Operation-partitioned off-loading of operations in a distributed environment

A method of performing operations on objects in a distributed network computer processing system in which a plurality of server processors receive requests for performing the operations from client environments of the network, the method comprising the steps of:

• (1) receiving a request from an application process of a client environment for performing an operation on an object stored at a repository server;
• (2) processing the request in a client router of the client environment and thereby generating a set of server operations that implement the requested operation when performed;
• (3) sending the generated server operations to the repository server at which the object is stored;
• (4) defining an off-load operation set of the repository server comprising a set of operations to be performed by a task server;
• (5) designating an off-loaded operation as one of the off-loan operation set;
• (6) notifying the client router of an identifier that identifies the task server at which the off-load operation set will be performed;
• (7) storing in a local memory of the client environment the task server identifier;
• (8) receiving requests at the client router from application processes for operations in the off-load operation set on objects that are stored at the repository server that notified the client router of the task server identifier;
• (9) processing the requests in the client router and thereby routing the generated server operations of the off-load set to the identified task server;
• (10) executing the server operations of the off-load operation set in the identified task server;
• and
• (11) routing predetermined inter-server operations between a task server and a repository server to obtain and maintain object information affected by an off-loaded operation executed by the task server.

A computer processing system comprising:

• a plurality of nodes connected by a network;
• a plurality of repository servers located at nodes of the network;
• at least one permanent storage device located at a repository server of the network at which objects are stored and specified by object information;
• at least one task server located at a node of the network;
• a plurality of client environments at nodes of the network, at least one of which includes an application process that generates requests for performing operations on the objects;
• a client environment router that sends the operation requests to the respective repository server at which the affected objects are stored on an initial request and receives an indication if the operation is a member of an off-load operation set of the repository server comprising operations to be performed at a task server of the system, in which case the router receives an identifier that identifies the task server at which the off-load operation set will be performed and then sends the operation requests directly to the identified task server for execution;
• and
• a repository server process that maintains object information that defines the object that was affected by the requested operation.

A computer processing system comprising:

• a plurality of nodes connected by a network;
• a plurality of repository servers located at nodes of the network, at which objects are defined by object metadata information;
• an off-load decisions means for identifying a task server for an off-load operation set of predetermined operations that can be off-loaded;
• at least one permanent storage device located at a repository server of the network at which objects are stored and specified by the object metadata information;
• a plurality of client environments at nodes of the network, at least one of which includes an application process that generates requests for performing operation on the objects;
• an off-load notification means for notifying the client environment of a task server identifier that identifies the task server at which the off-load operation set will be performed;
• a client environment router that sends requested operations in the off-load operation set and the object metadata information to the task server identified by the task server identifier of which the client environment was notified;
• and
• at least one network task server, located at a node of the network, that receives the off-load operation request from the client environment router and executes the requested operation on the object specified by the object metadata information.

A computer processing system comprising:

• a plurality of servers, each server having
• (a) an administrative process;
• (b) repository server functions;
• (c) task server functions;
• and
• (d) a permanent storage device containing objects on which operations will be performed;
• a plurality of client environments, each client environment having
• (a) a client process that requests operations on the objects stored in the permanent storage device, and
• (b) a local memory;
• and
• a network that connects the server and the client environments;
• wherein:
• one of the repository server functions locates object information, stored in the permanent storage device, that identifies the requested object, determines if the client request was for an operation comprising a predetermined off-loaded operation and, in response, returns to the client process a task server identifier that specifies a task server function of a server at which the requested data operation will be performed;
• and
• the requesting client environment sends the requested operation to the identified task server function, where the requested operation is performed.

A program product data storage device, tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a computer to perform method steps for operations on objects in a distributed network computer processing system in which a plurality of server processors connected at network server nodes of the distributed computer processing system receive requests for performing the operations from client environments of the network, the method steps performed by the computer comprising the steps of:

• receiving a client environment application process request at a client environment router for an operation for an object stored at a repository server of the system;
• determining if the operation is in an off-load operation set of the repository server comprising operations to be performed at a task server of the system;
• notifying the client environment of an identifier that identifies the task server at which the off-load operation set will be performed;
• executing the operations of the off-load operation set in the identified task server;
• and
• maintaining object information in the repository server that defines the object that was affected by the requested operation.