Discovery and integration of jini services in non-java clients

Abstract

A system of forming a bridge between non Java services and a Jini (™) interface. A non Java service is encapsulated using special code which makes it look like a Java service. Other aspects are also automatically formed. The Java service is automatically published with a broker such as a Jini (™) broker.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a collection of clients that receive services;    a client/server broker configured to register application services that have a first application programming interface and identify the registered application services to the clients;    a first application service that has the first application programming interface and is configured to publish an announcement of an availability of the first application service;    a second application service that has a second application programming interface and is configured to publish an announcement of an availability of the second application service; and    a bridge configured to wrap the announcement of the availability of the second application service in a wrapper that is compliant with the first application programming interface so that the client/server broker can register both the first application service and the second application service.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the bridge comprises a proxy code generator and is configured to wrap the announcement of the availability of the second application service in the proxy code.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the bridge is configured to inspect the second application service to identify functionality of the second application service and to identify the functionality to the client/server broker.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the bridge is configured to inspect the second application service using dynamic inspection.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client/server broker is configured to identify functionality of the registered application services to the clients.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a memory associated with the client/server broker, wherein the memory includes information describing the registered application services.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the information describing the registered application services comprises a keyword repository.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the client/server broker comprises a Jini™ interface;    the first application programming interface comprises a Java™ application programming interface; and    the second application programming interface comprises a non-Java™ application programming interface.    
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a third application service proxy that has the first application programming interface and is configured to publish an announcement of an availability of the first application service.  
   
   
       10 . A method comprising: 
 inspecting an application service;    identifying that the application service has a functionality;    forming proxy code describing the identified functionality; and    forming a bridge between the application service and a client using the proxy code.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein forming the proxy code comprises middle tier tunneling proxy code.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein forming the proxy code comprises forming Java™ proxy code.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein forming the bridge between the application service and the client comprises registering the application service with a client/server broker.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the client/server broker is configured to register application services that have a first application programming interface; and    registering the application service comprises wrapping an announcement of an availability of the application service in a wrapper that is compliant with the first application programming interface.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving a lease object from the client/server broker indicating that the application service has been registered.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the client/server broker comprises a Jini™ interface; and    the first application programming interface comprises a Java™ application programming interface.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 generating a collection of search attributes based on results of inspecting the application service; and    making the collection of search attributes available to the client/server broker.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein inspecting the application service comprises dynamically inspecting the application service.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein inspecting the application service comprises identifying a metatag associated with the application service.