Data driven remote device control model with general programming interface-to-network messaging adapter

In a networking environment providing peer-to-peer connectivity between logical devices on separate computing machines on a data communications network in accordance with a control protocol, a user-operated control device comprising:

• a rehydrating module operable for:
• receiving the control protocol defining an exchange between a control point and a controlled logical device service in which the controlled logical device service furnishes the control protocol to the control point in a service description message, the service description message specifying a set of actions invocable on the controlled logical device service, the set of actions comprising at least one action previously not available for invocation by the control point;
• and
• the rehydrating module further operable for creating a service object for exposing an application programming interface based on the service description message for invoking set of actions specified in the service description message including the at least one action previously not available for invocation by the control point;
• the application programming interface exposed by the rehydrating module to access from application software running on the user-operated control device, the application programming interface having an invoke action member operable for invoking the set of actions specified in the service description message including the at least one action previously not available for invocation by the control point;
• invoke action member-implementing code of the rehydrating module operating responsive to an invocation of the invoke action member to generate a peer networking data message to cause the controlled logical device service to perform a respective action of the controlled logical device service;
• and
• converting code of the rehydrating module operating to construct the peer networking data message based on the control protocol obtained via the service description message.

A computer-readable data storage medium having software program code carried thereon, the software program code comprising:

• a programmatic peer networking device service control module providing programmatic control of logical device services on a computing device by application software running on a different computing device on a data communications network via a peer-to-peer networking connectivity service control protocol;
• an application programming interface for access by the application software, the application programming interface exposed by a service object created based on a service description message comprising a set of actions invocable on the logical device services, the service object created by the programmatic peer networking device service control module, the application programming interface being a run-time dispatch interface having an invoke service action method member, the invoke service action method member accepting an action identifier, ingoing action arguments, outgoing action arguments, and action return value as parameters upon invocation by the application software, wherein the action identifiers, the ingoing action arguments, the outgoing action arguments and the action return values correspond to those of the set of actions specified in the service description message and are specified therein, the set of actions including at least one action not available for invocation by application software previous to the creation of the service object;
• and
• invoke service action method member-implementing code of the programmatic peer networking device service control module operating responsive to an invocation of the invoke service action method member on the application programming interface by the application software to exchange data messages with a logical device service of a separate computing device on the data communications network in accordance with the peer-to-peer networking connectivity service control protocol so as to invoke an action of the logical device service including the at least one action not available for invocation by application software previous to the creation of the service object as per the parameters of the invoke service action method member and pass outgoing action arguments and action return value from the logical device service back to the application software.

A software module carried on a computer-executable software storage medium, the software module operable for:

• providing programmatic control of a logical device running on a computing device by an application software on a different computing device over a data communications network by exposing a programming interface for providing programmatic logical device service control via peer networking connectivity, the programming interface comprising:
• an invoke action method member having parameters for passing an action identifier, action arguments and action return value;
• wherein an implementation of the invoke action method member in the software module converts an invocation of the invoke action method member into an exchange of text messages with the logical device via peer networking connectivity based on a service description obtained from the logical device to control a service of the logical device;
• and
• a logical device state call back method member having parameters for passing a reference to a call back interface for reporting change of the logical device's state to other registered devices on the network.