A method and apparatus for making a hypermedium interactive

ES 2 187 682 T3

DESCRIPTION

Method and apparatus for producing an interactive hypermedia.

Invention field

The invention relates generally to the field of computer communications and more specifically to the field of remote application processing.

Background of the invention

A hypermedia is a graphic display that contains a series of graphic and text images that are referred to as hyperlinks. Each hyperlink typically corresponds to additional information that is available to a user of the hypermedia. For example, a hypermedia visualization could be an encyclopedic article on flight. If the graphical display of the item includes a drawing of a rocket, and if the user is able to obtain information about the selected rocket engine (typically using a pointing device referred to as a computer mouse) a portion of the displayed showing the engine, the portion of the image that contains the rocket engine is referred to as a hyperlink. That is, the portion of the image that contains the engine is a link to the information about the engine. The activation of a hyperlink determines that the hypermedia requests a data file of the desired information from the program that actually controls the hypermedia.

When a hypermedia is used in conjunction with a network, for example the great world web or the internet, a user at a client node on the network first accesses what is called a home page or a web page. This home page or web page is obtained from another node in the network, called a network server, and is displayed on the client node by a program called a network browser or web browser. In such a case, when the user selects the hyperlink (in the previous example, the portion of the display showing the rocket engine) a request is made to the web browser for the data file containing the required information. The network browser on the user's node establishes the data server that has data corresponding to the requested hyperlink communicated with the network node. In this case the node that has information about the rocket motor contains the information required by the hyperlink.

Although hypermedia has been used to transfer information to a user in the manner recently discussed, it is desirable to be able to use a hypermedia viewer to interactively run applications such as database programs located on another computer, an execution server of the applied, over the network. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for accomplishing this task.

The invention relates to a system for creating an interactive hypermedia page in order to allow an application to be executed in one node and the displayed results and data entered in another node. In one embodiment, the system includes a client node, a network server node, and an application execution server node interconnected by a communication junction. A hyperlink on the hypermedia page is displayed on the client node and a hyperlink configuration file (corresponding to the hyperlink on the client node) is located on the network server node. In one embodiment, a client agent sits on the client node and a server agent sits on the application execution server node. A communication link is created by the client agent between the client agent on the client node and the server agent on the application execution server node in response to the data in the hyperlink's configuration file. The system also includes an application on the application execution server node that is executed on the application execution server node in response to the communication link between the client agent and the server agent. The application execution on the application execution node then communicates with the client agent through the server agent. The client agent at the client node is responsible for receiving user data input and transferring the data to the application at the application execution node and for receiving the application data at the application execution node and for display the data output to the user on the client node.

The invention also relates to a method of making an interactive hypermedia page. The method includes the steps of selecting a hyperlink in the hypermedia page displayed at a client node; retrieve (from a server node to the client node) a hyperlink configuration file corresponding to the hyperlink and start a client agent on the client node. The method also includes the steps of creating a communication link between a server agent on an application execution server and the client agent; start the application on the application execution server in response to the connection; communicate data between the client agent in the client node and the application in the application execution node; and directing the display and data entry at the client node.

Computer Networks and ISDN Systems, Vol. 27, Elsevier Science BV (1994) pp. 273-280, S. Putz, "Interactive information services using hypertext from the great world web", describes a method of remote interaction with an application on an application execution server on a network, which includes the stages of displaying a hypermedia page on a node. client through an exploration process, select a hyperlink in said hypermedia page, and in response to the hyperlink selection create a communication link to the application execution server.

The present invention is characterized on the prior art document identified above by the steps of retrieving a configuration file corresponding to the hyperlink from a network server to the client node in response to the hyperlink selection; put a client agent into operation on the client node

ES 2 187 682 T3 in response to the data in the configuration file; establish through the client agent in response to the data in the configuration file a communication link with a server agent that runs on the application's execution server; and execute the application in response to a signal transmitted from the client agent to the server agent over the communication link.

The present invention also provides a system for remotely interacting with an application on an application execution server on a network, comprising a client node and a scanning program to display a hypermedia page on the client node with a hyperlink, of way that in response to the hyperlink selection an application link was created to the application execution server; characterized in that the explorer program adapts in response to the selection of the hyperlink to retrieve a configuration file corresponding to the hyperlink of a network server and to put into operation a client agent in the client node in response to the data in the configuration file ; and the client agent is adapted to establish, in response to the data in the configuration file, a communication link with a server agent running on the application execution server, and to transmit a signal to the server agent over the communication link in order to run the application.

The present invention further provides a computer program product specifically for use in a method as defined in claim 1, the product comprising a computer executable program stored on a computer reading medium, the program being adapted to run on data processing means that serve as a client node so that the client node can remotely interact with an application on an application execution server on a network in response to the selection of a hyperlink in a hypermedia page visualized in the client node by a process of exploration; the computer program being such that the scanning process is adapted in response to the selection of the hyperlink to retrieve a configuration file corresponding to the hyperlink from a network server and to operate a client agent on the client node in response to data in the configuration file, and the client agent is adapted to establish, in response to the data in the configuration file, a communication link with a server agent running on the application execution server, and to transmit a signal to the server agent over the communication link to execute the application.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the system of the invention; Y

Figure 2 is a flow chart of the operation of the system of the invention shown in Figure 1.

Detailed description of the invention

With reference to Figure 1, and in a brief overview, one embodiment of an interactive hypermedia system of the invention includes a client node 10, a network server node 18, and an application execution server node 24, interconnected. by a communications link 32, referred here without any loss of generality as a network or web. Although only one client node 10, one network server node 18, and one application execution server node 24 are shown in Figure 1 for clarity, a real network can include many such nodes. Alternatively, the services provided by each of the related nodes can be combined in one or more nodes. For example, the application execution server and the network server may in fact be the same node. In the extreme case it is possible that all functions are performed by the same node, although such a thing would not be topically the case. Furthermore, although only one application 36 is displayed on the application execution server 24, in reality, one node of the application execution server 24 topically includes many applications 36. Each node on the web 32 includes a processor, which can vary significantly from other processors on the web 32 in terms of computing power and associated hardware. Also, the applications 36 available to run on each node may be different.

A user in a client node who wants to execute the application program 36 that is located in the application execution server 24 on the web 32 does so through a graphical user interface 40, which is referred to here without any loss of data. generally as a hypermedia, located at the client node 10. The graphic interface is displayed on a graphic display device 42. The data is entered by the users through a mouse 46 and a keyboard 50 located in the client node 10. The graphic display or page 44 that the user first sees on the hypermedia 40 is referred here without any loss of generality as the page. initial or web page of the application 36. A page 44 or initial page of hypermedia 40 includes a graphic link 48 or textual link 56 here referred to without any loss of generality as a hyperlink. The web page is displayed by a process 64 referred to here without any loss of generality as a web browser 64 running on client node 10.

The network browser 64 obtains the first page or web page 44 from a node of the network server 18 and displays the web page 44 on the hypermedia 40 to be viewed by the user on the graphic display device 42. When the user selects an application program 36 to run (selecting a graphic 48 or text hyperlink 56 using mouse 46 or keyboard 50) the network explorer 64 obtains a network configuration file 68 corresponding to the selected application 36 from a default network server 18 and start a

ES 2 187 682 T3 client agent 72 who will communicate with the selected application 36. This will be discussed in more detail below.

The client agent 72 reads the configuration file 68 and establishes a communication link to a server agent 80 on the application execution server 24 specified by the configuration file 68. In one embodiment, the configuration file 68 includes the name of the application and the location of the application node 36 corresponding to the hyperlink 48, 56. The configuration file may also contain additional information such as authentication or authorized user information. The server agent 80 performs the necessary operations (such as authentication) to allow the client agent 72 to access the application 36, and once access is allowed, the application 36 requested by the user begins. Once the application 36 is running on the application execution server, the application 36 communicates through the server agent 24 directly with the client agent 72 without intervention from the network browser 64. The client agent 72 is then responsible for receiving user data through the mouse 46 and keyboard 50 and transmitting it to the application program 36 on the application execution server 24. Similarly, the client agent 72 is responsible for receiving the data from the application 36 on the application execution server 24 and for displaying the data in an application display window 74 on the graphical display device 42 on the client node. 10. It should be noted that the application viewing window 74 may be located within the limits or outside the limits of the hypermedia 40. When the application 36 is completed, the server agent 80 instructs the client agent 72 to disconnect the communication link 32 between the client agent 72 and the server agent 80, and the server agent waits for the next connection.

Figure 2 represents the operation of the system in more detail. Initially, client agent 72 is registered (Step 1) with network browser 64 of client node 10 and an entry is made in the network browser 88 log file (Figure 1). This input allows network browser 64 to start client agent 72 whenever a given file type is requested by hyperlink 48, 56 of hypermedia 40. In this case, the client agent 72 is designed to allow a user at the client node 10 to run and interact with a remote application 36 at an application execution server node 24. The client agent 72 will be able to register with the network browser 64 so that whenever a hyperlink 48, 56 requires the given file type (for example .RMT for remote execution) from the network browser 64, the network browser 64 will be able to start client agent 72, which may allow remote execution and interaction with an application 36 resident on an application execution server 24. Invocation of client agent 72 is discussed in more detail below.

Then, when a user wishes to run an application from a hypermedia environment, for example, a database program, the hypermedia 40 is displayed in a way that is well known to those skilled in the art. When the user selects a hyperlink 48, 56 on page 44 of the hypermedia (Step 2) using the mouse 46 or the keyboard 50 on the client node 10, a request is made to the network browser 64 for the corresponding data file (Step 3 ). In this example, the file type (.RMT) is requested.

The network browser 64 obtains the corresponding configuration file 68 from the network server 18 which is specified in the file request made by the hyperlink 48, 56 to the network browser 64 (Step 4). The network explorer 64 then compares the obtained configuration file 68 with the registry file 88 of the client agent names that it maintains (Step 5). If the client agent 72 specified by the configuration file 68 is found in the registry file 88, the client agent 72 is started (Step 6).

The invoked client agent 72 reads the configuration file 68 (Step 7), and based on the information in the configuration file 68, begins to establish a communication link with the server agent 80 on the application execution server 24 ( Stage 8), in this case the execution server of the sales database application (usually 24).

Considering the process of starting the communications link from stage 8 (Figure 2) in more detail, the communication begins with the server agent 80 controlling the communication activity on the network 32. At this point, no protocol assumptions are made. by the server agent 80 beyond what is necessary for the transport layer. Similarly, client agent 72 also makes no assumptions about the communications protocol beyond that required by the transport layer. Once server agent 80 determines that a client agent 72 is attempting to communicate with it, server agent 80 transmits a message to client agent 72 indicating that the service is available.

Once the client agent 72 determines that the service is available at the application execution server node 24, the client agent 72 transmits a message to the server agent 80 indicating that it is ready to proceed with the communication protocol. Once the server agent 80 has responded that it is ready to continue the communication protocol, the client agent 72 allows the necessary protocol for the application 36 to execute. In response to the message from client agent 72, server agent 80 also enables the required protocol. The server agent 80 then transmits a message using the required protocol indicating that the client agent's request has been received and accepted.

In response, client agent 72 and server agent 80 exchange a set of messages that negotiate the parameters under which communications will occur. Once the negotiations are complete, client agent 72 and server agent 80 are able to communicate as necessary for the application.

ES 2 187 682 T3 is executed by the user. Once the communications protocol has been established and the server agent 80 has authenticated the client agent 72 (Step 9) (for example, determining that the user has permission to read and write to the database), the application 36 (Step 10 ) is executed on the application execution server 24. At this point the application 36 running on the application execution server 24 is communicating through the server agent 80 with the client agent 72 on the client node 10. The client agent 72 is now responsible for transmitting the data input by the user using the mouse 46 and the keyboard 50 to the application 36 running on the application execution server 24. Furthermore, the client agent 72 is responsible for receiving the data to be displayed from the application 36 and for displaying that data in the application window 74 on the graphical display device 42 of the client node 10.

It should be noted that the underlying presentation protocol that carries data to a transport layer, such as TCP / IP, must be capable of transferring graphical information. Examples of such protocols that can be used for interactive hypermedia communication include the public domain X-WINDOWS protocol and the proprietary ICA protocol from Citrix Systems Inc.

In this way, the system described above allows a user at a client node 10, which may have very limited resources, to start and interact with an application program 36 located at another application execution server node 24. Application 36 is then run on the application execution server node 24 and the data is entered and the results displayed on the client node 10.

These and other examples of the inventive concept illustrated above are intended by way of example and the actual scope of the invention is to be determined solely from the following claims.