XML Service Advertisement Mechanism for Distributed Computing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current distributed computing technologies, such as Jini, are not scalable enough for small footprint devices due to resource constraints and lack of platform independence, and they require Java support and TCP/IP connectivity, which many small devices cannot provide, limiting their ability to participate in networks effectively.
Innovation Solution
A distributed computing environment using XML messaging and 'spaces' that allows clients and services to interact without requiring Java or TCP/IP, enabling communication and resource sharing across a wide range of devices from small embedded systems to large servers, using XML advertisements and message passing for service discovery and access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Jini technology is used for distributed computing, then service discovery and network connectivity are improved, but resource requirements and platform dependencies increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces XML-based service advertisements as an intermediary layer between service providers and clients. These advertisements contain service metadata, capabilities, and access information in a platform-independent format, allowing services to be discovered and accessed without direct Java/TCP/IP dependencies on the client side.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments service information into discrete XML advertisement documents that can be independently processed. Each advertisement is a self-contained unit describing specific service capabilities, allowing clients to selectively process only relevant service information rather than requiring full Java runtime support.
2Productivity
If Java Virtual Machine is required for service execution, then service functionality is improved, but device compatibility and resource consumption worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential service access functionality from the Java Virtual Machine requirement. By using XML messaging and service advertisements, the system separates service description and access control from the execution environment, allowing service functionality to be accessed on devices without full JVM support.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of service access by transitioning from bytecode execution to XML message processing. This parameter change allows the same service functionality to be accessed on devices with varying computational resources, from embedded systems to enterprise servers.
3Reliability
If TCP/IP protocol stack is mandated for network communication, then network reliability is improved, but resource requirements and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The XML-based service advertisement system provides a universal interface for service discovery that works across multiple transport protocols. The same XML messaging mechanism can operate over TCP/IP, UDP, or other transport layers, reducing the mandated complexity of the protocol stack on embedded devices.
4Ease of operation
If service advertisements are stored in distributed spaces, then service accessibility is improved, but network traffic and memory usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-generating and caching service advertisements in distributed spaces. Clients can retrieve these pre-prepared XML advertisements once and reuse the service access information multiple times, reducing subsequent network traffic for service discovery.
Data Source
AI summary
In a distributed computing environment, a service advertisement may include information for a client to access a particular service. A service may publish the service advertisement in a space which stores documents such as eXtensible Markup Language (XML) documents. The advertisement may include a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and an XML schema for the service that specifies XML messages which are usable to invoke functions of the service. A client may access the space and read the advertisement to construct a gate for access to the service. The client may send a first XML message to the service at the URI, wherein the first XML message is specified in the XML schema, to invoke one or more functions of the service. The service may send a second message specified in the XML schema (e.g., a message including the results of the invoked function(s)) to the client.