On-Demand Enterprise Application Startup via JNDI Metadata

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Solution Overview

Problem

In enterprise application servers, running thousands of applications simultaneously leads to resource overconsumption and system downtime, as all applications must be active for clients to access them, despite only a subset being used at any given time.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system where naming references with metadata are created in the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI), allowing an object factory to identify and start applications only when requested by clients, thereby managing resources efficiently by keeping all applications in a stopped state until needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all applications are kept running to ensure immediate client access, then client access reliability is improved, but system resource consumption increases and system downtime risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient access reliabilityVSAvoidsystem resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-registering application metadata in the JNDI namespace before applications are actually deployed or activated. This allows the JNDI lookup to succeed immediately, and the application can be activated on-demand when a client actually needs it, thus maintaining reliability while reducing resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If all applications are kept running to ensure immediate client access, then client access reliability is improved, but system downtime risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient access reliabilityVSAvoidsystem downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If only needed applications are started to optimize resource usage, then resource efficiency is improved, but client access speed deteriorates due to on-demand loading

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidclient access speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the JNDI namespace with pre-registered metadata - that decouples the client lookup operation from the actual application activation. The JNDI acts as a mediator that can immediately resolve application identifiers even when applications are not yet running, enabling fast client access without requiring applications to be pre-loaded into memory.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If thousands of applications are deployed on the server to provide comprehensive services, then service versatility is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice versatilityVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by separating application metadata registration from application deployment and activation. The JNDI namespace is segmented to store only the minimal necessary information (application identifiers and metadata) without requiring the full application code to be loaded. This allows the server to support thousands of applications with minimal resource overhead, activating only those needed at any given time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8069221B2Starting enterprise applications on demand

Publication Date: 2011.11.29 SAP SE

AI summary

A method to start enterprise applications on demand using naming references is described. The method matches Enterprise JavaBeans applications to respective naming references, checks if the matched application is running and starts it if it is not.