Scaling and delivering distributed applications

A method as defined in claim 8, wherein constructing a user interface further comprises:

• creating an XHTML representation of the user interface;
• generating one or more placeholder areas within the XHTML;
• describing the presentation and layout of the user interface;
• and
• using a behavior to control creation of dynamic content.

In a system that includes one or more nodes connected with a central server that receives content including audio and video content from a broadcast source, and wherein the content is delivered to the one or more nodes by feature applications, a computer program product for implementing a method for dynamically distributing a feature application across a node and the central server, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method, the method comprising:
• loading a node application at the node;
• selecting the feature application for distribution across the node and the server, wherein the feature application comprises a user interface portion and a process portion;
• loading a user interface portion of the feature application at the node by the node application, wherein the user interface portion communicates with a process portion of the feature application that is loaded on the central server;
• making a request, by the user interface portion, to the process portion for data;
• receiving processed data from the process portion;
• and
• presenting the processed data at the node.

In a system that includes one or more nodes connected with a central server that receives content including audio and video content from a broadcast source, and wherein the content is delivered to the one or more nodes by feature applications, a method for dynamically distributing a feature application across a node and the central server, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for a node application from the node;
• sending the node application to the node, wherein the node application is retrieved from a remote server over a network if the node application for the node is not stored on the central server;
• receiving a request for the feature application;
• delivering a user interface portion of the feature application to the node, wherein a process portion of the feature application is executed on the central server;
• processing each request from the user interface portion by the process portion of the feature application, wherein the process portion utilizes resources of the central server to process each request;
• and
• providing the user interface portion with results of each request, wherein the user interface portion presents the results to the user.

In a system that includes one or more nodes connected with a central server that receives content including audio and video content from a broadcast source, and wherein the content is delivered to the one or more nodes by feature applications, a computer program product for implementing a method for dynamically distributing a feature application across a node and the central server, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method, the method comprising:
• receiving a request for a node application from the node;
• sending the node application to the node, wherein the node application is retrieved from a remote server over a network if the node application for the node is not stored on the central server;
• receiving a request for the feature application;
• delivering a user interface portion of the feature application to the node, wherein a process portion of the feature application is executed on the central server;
• processing each request from the user interface portion by the process portion of the feature application, wherein the process portion utilizes resources of the central server to process each request;
• and
• providing the user interface portion with results of each request, wherein the user interface portion presents the results to the user.

In a system that includes one or more nodes connected with a central server that receives content including audio and video content from a broadcast source, and wherein the content is delivered to the one or more nodes by feature applications, a node application for distributing the feature applications across the server and a node, the node application comprising:

• a presentation engine that provides support for first standards such that each feature application, as appropriate, can render a user interface;
• an execution engine that provides support for second standards such that each feature application, as appropriate, can execute on the node;
• a compatibility layer that permits the node application and the feature applications to be portable across multiple operating systems and multiple processor architectures;
• and
• a allocation module that dynamically allocates resources of the node to one or more user interface portions of the feature applications.

In a system that includes one or more nodes connected with a central server that receives content including audio and video content from a broadcast source, and wherein the content is delivered to the one or more nodes by feature applications, a method for dynamically distributing a feature application across a node and the central server, the method comprising:

• loading a node application at the node;
• selecting the feature application for distribution across the node and the server, wherein the feature application comprises a user interface portion and one or more service portions that are created by the user interface portion on either the node or the server when data is needed;
• loading a user interface portion of the feature application at the node by the node application, wherein the user interface portion communicates with the one or more service portions;
• making a request, by the user interface portion, to a particular service portion for data;
• receiving processed data from the particular service portion;
• and
• presenting the processed data at the node.

In a system that includes one or more nodes connected with a central server that receives content including audio and video content from a broadcast source, and wherein the content is delivered to the one or more nodes by feature applications, a method for dynamically distributing a feature application across a node and the central server, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for a node application from the node;
• sending the node application to the node, wherein the node application is retrieved from a remote server over a network if the node application for the node is not stored on the central server;
• receiving a request for the feature application;
• delivering a user interface portion of the feature application to the node, wherein a process portion of the feature application is executed on the central server;
• processing each request from the user interface portion with a service portion that is created by the user interface portion of the feature application on either the central server or the node, wherein the service portion utilizes resources of the central server or of the node to process each request;
• and
• providing the user interface portion with results of each request, wherein the user interface portion presents the results to the user.