Distributed on-line data communications system and method
AssigneeElectronic Data Systems Corporation
InventorsKevin A. Kearns, Teresa R. Jahanian, Raymond E. Jeffery
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The system and method of the present invention provide distributed on-line communications for electronic commerce applications. The system includes at least one system node having multiple processes for communicating with outside devices, such as ATMs and financial institutions. A configuration database accessible by the processes stores the logical name of each process and outside device, and the corresponding physical address. A system library is coupled to the processes for supplying a plurality of routines for transmitting and receiving messages to and from one another process and to and from another node in the system.
Claims49
A distributed on-line data communication system, comprising:
- more than one system site each having a plurality of entities operable to communicate with one another and with outside devices, said entities including a plurality of processes;
- a configuration database accessible by said plurality of entities for storing logical names and physical addresses for said plurality of entities and outside devices, each entity in a system site has at least one predetermined backup entity located on another system site defined in said system configuration database;
- and
- a system library coupled to said plurality of entities and having a plurality of messaging routines that may be called by said entities and processes for queuing, transmitting, routing, and receiving messages to and from one another, said configuration database being further accessible to said system library.
A multi-layer on-line data communication system distributed across more than one system site, comprising:
- a communications layer having data communications equipment and lines operating according to certain protocols;
- a system library layer providing a messaging service for communications between a plurality of entities residing on at least one system site, and for communications with a plurality of outside devices, said system library layer including a configuration database accessible by said plurality of entities for storing logical names and physical addresses for said plurality of entities and outside devices, said configuration database being distributed across said more than one system site;
- and
- at least one application layer having at least one application process for performing application-specific functions by using said messaging service performed by said system library layer.
A method for on-line data communications across more than one system site, comprising the steps of:
- for each application process, binding a plurality of system library messaging service processes therewith;
- storing logical names and physical addresses of all entities residing in said more than one system site and outside devices associated with the system in a system configuration database at each system site;
- and
- accessing a private data structure maintained by the system library messaging service processes to obtain information for performing routing and receiving services for application processes.
A distributed on-line data communication system, comprising:
- at least one system site having a plurality of entities operable to communicate with one another and with outside devices, said entities including a plurality of processes;
- a configuration database accessible by said plurality of entities for storing logical names and physical addresses for said plurality of entities and outside devices, each entity in a system site has at least one predetermined backup entity defined in said system configuration database;
- and
- a system library coupled to said plurality of entities and having a plurality of messaging routines that may be called by said entities and processes for queuing, transmitting, routing, and receiving messages to and from one another, said configuration database being further accessible to said system library.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.