Self-propagating software objects and applications

A system for enabling software objects and applications to dynamically self-propagate through a computing network, comprising:

• means for creating, by a requester, a request parcel comprising input data for processing a request from the requester and an identification of, and location information for, one or more first code segments required for processing the input data by a receiver of the request parcel;
• means for sending the request parcel from the requester to the receiver over the computing network;
• means for receiving the sent request parcel at the receiver;
• means for determining, by the receiver, whether the identified first code segments in the received request parcel are locally available to the receiver, and for obtaining them using the location information in the request parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the receiver;
• means for processing the request, by the receiver, using the input data and the locally available first code segments, thereby creating output data as a response to the received request;
• means for creating, by the receiver, a response parcel comprising the output data for the response and an identification of, and location information for, zero or more second code segments required for processing the output data by the requester;
• means for sending the response parcel from the receiver to the requester over the computing network;
• means for receiving the sent response parcel at the requester;
• means for determining, by the requester, whether the identified second code segments in the received response parcel, if any, are locally available to the requester, and for obtaining them using the location information in the response parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the requester;
• and
• means for processing, by the requester, the output data for the response using, when specified in the response parcel, the locally available second code segments.

A method for enabling software objects and applications to dynamically self-propagate through a computing network, comprising the steps of:

• creating, by a requester, a request parcel comprising input data for processing a request from the requester and an identification of, and location information for, one or more first code segments required for processing the input data by a receiver of the request parcel;
• sending the request parcel from the requester to the receiver over the computing network;
• receiving the sent request parcel at the receiver;
• determining, by the receiver, whether the identified first code segments in the received request parcel are locally available to the receiver, and for obtaining them using the location information in the request parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the receiver;
• processing the request, by the receiver, using the input data and the locally available first code segments, thereby creating output data as a response to the received request;
• creating, by the receiver, a response parcel comprising the output data for the response and an identification of, and location information for, zero or more second code segments required for processing the output data by the requester;
• sending the response parcel from the receiver to the requester over the computing network;
• receiving the sent response parcel at the requester;
• determining, by the requester, whether the identified second code segments in the received response parcel, if any, are locally available to the requester, and for obtaining them using the location information in the response parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the requester;
• and
• processing, by the requester, the output data for the response using, when specified in the response parcel, the locally available second code segments.

A method for dynamically establishing a mirroring site to which processing of work elements can be offloaded from another site, comprising the steps of:

• creating, by a requester, a request parcel comprising input data for processing a request from the requester and an identification of, and location information for, one or more first code segments required for processing the input data by a receiver of the request parcel;
• sending the request parcel from the requester to the receiver over the computing network;
• receiving the sent request parcel at the receiver;
• determining, by the receiver, whether the identified first code segments in the received request parcel are locally available to the receiver, and for obtaining them using the location information in the request parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the receiver;
• processing the request, by the receiver, using the input data and the locally available first code segments, thereby creating output data as a response to the received request;
• creating, by the receiver, a response parcel comprising the output data for the response and an identification of, and location information for, zero or more second code segments required for processing the output data by the requester;
• sending the response parcel from the receiver to the requester over the computing network;
• receiving the sent response parcel at the requester;
• determining, by the requester, whether the identified second code segments in the received response parcel, if any, are locally available to the requester, and for obtaining them using the location information in the response parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the requester;
• and
• processing, by the requester, the output data for the response using, when specified in the response parcel, the locally available second code segments.

A system for dynamically establishing a mirroring site to which processing of work elements can be offloaded from another site, comprising:

• means for creating, by a requester, a request parcel comprising input data for processing a request from the requester and an identification of, and location information for, one or more first code segments required for processing the input data by a receiver of the request parcel;
• means for sending the request parcel from the requester to the receiver over the computing network;
• means for receiving the sent request parcel at the receiver;
• means for determining, by the receiver, whether the identified first code segments in the received request parcel are locally available to the receiver, and for obtaining them using the location information in the request parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the receiver;
• means for processing, by the receiver, the request using the input data and the locally available first code segments, thereby creating output data as a response to the received request;
• means for creating, by the receiver, a response parcel comprising the output data for the response and an identification of, and location information for, zero or more second code segments required for processing the output data by the requester;
• means for sending the response parcel from the receiver to the requester over the computing network;
• means for receiving the sent response parcel at the requester;
• means for determining, by the requester, whether the identified second code segments in the received response parcel, if any, are locally available to the requester, and for obtaining them using the location information in the response parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the requester;
• and
• means for processing, by the requester, the output data for the response using, when specified in the response parcel, the locally available second code segments.

A computer program product for dynamically establishing a mirroring site to which processing of work elements can be offloaded from another site, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising:

• computer-readable program code means for creating, by a requester, a request parcel comprising input data for processing a request from the requester and an identification of, and location information for, one or more first code segments required for processing the input data by a receiver of the request parcel;
• computer-readable program code means for sending the request parcel from the requester to the receiver over the computing network;
• computer-readable program code means for receiving the sent request parcel at the receiver;
• computer-readable program code means for determining, by the receiver, whether the identified first code segments in the received request parcel are locally available to the receiver, and for obtaining them using the location information in the request parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the receiver;
• computer-readable program code means for processing the request, by the receiver, using the input data and the locally available first code segments, thereby creating output data as a response to the received request;
• computer-readable program code means for creating, by the receiver, a response parcel comprising the output data for the response and an identification of, and location information for, zero or more second code segments required for processing the output data by the requester;
• computer-readable program code means for sending the response parcel from the receiver to the requester over the computing network;
• computer-readable program code means for receiving the sent response parcel at the requester;
• computer-readable program code means for determining, by the requester, whether the identified second code segments in the received response parcel, if any, are locally available to the requester, and for obtaining them using the location information in the response parcel if not, so that they become locally available to the requester;
• and
• computer-readable program code means for processing, by the requester, the output data for the response using, when specified in the response parcel, the locally available second code segments.

A method of establishing a mirroring site to which processing of requests can be offloaded from a request receiver, comprising steps of:

• creating a request parcel, by a requester that will request a service from a remote receiver, wherein the request parcel identifies the service as well as an identification of, and location information for, executable resources that will be required for performing the service at the remote receiver, wherein the identification and location information are usable by the remote receiver for obtaining the required executable resources if they are not already available to the remote receiver;
• sending the request parcel from the requester to the remote receiver;
• receiving the request parcel at the remote receiver;
• and
• forwarding the received request parcel from the remote receiver to a different remote receiver, whereby the identification and location information are equally usable by the different remote receiver for obtaining the required executable resources if they are not already available to the different remote receiver.