Smart stub or enterprise Java™ bean in a distributed processing system

A method for use by a stub stored in a processing device on a distributed processing system, which when executed by a processor performs the steps comprising:

• obtaining a list of service providers;
• and
• selecting a service provider from the list of service providers,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that operates at the client and is used by the client to contact a naming service within a cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

A system for load balancing within a cluster, comprising:

• a communications medium;
• a plurality of processing devices coupled to said communications medium and providing services, said plurality of processing devices including a first processing device and a second processing device,
• a third processing device, in communication with said communications medium, said third processing device including a stub operating thereon, said stub configured to select one of said plurality of processing devices for handling requests from the third processing device for a particular service,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that operates at the third processing device and is used by the processing device to contact a naming service within a cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster.
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

A system for load balancing within a cluster, comprising:

• a first processing device, said first processing device including a stub operating thereon, said stub configured to communicate a request for service to one of a plurality of other processing devices, and,
• wherein said stub selects said one of said plurality of other processing devices for handling said request,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that is used by the first processing device to contact a naming service within a cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

A method of load balancing in a cluster, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of processing devices, in communication with a communications medium, said plurality of processing devices including a first processing device and a second processing device;
• and,
• communicating a request from a third processing device, via said communications medium, using a stub at said third processing device, said stub configured to select a one of said first or said second processing devices for handling said request,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that is used by the third processing device to contact a naming service within the cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

A method of load balancing at a stub in a cluster, comprising the steps of:

• selecting, at a stub operating on a first processing device, one of a plurality of processing devices for handling a request for a service;
• and,
• communicating said request from said stub to the selected processing device,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that is used by the first processing device to contact a naming service within the cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

A system for load balancing within a cluster, comprising:

• a plurality of processing devices, said plurality of processing devices including a first processing device and a second processing device,
• a third processing device, said third processing device including a stub operating thereon, said stub configured to select one of said plurality of processing devices for handling requests from the third processing device for a particular service,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that is used by the first processing device to contact a naming service within the cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

A method of load balancing in a cluster, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of processing devices, said plurality of processing devices including a first processing device and a second processing device;
• and,
• communicating a request from a third processing device, using a stub at said third processing device, said stub configured to select a one of said first or said second processing devices for handling said request,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that is used by the third processing device to contact a naming service within the cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

A computer readable medium including instructions stored thereon which when executed cause a computer to perform the steps of:

• providing a plurality of processing devices, in communication with a communications medium, said plurality of processing devices including a first processing device and a second processing device;
• and,
• communicating a request from a third processing device, via said communications medium, using a stub at said third processing device, said stub configured to select a one of said first or said second processing devices for handling said request,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that is used by the third processing device to contact a naming service within a cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.

An article of manufacture, including instructions stored in a storage medium which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the steps comprising:

• a stub operating on a first processing device, for selecting one of a plurality of processing devices for handling a request for a service, and communicating said request from said stub to the selected processing device,
• wherein the stub is a remote method invocation stub that is used by the first processing device to contact a naming service within a cluster and wherein the naming service provides to the stub at runtime an updated list of currently available service providers in the cluster,
• wherein each of the service providers provides a remote method implementation that the stub can communicate with using remote method invocation, and
• wherein the stub uses a load balancing software component to select a service provider and then communicate with the selected service provider using the remote method invocation.