System and method for remote object invocation

A computer-implemented method for performing a remote object invocation for use in a computing system including a plurality of client and server nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing in each server node a plurality of user-level objects, each user-level object having associated therewith a respective user-level object reference for invoking the object and a distinct, respective server-side kernel-level protected entity used to invoke the object, each server-side kernel-level protected entity including a data structure that is distinct and separate from the respective object which it is used to invoke and that is also distinct and separate from the user-level object reference for the respective object;
• exporting a user-level object reference to an object to one or more of said client nodes;
• associating in each client node that receives an exported user-level object reference a client-side kernel-level protected entity that is used to invoke the exported object resident in the server node, the client-side kernel-level protected entity including a global identifier that is associated with and uniquely identifies the exported object within said system;
• using kernel-level procedures, generating in a client node a remote object invocation request to invoke a requested object having an associated client-side kernel-level protected entity, said remote object invocation request including a global identifier corresponding to said requested object;
• using kernel-level procedures, transmitting said remote object invocation request to an intended server node;
• using kernel-level procedures, receiving in the intended server node the remote object invocation request to invoke said requested object;
• using kernel-level procedures, mapping said global identifier in the remote object invocation request into a corresponding server-side kernel-level protected entity;
• and
• utilizing the server-side kernel-level protected entity to invoke said requested object.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer in a computer having a plurality of computers, the computer program product comprising a computer storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• a plurality of user-level objects, each user-level object having associated therewith a respective user-level object reference for invoking the object and distinct, respective server-side kernel-level protected entity used to invoke said user-level object, each server-side kernel-level protected entity including a data structure that is distinct and separate from the respective object which it is used to invoke and that is also distinct and separate from the user-level object reference for the respective object;
• and
• an object resource broker (ORB), including:
• kernel-level transport procedures for securely transporting remote object invocations and replies between said computer and other ones of the plurality of computers;
• an object exportation mechanism having a capability to export the user-level object reference to a specified object of said plurality of user-level objects to select ones of said other computers;
• a remote object reference mechanism having a capability to generate a client-side kernel-level protected entity for each user-level object reference that is exported to any one of said other computers;
• kernel-level tables for storing said server-side and client-side kernel-level protected entities;
• and
• kernel-level procedures for mapping locally generated user-level remote object invocations using the user-level object references into kernel-level remote object invocations using the client-side kernel-level protected entities and for mapping received kernel-level remote object invocations directed to user-level objects in said computer into user-level object invocations using the user-level object references to the user-level objects to which the invocations are directed;
• the kernel-level procedures including instructions for blocking any remote object invocation by any one of said computers to an object for which the one client computer does not have the corresponding client-side protected entity.