an RPC system using a conventional client connection device. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 81 is a client application that requests a service. A server application 82 provides a service to the client application 81. Reference numeral 83 is a client connection device that provides a connection function to the client application 81. 8
Reference numeral 4 is a server connection device that provides a connection function to the server application 82. Reference numeral 85 denotes a name server management device that manages service information of the server application 82 and network position information.

The operation of the RPC system using the client connecting device configured as described above will be described below. First, when the server application 82 is activated and the service can be provided, the server application 82 requests the server connection device 84 to register the user-defined service information based on the service identifier defined by the user. . Upon receiving the request, the server connection device 84 adds system runtime information such as position information on the network and registers it in the name server management device 85 as server information. This registration process is performed when all the server applications 82 that provide various services on the network are activated and the services can be provided. At this point, the name server management device 85 has the information about all the server systems that can provide the service. On the other hand, when the client application 81 wants to receive the requested service, it requests the client connection device 83 for the server information of the server application 82 that provides the corresponding service based on the service identifier. Upon receiving this request, the client connection device 83 requests the name server management device 85 for the information of the server application 82 that provides the corresponding service together with the service identifier. Upon receiving this result, the client connection device 83 delivers all the server information to the client application 81. The client application 81 requests the client connection device 83 to select an optimum server application from the contents of this server information group and connect it. The client connection device 83 connects to the server application 82 via the server connection device based on the server information of the selected server application 82.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, the process for obtaining all the server information providing the desired service from the name server management device and selecting and connecting the optimum server is performed. A user who is a developer of a distributed application program must incorporate it into all client application programs that use services, and especially develops distributed application programs for clients that access multiple servers that provide different services. In this case, it is necessary to incorporate a linking process for each service, which poses a problem of a very large burden.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and for a distributed application program of a client that accesses a plurality of server applications providing different services, a different connection method is used for each service of the server application. An object of the present invention is to provide a client connection device which can be incorporated and allows a developer to easily incorporate a connection process in the development of a client / server model distributed application program including the case of accessing one server application. And

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a service class identifier generated by a system from a service interface definition of a server application that provides a service to a client application that requests the service. Based on the system application automatic connection processing unit that automatically selects and connects the server application from the group of server applications that can provide the corresponding service, and the user definition specified at the time of the request for the client application that requests the service. The system creates a service for the user-specified connection processing unit that automatically selects and connects the server application based on the service information condition and the service class identifier generated by the system, and the client application that requests the service. A user selection connection processing unit that provides all server application information that can provide the requested service based on the service class identifier, and the client application connects the server application with the server application selected by the client application; A client connection processing management unit that manages the connection processing method selected from the user-specified connection processing unit and the user-selected connection processing unit in units of service class identifiers.

[0009]

According to the present invention, according to the above configuration, the client application specifies the service class identifier from among the system automatic connection processing unit, the user-specified connection processing unit, and the user-selected connection processing unit provided by the client connection device to provide the service. By making it possible to select the optimum connection process for each, the connection process can be easily incorporated. Even in a client application program that accesses a plurality of services, the client concatenation process management unit manages the concatenation process for each service based on the service class identifier, and selects and incorporates the optimal concatenation process for each service class. And including access to a single server application,
In developing distributed application programs of various client / server models, developers can flexibly and easily incorporate the linking process.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an RPC system using a client connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 11 is a client application that requests an RPC service, 12 is a server application that provides an RPC service to the client application 11, 13 is a client connection device that provides a connection function to the client application 11, and 13a is a system automatic connection. A system automatic connection processing unit for performing processing, 13b for user specified connection processing unit for performing user specified connection processing, 13c for user selected connection processing unit for user selected connection processing, 13d for selected connection processing method in service class identifier units. A client connection processing management unit for management, 14 is a server application 12
A server connection device that provides a connection function and a function for registering and deleting server system information, and 15 is a total server application 12 that provides services on the network.
Server management device for managing the server information of the server based on the service class identifier, 16 is a service interface definition defining the service interface of the server application, and 17 is the service interface definition 16
Is a class generation unit that generates a service class identifier from.

The operation of the RPC system using the client connecting device configured as described above will be described below. First, the generation of the service class identifier will be described. The service class identifier is read and generated by the class generation unit 17 when the client connection device 13 and the server connection device 14 are generated, and is incorporated into the service interface definition 16. Next, the service registration process of the server application 12 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the server application 12 can provide the service to the client application 11, the server application 12 sets the user-defined service information (step 21) and issues a service start request to the server concatenation device 14 (step). Two
2). The server connection device 14 adds the service class identifier and the system runtime information of this server to the user-defined service information (step 23), and requests the name server management device 15 to register this server information ( Step 24). The name server management device 15 registers and stores this information based on the service class identifier (step 25), and the result is stored in the server connection device 14.
Return to. At this time, if the same service class identifier has already been registered as server information in the name server management device 15, this server information is stored next to the last entry of the server information of the same service class identifier already stored. To do. If the service class identifier is not registered yet, the service class identifier is registered and the server information is stored. The server connection device 14 judges the result of the registration process (step 26), and when the server information is correctly stored, waits for a service request from the client application 11 (step 27). If it is not stored correctly, the reason is notified to the server application 12 (step 28). When the server application 12 finishes providing the service, it issues a service deletion request to the server connection device 14. The server connection device 14 requests the name server management device 15 to delete this server information based on the service class identifier and the server system runtime information. Upon receiving the processing result, the server connection device 14 notifies the server application 12 of the result.

Next, the connection processing of the client application 11 will be described. Client application 1
1 indicates to the client connection device 13 which connection process is to be performed among the system automatic connection process, the user-specified connection process, and the user-selected connection process before requesting the service of the server application 12. To do. This is managed by the client connection processing management unit 13d as a connection processing management table for each service class identifier as shown in FIG. This table is 1
One entry is a service class identifier area 31, a specified concatenated processing method setting area 32, and a server information setting area 3 of a server application that provides a service.
3, and there are as many entries as the number of service classes requested by the client application 11. If the client application does not specify a concatenation process, the default concatenation process is assumed. This may be any one of the system automatic connection process, the user-specified connection process, and the user-selected connection process, but in the present embodiment, it is the system automatic connection process. In addition, the server information area 33
Is set when the server application 12 to be connected is determined.

First, the user-specified connection processing and the user-selected connection processing will be described. These processes are performed by RPC
Before making a service request of the server application by the above, a setup process for obtaining the server information is required for the client connecting device. These processes will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 for the user-specified connection process and with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 for the user-selected connection process.

In the user-specified connection process shown in FIG. 4, the client application 11 specifies the service class identifier of the corresponding service and the condition of the user-defined service information to be requested to the client connection device 13, and A request is made to connect to the server application 12 that can provide the service (step 41).
Upon receiving this request, the user-specified connection processing unit 13b of the client connection device 13 is a piece of server information that satisfies the service condition specified for the name server management device 15 based on the service class identifier and the user-defined service information. Is requested (step 42). The name server management device 15 searches the server information of the server application that satisfies the specified service condition based on the service class identifier and the user-defined information (step 4).
3) The result is transferred to the user-specified connection processing unit 13b of the client connection device 13 (step 44). The user-specified connection processing unit 13b judges the result (step 45), and if the corresponding server application exists, it requests the client connection management unit 13d to manage this server information, and the client connection management unit 13d.
Sets the server information in the concatenation processing management table of the corresponding service class identifier (step 46) and returns it to the client application.

In the user selection connection process shown in FIG. 5, the client application 11 requests the server information of all the server applications that provide the requested service to the client connection device 13 based on the service class identifier (step). 51). Upon receiving this request, the user selection connection processing unit 13c of the client connection device 13 requests all server information of the corresponding service from the name server management device 15 based on the service class identifier (step 52). The name server management device 15 searches the server information of all server applications that provide the corresponding service based on the service class identifier (step 53), and retrieves all the searched information in the user selection connection processing unit of the client connection device 13. 13c (step 54). Upon receiving this information, the user selection connection processing unit 13c delivers all the information to the client application 11 (step 55). Client application 11
Refers to all the received server information, selects the server application 12 requesting the service (step 56), and requests the client connection processing manager 13d to manage this server information together with the service class identifier (step 57). ). Client connection management unit 13
The d sets the server information in the concatenation processing management table of the corresponding service class identifier (step 58) and returns it to the client application.

Next, the client application 11
A process for requesting a service of a server application using RPC will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the client application 11 sends an RP to the server application.
When a service request is made using C (step 6)
1) The client connection device 13 inquires of the client connection management unit 13d whether or not there is server information of the service class identifier of this service (step 6).
2). If there is server information, a service using the server application and RPC is started (step 6).
6). If there is no server information, it is judged whether the connection processing is the default or the system automatic connection processing (step 63). As a result, in the case of another connection process, an error is returned to the client application 11 (step 67). If not, the system automatic connection processing is executed for the system automatic connection processing unit 13a to obtain server information (step 64). If the server information cannot be obtained, an error is returned to the client application 11 (step 67). When the server information is obtained, the position information of the server application 12 is obtained from this server information and the service using the RPC with the server application 12 that provides the corresponding service is started (step 66).

Next, the processing of the system automatic connection processing in step 64 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. System automatic connection processing unit 13a that received the request
Requests the server information of one server application satisfying the service request from the name server management device 15 based on the service class identifier (step 71). The name server management device 15 searches the server information of the server application that satisfies the requested service based on the service class identifier (step 7).
2) The result is transferred to the system automatic connection processing unit 13a of the client connection device 13 (step 73). The system automatic concatenation processing unit 13a judges this result (step 74), and if the corresponding server information exists, requests it to the client concatenation processing management unit 13d and writes the server information to the concatenation processing management table of the corresponding service class identifier. Is set (step 75).

As described above, according to this embodiment, the client application specifies the service class identifier from among the system automatic connection processing, the user-specified connection processing, and the user-selected connection processing provided by the client connection apparatus, and the service is provided. By making it possible to select the optimum connection process for each, the connection process can be easily incorporated. Even in a client application program that accesses multiple services, the client concatenation processing management unit manages the concatenation processing for each service based on the service class identifier to select and incorporate the optimum concatenation processing for each service class. Therefore, in developing distributed application programs of various client / server models, including the case of accessing one server application, the developer can flexibly and easily incorporate the linking process.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the client application specifies the service class identifier from among the system automatic connection processing, the user-specified connection processing, and the user-selected connection processing provided by the client connection device, and the client application specifies each service. By making it possible to select the optimal concatenation process for each service, the concatenation process can be easily incorporated, and even in a client application program that accesses multiple services, the client concatenation process management unit uses the service class identifier for each service. By managing the connection processing in the, it is possible to select and incorporate the optimum connection processing for each service class, including the case of accessing one server application, in the development of distributed application programs of various client / server models. Open Who is one that can achieve a superior client connecting device may incorporate a flexible and easy consolidation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an RPC system using a client connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a registration process of a server system of a server connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a table managed by a client connection processing management unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a user-specified connection mode process of a client connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a user selection connection mode process of the client connection device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a service providing process of the client connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing system automatic connection mode processing of the client connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8: RPC using a conventional client connection device
Overall system configuration diagram

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 client application 12 server application 13 client connection device 13a system automatic connection processing unit 13b user specified connection processing unit 13c user selection connection processing unit 13d client connection processing management unit 14 server connection device 15 name server management device 31 service class identifier area 32 connection Processing method setting area 33 Server information setting area 81 Client application 82 Server application 83 Client connection device 84 Server connection device 85 Name server management device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Nobuaki Tanaka 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Yoshihiko Suzuki, 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Within the corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A server application group that can provide a corresponding service to a client application that requests the service, based on a service class identifier generated by the system from a service interface definition of the server application that provides the service. Based on the conditions of user-defined service information specified at the time of request and the service class identifier generated by the system for the system automatic connection processing unit that automatically selects and connects the server application and the client application that requests the service A user-specified connection processing unit that automatically selects and connects server applications,
A user-selected connection that provides a client application that requests a service with information about all server applications that can provide the requested service based on the service class identifier generated by the system, and connects with the server application selected by the client application. A service class identifier for all services for which the client application requests a connection processing method selected by the processing application and the client application from the system automatic connection processing portion, the user-specified connection processing portion, and the user-selected connection processing portion for each service class identifier. A client connection device including a client connection processing management unit that manages in units.