Independent class loader for dynamic class loading

A method of improving dynamic loading of components in a computing network, comprising steps of:

• providing distinct class loaders associated with each of a plurality of components to be loaded;
• specifying, for each of the components, each prerequisite component thereof, wherein each of the component has at least one other ones components specified as a prerequisite thereof:
• monitoring, at run time, attempts to use the distinct class loaders;
• delaying activation of a particular one of the components until the monitoring step detects that the class loader associated with that particular component is preparing to load its first class;
• and
• searching through the specified prerequisite components for the particular component and their prerequisite components to attempt to locate the class for loading if the class cannot be located for loading in the particular component, until either (1) successfully locating the class for loading with the provided class loader associated with one of the searched components or (2) concluding that the class cannot be located for loading.

A system for improving dynamic loading of components in a computing networks, comprising:

• means for specifying, for one or more components to be loaded, each prerequisite component thereof, wherein each of the components has at least one other ones of the components specified as a prerequisite thereof;
• means for providing distinct class loaders associated with each of the one or more components to be loaded;
• means for attempting to load a class referenced from a particular one of the components using the provided class loader associated with that particular component;
• and
• means for searching through the specified prerequisite components for the particular component and their prerequisite components to attempt to locate the class for loading if the class cannot be located for loading in the particular component, until either (1) successfully locating the class for loading with the provided class loader associated with one of the searched components or (2) concluding that the class cannot be located for loading.

A computer program product for improving dynamic loading of components in a computing network, the computer program product embodied on one oar more computer-readable media and comprising:

• computer-readable program code means for specifying, for one or more components to be loaded, each prerequisite component thereof, wherein each of the components has at least one other ones of the components specified as a prerequisite thereof;
• computer-readable program code means for providing distinct class loaders associated with each of the one or more components to be loaded;
• computer-readable program code means for attempting to load a class referenced from a particular one of the components using the provided class loader associated with that particular component;
• and
• computer-readable program code meats for searching through the specified prerequisite components for the particular component and their prerequisite components to attempt to locate the class for loading if the class cannot be located for loading in the particular component, until either (1) successfully locating the class for loading with the provided class loader associated with one of the searched components or (2) concluding that the class cannot be located for loading.