Apparatus and method for providing decoupling of data exchange details for ...

United States Patent m

Skeen et al.

[i l] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,257,369 Oct. 26, 1993

[51] Int. CI.' G06F 15/16; G06F 15/62

[52] U.S. a 395/650; 364/DIG. 1;

364/240.8; 364/240.9 [58] Field of Search 395/650, 700

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,463,093 12/1982 Davis et al 364/200

4,688,170 8/1987 Waite et al 364/200

4,718,005 1/1988 Feigenbaum et al 364/200

4,815,030 3/1989 Cross et al 364/900

4,815,988 7/1989 Trottier et al 364/200

4.914,583 4/1990 Weisshaar et al 364/200

4,937,784 6/1990 Masai et al 364/900

4,975,830 12/1990 Gerpheide et al 364/200

4,992,972 2/1991 Brooks et al 364/900

4,999,771 3/1991 Ralph et al 364/200

5,062,037 10/1991 Shorter et al 364/200

5,073,852 12/1991 Siegel et al 395/700

5,101,406 3/1992 Messenger 370/94.1

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

TIB Reference Manual, "The Teknekron Information Bus TM: Programmer's Reference Manual," Version 1.1, Sep. 7, 1989, pp. 1-46.

"BASIS Application Programming Interface (AIP)," pp. 1-82.

"BASIS Objectives, Environments, Concepts Functions, Value for Business Partners and Customers," IBM Confidential.

DataTrade Rl, "Lans Lans/Wans," Aug. 23, 1990, pp. 1-4.

■wnrrarcMiaMEx

DataTrade Rl, "Lans DT Rl Software Components," Aug. 23, 1990, pp. 1-7.

DataTrade Rl, "Lans DT Rl Networkf Architecture," Aug. 23, 1990, pp. 1-14.

DataTrade Rl, "Lans Broadcast Concepts," Aug. 23, 1990, pp. 1-9.

DataTrade Rl, "Lans Broadcast Performance," Aug. 23, 1990, pp. 1-3.

DataTrade Rl, "Lans Point-Point Concepts," Aug. 23, 1990, pp. 1-4.

DataTrade Rl, "Lans Security," Aug. 23,1990, pp. 1-4. DataTrade Rl, "API Overview," Jun. 6, 1990, pp. 1-11. DataTrade Rl, "API Datatrade API Verbs," Jun. 6, 1990, pp. 1-14.

DataTrade Rl, "DataTrade Using DataTrade: APs,"

Aug. 23, 1990, pp. 1-14.

"Delivering Integrated Solutions," 6 pages.

Digital, "RAMS Message Bus for VAX/VMS," May

11, 1990, pp. 1-3.

(List continued on next page.)

Primary Examiner—Thomas M. Heckler
Assistant Examiner—A. Katbab

A communication interface for decoupling one software application from another software application such communications between applications are facilitated and applications may be developed in modularized fashion. The communication interface is comprised of two libraries of programs. One library manages selfdescribing forms which contain actual data to be exchanged as well as type information regarding data format and class definition that contain semantic information. Another library manages communications and includes a subject mapper to receive subscription requests regarding a particular subject and map them to particular communication disciplines and to particular services supplying this information. A number of communication disciplines also cooperate with the subject mapper or directly with client applications to manage communications with various other applications using the communication protocols used by those other applications.

27 Claims, 20 Drawing Sheets

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Howard Kilman and Glen Macko, "An Architectural Perspective of a Common Distributed Heterogeneous Message Bus," 1987, pp. 171-184. Glen Macko, "Developing a Message Bus for Integrating VMS High Speed Task to Task Communications," Fall 1986, pp. 339-347.

Steven G. Judd, "A Practical Approach to Developing

Client-Server Applications Among VAX/VMS,

CICS/VS, and IMS/VS LU6.2 Applications Made

Easy," Spring 1990, pp. 95-112.

Product Insight, "Don't, Miss the Lates Message Bus,

VAXPAMSV2.5," Jun. 1989, pp. 18-21.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "Digital Packaged

Application Software Description PASD PASD Name:

VAX-PAMS PASD: US.002.02," Version 25.5, Dec. 5,

1989, pp. 1-8.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "PAMS Basic Call Set PAMS Message BUS Efficient Task-to-Task Communication," Jul. 1989, pp. 1-25.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "Package Apllication Software Description for ULTRIX-PAMS," Version 1.2, Dec. 5, 1989, pp. 1-7.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "Package Application Software Description for PC-PAMS," Version 1.2, Dec. 5, 1989, pp. 1-7.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "PAMS Self-Maintenance Service Description," Apr. 3, 1990, pp. 1-3.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "LU6.2 PAMS Self-Maintenance Service Description," Apr. 3, 1990, pp. 1-3.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "PAMS Installation and Orientation Service Description," Jan. 31, 1989, pp. 1-3.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "PAMS LU6.2 Installation and Orientation Service Description," Apr. 19, 1990, pp. 1-3.

Digital Equipment Corporation, "Package Application Software Description for PAMS LU6.2," Version 2.1, Apr. 19, 1990, pp. 1-18.

Carriera and Galernter, "Linda In Context", Communications of the ACM, Apr. 1989, vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 444-458.

IBM DataTrade System introduced Mar. 13, 1990.
Digital Equipment Corporation PAM, Jul. 1991.
Goldman Sachs Development Effort (see Information
Disclosure Statement filed with this form, entry, #5).
Salomon Brothers Activities (see Information Disclo-
sure Statement filed with this form, entry #6).
The Metamorphosis of Information Management;
David Gelernter; Scientific American, Aug. 1989; pp.
66-73.

The Metamorphosis of Information Management; David Gelernter; Scientific American, Aug. 1989; pp. 66-73.