JPH10126437A - Distributed object communication method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable message exchange through a distributed object facility even between hosts that can not directly communicate with each other by performing distributed object message exchange by using an E mail that is a lower communication means. SOLUTION: When a host A is provided with a fire wall FW to assure its security in the current wide area network and when a fire wall FW is provided between hosts A and B in this way, direct communication is impossible due to the fire wall FW, but information interchange is available through an E mail. Communication is performed through an upper protocol with security maintained by using the E mail as a lower protocol. Thus, communication in a distributed object facility can be performed without any need of special authority with its security maintained even between the hosts A and B which can not directly communicate by using the E mail as a lower protocol.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a distributed object communication method effective for realizing a distributed object-oriented platform in which objects operate in cooperation on a plurality of computer systems.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The distributed object-oriented technology is a technology for operating a plurality of objects, which are execution subjects, based on an object-oriented interface by distributing them on a network, and extends the conventional object-oriented concept to a network wide. It is considered to have been done. The object that is the execution subject has location transparency on the network, and can operate without being restricted by the physical location of the entity.

[0003] The distributed object platform provides a high-level communication mechanism of exchanging messages between objects. This means of communication is the "name" of the object
And a "method" to instruct the object to operate
Communication is performed by specifying. It is very easy to create programs that communicate with each other by using an easy communication function of message passing for distributed objects.

[0004]

Conventionally, message exchange between objects has been realized in a lower layer using a protocol such as TCP / IP. In this case, the direct TC
Distributed object message exchange is possible only with a partner that can communicate using P / IP. In the current wide area network, many organizations have a firewall (firewall) to prevent unauthorized access from outside the organization, and do not allow direct communication. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to exchange messages using a distributed object environment in a wide area network.

That is, conventionally, communication between points where direct communication cannot be performed is performed by providing a relay device for each protocol, which requires the authority of a network administrator,
In addition, there are problems such as maintenance and management of the relay device and reduction in security due to the relay device.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a distributed object communication method that enables exchange of messages by a distributed object mechanism by using electronic mail as a lower protocol even between hosts that cannot directly communicate.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a plurality of hosts connected to a network on a distributed computer environment perform distributed object message exchange at a lower level communication means. The gist of the process is to use an e-mail.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, even between hosts that cannot directly communicate with each other, the use of e-mail does not require any special authority and enables communication while maintaining security. It can be carried out.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a protocol configuration of a distributed object message exchange for implementing a distributed object communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a)
In, the application communicates using the distributed object mechanism, but is not aware of the protocol below the distributed object mechanism.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1B, changing the transport layer below the distributed object mechanism to an electronic mail has no effect on the application.
That is, by using e-mail as a lower protocol of communication, a higher application does not have to worry about what the lower protocol is, and there is no need to change the application. A conventional communication means can be used between directly communicable hosts, and can be used together with the present invention.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. The embodiment shown in the figure is a case where a firewall FW is provided for the host A for ensuring security in the current wide area network, and thus the firewall FW is provided between the host A and the host B. In such a case, direct communication cannot be performed by the firewall FW, but information can be exchanged by e-mail. By using e-mail for the lower protocol, communication using the upper protocol can be performed while maintaining security.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in the figure, there is a network that uses another protocol in the middle of communication between the host A and the host B. In this case, it is impossible to perform direct communication, Although object message exchange was not possible, information exchange by electronic mail is usually possible even in such a communication environment.

As described above, the use of electronic mail for the lower-layer protocol has the following advantages.
That is, in the distributed object platform, a message must be sent individually to a plurality of parties at the same time, but the message can be sent to a plurality of parties simultaneously by using an e-mail broadcast notification mechanism. In addition, since e-mail can be easily stored, the progress of communication can be saved sequentially and easily tracked later. Can be used. Furthermore,
Conventional distributed object communication determines whether communication is possible depending on the status of the communication partner.However, since e-mail can be sent regardless of the status of the communication partner, messages can be sent even when the communication partner is busy. Can be.

[0015] Also, since e-mail is usually readable,
A message can be easily changed, and a communication test and the like can be easily performed. By using both the message transfer path and the e-mail path by ordinary direct communication, the transfer path can be duplicated, and the reliability of the distributed object message exchange can be improved.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By using e-mail as a lower-layer protocol even between hosts that cannot communicate directly, communication using the distributed object mechanism can be performed without requiring special authority and maintaining security. Functions such as broadcast communication, storage, communication independent of the status of the other party, and readability can be used in distributed object communication.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a protocol configuration of a distributed object message exchange for implementing a distributed object communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 FW firewall

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A distributed object communication method, wherein a plurality of hosts connected to a network in a distributed computer environment exchange distributed object messages using electronic mail as lower-layer communication means.