Inter-process communication on a computer

An apparatus for comprising a single processor on a single computer for inter-process communication between at least two application processes on the single processor, comprising the steps of:

• a module for a first process of a first application determining a name of a first rendezvous file in a file system of the computer, the name of the first rendezvous file being associated with a second application, the first rendezvous file containing information for the first process to connect to a second process of the second application for inter-process communication;
• a module for the first process initiating a first connection to the second process using the information contained in the first rendezvous file;
• a module for the first process initiating communication with the second process using the first connection if the first connection is successfully established;
• commanding the second application to perform a task for the first application if the first connection is successfully established;
• transmitting a set of keys and values between the second application and the first application;
• after commanding the second application to perform the task, closing the first application,
• wherein multiple instances of an application process combine into one running instance of the application process;
• and
• wherein the inter-process communication between at least two application processes is restricted to communications between applications running on the single processor of the single computer under control of a single instance of an operating system.

A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of inter-process communication between at least two application processes on a single processor of a single13computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• a first process of a first application determining a name of a first rendezvous file in a file system of the computer, the name of the first rendezvous file being associated with a second application, the first rendezvous file containing information for the first process to connect to a second process of the second application for inter-process communication;
• and
• the first process initiating a first connection to the second process using the information contained in the first rendezvous file;
• the first process communicating with the second process using the first connection if the first connection is successfully established;
• and
• the first process starting a third process of the second application if the first process fails to establish a connection with the second process,
• wherein the step of communicating communicates a task of the second application to the first application, wherein the task comprises transmitting a set of keys and values between the second application and the first application, wherein the step of communicating uses to transmit the keys and the values,
• wherein the step of communicating the task of the second application to the first application further comprises use of a channel,
• wherein the inter-process communication between at least two application process is restricted to communications between applications running on the single processor of the single computer under control of a single instance of an operating system,
• wherein the step of communicating the task of the second application to the first application results in one and only one instance of an application runs on the single processor of the computer.

A method of inter-process communication between at least two application programs on a single processor of a single computer, comprising the steps of:

• initiating a first application program on said single processor;
• upon initiating a second application program, said second application program using a rendezvous file while determining if a prior instance of the second application program is running on said single processor;
• if said first application program comprises a prior instance of said second application program and said first program is still running, performing all of:
• establishing an inter-process communication channel between said second application program and said first application program;
• commanding said first application program to perform a task for said second application program by transmitting a set of keys and values between said second application program and said first application program;
• after commanding said first application program to perform said task, exiting said second application program,
• wherein multiple instances of an application program combine into one running instance of said application program running on said single processor of said single computer.