Abstract: A method is described to allow a device to retrieve a message, that is separated into a plurality of fragments, from a data source, wherein the method involves: establishing a first network connection with the data source; receiving a subset of the plurality of fragments; determining the first network connection has ended before completion of said message; establishing one or more subsequent network connections with the data source; and receiving any of the plurality of fragments not within the subset. The characteristics (for example: application protocol, security, speed, reach, bandwidth capability, cost of usage, network type, physical layer type, data-link layer type, or IP address of one or both of the first and second devices) of the first network connection can be potentially different than the subsequent network connections.

Abstract: A computer implemented method/system of creating and managing one or more interceptors. The method comprises the steps of intrinsically chaining the interceptors, and storing state information, in at least one of the chained interceptors, directed to a reference to the next interceptor. A server computer in a client-sever environment that includes a processor configured to generate one or more interceptors and to intrinsically chain the interceptors, and a memory associated with at least one of the chained interceptors and configured to store state information directed to a reference to the next interceptor thereof. The method/system, in various embodiments, includes dissimilar interceptors, callbacks, and flyweight pattern weighting.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of activating a process. The method includes the steps of generating one or more first plug-ins each configured to activate a target process, dynamically registering the first plug-ins with a second plug-in, and permanently storing information relating to each registered first plug-in. A server computer in a client-server computer system that includes one or more first plug-ins each configured to activate a target process, and a second plug-in configured to dynamically register the first plug-ins and to permanently store information relating to the registered first plug-ins.

Abstract: A method and system for a client invoking on an interface defined in a first notation to invoke an object having an interface defined in a second notation is disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of: automatically generating an intermediate object that receives a first message from a first object; the message representing at least one data structure; the at least one data structure comprising at least one dynamic data type; the intermediate object converting the representation of the at least one data structure and at least one data type into a representation of at least one statically defined data structure; the intermediate object sending a second message to a second object; the second message comprising the representation of the at least one statically defined data structure. In one preferred embodiment, the method and system facilitate communication between CORBA and Java EJB objects.

Abstract: A computer implemented method/system of creating and managing one or more interceptors. The method comprises the steps of intrinsically chaining the interceptors, and storing state information, in at least one of the chained interceptors, directed to a reference to the next interceptor. A server computer in a client-sever environment that includes a processor configured to generate one or more interceptors and to intrinsically chain the interceptors, and a memory associated with at least one of the chained interceptors and configured to store state information directed to a reference to the next interceptor thereof. The method/system, in various embodiments, includes dissimilar interceptors, callbacks, and flyweight pattern weighting.

Abstract: A computer implemented method/system of creating and managing one or more interceptors. The method comprises the steps of intrinsically chaining the interceptors, and storing state information, in at least one of the chained interceptors, directed to a reference to the next interceptor. A server computer in a client-sever environment that includes a processor configured to generate one or more interceptors and to intrinsically chain the interceptors, and a memory associated with at least one of the chained interceptors and configured to store state information directed to a reference to the next interceptor thereof. The method/system, in various embodiments, includes dissimilar interceptors, callbacks, and flyweight pattern weighting.

Abstract: A method for controlling a table containing a list of active objects. The table is accessed by one or more threads in a multi-threaded computing environment. The method comprising the steps of mutex locking the table with a first thread when activating an object provided that the table is not locked by a second thread, and creating an entry for the object in the table when the entry does not exist in the table, wherein the entry includes a reference count. The method further comprises the steps of incrementing the reference count of the object if the table is locked by the second thread, and unlocking the table from the mutex lock after incrementing the reference count whether or not the object is completely activated. A system configured to perform steps similar to the above described steps is also provided.

Abstract: A method for matching an object key is described. The method includes the steps of calculating one or more values determined by one or more portions of the object key and comparing the values with a plurality of stored data. The method also includes the step of selecting a stored datum matching the largest portion of the object key.

Abstract: Object definition information is encapsulated in a first notation in encapsulator objects which are defined at least in part in a second, typically different, notation. The encapsulator objects expose native interfaces that may be interrogated to discover the foreign object definition information they encapsulate. Additionally, one or more objects corresponding to an interface associated with a target object can be instantiated (with the target object's interface being defined in a first notation and objects has an interface defined in a second notation which is statically acquired by an invoker), with such object invocation performed without run-time discovery of interfaces. Similarly, a calling object calls a target object by invoking the objects defined in the second notation without the calling object having to discover any interfaces at run-time.

Abstract: A prototype object reference for use in a distributed object computing environment is described. The object reference includes a specified object reference portion and an unspecified object reference portion. The prototype object reference is transformed into a valid object reference by insertion of specification information into the unspecified object reference portion and the specified object reference portion is not fully parsed in connection with insertion of the specification information.

Abstract: Methods and an apparatus are provided for providing secure communications around a firewall. The firewall is configured to only pass packets if they originate on a more protected side of the firewall or if they are in response to such a packet. A persistent secure connection is made from a connection manager program inside the firewall to a server outside the firewall. A protocol request message is then sent from the connection manager to the server over the secure connection. Requests arriving from a client are embedded in a protocol response message and sent to the connection manager program. After processing, the results, if any, are sent as a protocol request message to the server, which extracts the result from the protocol request message and puts the result in a protocol response message, which is sent to the requesting client.

Abstract: A prototype object reference for use in a distributed object computing environment is described. The object reference includes a specified object reference portion and an unspecified object reference portion. The prototype object reference is transformed into a valid object reference by insertion of specification information into the unspecified object reference portion and the specified object reference portion is not fully parsed in connection with insertion of the specification information.