Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving the overall performance of a system which processes transactions and provides connections in an enterprise environment are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for processing a transaction in an enterprise environment includes receiving a request to start the transaction, storing information which indicates that the request to start the transaction was received, and accessing a first resource manager associated with the transaction. Typically, a container receives the request to start a transaction from a component such as an enterprise bean. Once the first resource is accessed, the transaction is initiated as a local transaction on the first resource manager, and, eventually, the transaction is completed. In one embodiment, completing the transaction includes using a local transaction mechanism of the first resource manager to complete the local transaction.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed for performing online upgrades using a control module, executed as part of an application, that includes application-specific strategies for the application, yet can be coded using the JAVA programming language. An application is executed that includes an original service module and an original control module. The original control module includes application-specific policies for the application. To upgrade the application, an upgraded control module is generated. Then, the upgraded control module is used to create an upgraded service module. Both the upgraded control module and the upgraded service module can be generated using class files for the original modules, which are loaded from a system repository. In this manner, the original control module and the original service module are upgraded.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible and extensible execution control system for distributed computer systems including multiple nodes interconnected through a network. Distributed computer systems that include an execution control system consistent with the present invention can be used for more types of applications than systems using prior art. The applications running on a distributed computer system that includes an execution control system consistent with the present invention can achieve better protection from hardware and software failures than systems using prior art systems and methods.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed for performing online upgrades of applications, including the managed application state, without disrupting the functionality of the application during the upgrade process. A Java module is executed on a server, where the Java module includes at least one original entity bean and at least one original state object in communication with the original entity bean. The original state object stores a state of the original entity bean. Then, an upgraded state object is generated and the state stored in the original state object is transferred to the upgraded state object. In this manner, state management for the original entity bean can be provided using the upgraded state object.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for partitioning a managed state for a Java based application. The application developer is allowed to associate individual entity beans with a particular state management type. Then, during execution, a plurality of state objects are provided, where each state object stores a state of a corresponding entity bean object within the memory address space of a Java server process. Further, each state object is associated with the state management type of the corresponding entity bean object. In this manner, state management is provided for each entity bean object based on the associated state management type using a corresponding state object. The state management type can be a memory replicated state management type, a disk replicated state management type, a non-replicated state manage type.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed for a control module, executed as part of an application, that includes application-specific strategies for the application, yet can be coded using the JAVA programming language. In one embodiment, a system for providing application-specific strategies to a JAVA platform is disclosed that includes a runtime subsystem and an application, which includes a control module in communication with the runtime subsystem. The application further includes a plurality of service modules in communication with the control module. The control module includes application-specific policies for the application, which are programmed using a JAVA programming language. The control module manages the service modules, and also is capable of starting a child application by starting a child control module, which is part of the child application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fast and reliable fencing of resources such as shared disks on a networked system. For each new configuration of nodes and resources on the system, a membership program module generates a new membership list and, based upon that, a new epoch number uniquely identifying the membership correlated with the time that it exists. A control key based upon the epoch number is generated, and is stored at each resource controller and node on the system. If a node is identified as failed, it is removed from the membership list, and a new epoch number and control key are generated. When a node sends an access request to a resource, the resource controller compares its locally stored control key with the control key stored at the node (which is transmitted with the access request). The access request is executed only if the two keys match.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed for a load balancing method in a JAVA based environment. The method includes executing an application having a first service module and a control module. The control module includes application-specific policies for the application. During execution, the utilization of system resources is sensed. In response to the sensed utilization of system resources, a second service module is generated using the first service module. In addition, the state of the first service module is transferred to the second service module, and the first service module is terminated. To sense the system resource utilization, embodiments of the present invention can poll system resources, or receive notifications from the system resources. Further, some embodiments of the present invention include application-specific policies that include specific servers on which to generate the second service module during load balancing or module moving.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed for performing failure recovery in a Java platform. An application is executed that includes a service module and a control module. The control module includes application-specific polices for the application. When an error is detected in a system component, the detected error is reported to a runtime executive, and the system component is isolated. The control module is then notified of the system component failure.

Abstract: An invention for migrating managed application state for a Java based application is disclosed. A first Java module is executed on a first server. The first Java module includes a first entity bean and a first state object in communication with the first entity bean. The first state object stores a state of the first entity bean. The first state object is replicated to a state server or stored in-memory and made capable of migration by replicated state manager. Then, a second Java module is started on a second server as part of the module migration by a control module. The second Java module includes a second state object that is populated with state by either recovering from replica of fist state object stored on the state server or by getting transferred state of an in-memory copy of first state object managed on first server.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing deployment descriptors which are used to deploy modules in an enterprise environment are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for deploying an application using a deployment tool for use on a platform server includes creating the application, creating an application deployment descriptor for the application, packaging the application in an archive, and deploying the application packaged in the archive. Creating the application includes obtaining an application component which has an associated application component deployment descriptor that has information relating to the deployment of the application component. The application deployment descriptor for the application includes information arranged to identify the application component, and packaging the application in an archive includes packaging the application component, the application component deployment descriptor, and the application deployment descriptor.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed managing the replicated and migration capable state for an enterprise Java bean (EJB) application. The invention includes executing a Java application on a server that includes an entity bean. In addition, a replicated state manager is executed that includes program instructions for managing an in-memory state of the Java application, and program instructions for replicating the in-memory state of the Java application to a replicated state server. The replicated state server can be a memory replicated state server, or a disk replicated state server. To facilitate application state management, embodiments of the present invention store states of the entity beans objects using state objects, which are updated in response to changes in the state of the application. Hence, the embodiments of the present invention define a logical separation between the application and the state objects.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible and extensible execution control system for distributed computer systems including multiple nodes interconnected through a network. Distributed computer systems that include an execution control system consistent with the present invention can be used for more types of applications than systems using prior art. The applications running on a distributed computer system that includes an execution control system consistent with the present invention can achieve better protection from hardware and software failures than systems using prior art systems and methods.

Abstract: The present invention defines a transaction management contract between an application server and a resource adapter and its underlying resource manager that allows an application server to utilize local transactions on a resource manager and avoid the overhead of an external transaction manager. The transaction management contract incorporates two aspects that apply to different types of transactions. The first aspect provides an application level transaction contract between a transaction manager and a resource manager based on javax.transaction.xa.XAResource of the J2EE specification. The second aspect is local transaction management contract. These contracts enable application server to provide the infrastructure and runtime environment for transaction management. An application component relies on this transaction infrastructure to support its component level transaction model.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing state machines as enterprise beans with reliable or transactional timers on an enterprise platform are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a state machine is arranged to be used within a computing system that supports an enterprise platform. The state machine includes an entity object, a home interface associated with the entity object, and a remote interface associated with the entity object. The home interface is arranged to create, find, and remove entity objects, while the remote interface is arranged to drive the state machine. The entity object is arranged to be deployed in a bean container, which includes a timer. In addition to including a timer, the bean container is arranged to invoke the entity object using the remote. In one embodiment, the timer is transactional.

Abstract: Online transaction processing is one of the main applications of computer systems. A purpose of the present invention is to improve the performance and availability of online transaction processing systems. A system that uses the present invention may process more transactions per second and remains more available to its clients than systems using the prior art.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a first component to asynchronously invoke a second component are provided. In one embodiment of the invention, a computer-implemented method for a first component to invoke a second component asynchronously in an object-oriented computing environment is provided. A request is received from a first component to invoke a second component. The scope of the received request is maintained. A thread is provided for identifying the received request and invoking the second component, wherein the thread identifies an exception listener for handling exceptions associated with the invocation of the second component.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed managing the replicated and migration capable state for an enterprise Java bean (EJB) application. The invention includes executing a Java application on a server that includes an entity bean. In addition, a replicated state manager is executed that includes program instructions for managing an in-memory state of the Java application, and program instructions for replicating the in-memory state of the Java application to a replicated state server. The replicated state server can be a memory replicated state server, or a disk replicated state server. To facilitate application state management, embodiments of the present invention store states of the entity beans objects using state objects, which are updated in response to changes in the state of the application. Hence, the embodiments of the present invention define a logical separation between the application and the state objects.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed for a load balancing method in a JAVA based environment. The method includes executing an application having a first service module and a control module. The control module includes application-specific policies for the application. During execution, the utilization of system resources is sensed. In response to the sensed utilization of system resources, a second service module is generated using the first service module. In addition, the state of the first service module is transferred to the second service module, and the first service module is terminated. To sense the system resource utilization, embodiments of the present invention can poll system resources, or receive notifications from the system resources. Further, some embodiments of the present invention include application-specific policies that include specific servers on which to generate the second service module during load balancing or module moving.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed for a control module, executed as part of an application, that includes application-specific strategies for the application, yet can be coded using the JAVA programming language. In one embodiment, a system for providing application-specific strategies to a JAVA platform is disclosed that includes a runtime subsystem and an application, which includes a control module in communication with the runtime subsystem. The application further includes a plurality of service modules in communication with the control module. The control module includes application-specific policies for the application, which are programmed using a JAVA programming language. The control module manages the service modules, and also is capable of starting a child application by starting a child control module, which is part of the child application.