Distributed Pluggable Middleware Services

Abstract

Plug-in configurable middleware for managing distributed applications includes at least one core runtime engine configured as a plurality of concurrent instantiations on one or more hosts within a distributed architecture. These hosts can represent separate nodes or a single node within the architecture. Each core runtime engine instance provides the minimum amount of functionality required to support plug-in architecture, that is to support the instantiation of one or more plug-ins within that core runtime engine instance. Each core runtime engine instance is in communication with other concurrent core runtime engine instances and can share the functionality of plug-in instances with the other core runtime engine instances, for example through the use of proxies. A plurality of personalities representing pre-defined functions is defined and one of more of these personalities is associated with each core runtime engine instance. A plurality of pre-defined plug-ins are defined and associated with the personalities.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . Plug-in configurable middleware for managing distributed applications, the middleware comprising:
 a plurality of concurrent instantiations of a core runtime engine on at least one computing system hardware host, each core runtime engine instance comprising sufficient functionality to support plug-in architecture and each core runtime instance in communication with other concurrent core runtime engine instances;   a custom functionality associated with each core runtime engine instance; and   a plurality of pre-defined plug-ins, each plug-in comprising runtime code that provides a basic unit of functionality to core runtime engine instances executing its runtime code and each custom functionality comprising one or more basic units of functionality;   wherein only those plug-ins required for a given custom functionality are associated with the core runtime engine instance associated with that custom functionality and the plurality of core runtime engine instances communicating and sharing resources to provide distributed pluggable middleware services to applications executing on the computing system.   
     
     
         34 . The middleware of  claim 33 , further comprising a schema comprising parameters for validating each pre-defined plug-in. 
     
     
         35 . The middleware of  claim 34 , wherein each plug-in comprises an extensible mark-up language document and the schema comprises an extensible mark-up language schema. 
     
     
         36 . The middleware of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 at least one configuration manager in communication with each one of the plurality of core runtime engine instances, the configuration manager capable of determining an architecture for the distributed middleware and the custom functionality for each core runtime engine instance and of distributing plug-ins to the core runtime engine instances; and   at least one persistent storage device in communication with the configuration manager and comprising the plurality of plug-ins.   
     
     
         37 . The middleware of  claim 36 , wherein the host further comprises an interface mechanism in communication with the configuration manager to facilitate instantiations of the core runtime engine on the host in accordance with the determined architecture. 
     
     
         38 . The middleware of  claim 33 , wherein each plug-in further comprises a core definition comprising instructions for loading and starting the plug-in, a properties section comprising a set of plug-in properties specific to that plug-in and a dependencies section comprising a description of relationships between that plug-in and another plug-in. 
     
     
         39 . The middleware of  claim 33 , further comprising a plug-in instance management application program interface to facilitate dynamic runtime management of each plug-in. 
     
     
         40 . The middleware of  claim 39 , wherein the dynamic runtime management comprises creating plug-ins, retrieving plug-ins from a persistent storage location, updating plug-ins, deleting plug-ins, loading plug-ins, unloading plug-ins, reloading plug-ins or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The middleware of  claim 33 , further comprising a proxy associated with a first core runtime engine instance, the proxy associated with a plug-in instance resident on a second core runtime instance and facilitating utilization of the plug-in instance by the first core runtime engine instance. 
     
     
         42 . The middleware of  claim 41 , further comprising a proxy management application program interface to facilitate dynamic runtime management of the proxy. 
     
     
         43 . The middleware of  claim 39 , wherein the dynamic runtime management comprises finding plug-ins, finding proxies, creating a plug-in for a proxy, destroying a proxy for a plug-in, static proxy routing, dynamic proxy routing or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         44 . A method for managing a computer application within a distributed environment, the method comprising:
 instantiating a core runtime engine on at least one computing system hardware host within the distributed environment, each core runtime engine instance comprising sufficient functionality to support plug-in architecture and each core runtime instance in communication with other concurrent core runtime engine instances;   associating a pre-defined custom functionality with each core runtime engine instance;   defining a plurality of pre-define plug-ins, each associating at least one plug-in with each personality, each plug-in comprising runtime plug-in comprising runtime code that provides a basic unit of functionality to core runtime engine instances executing its runtime code and each custom functionality comprising one or more basic units of functionality;   associating only those plug-ins required for a given custom functionality with the core runtime engine instance associated with that custom functionality; and   using communication and resource sharing among the plurality of core runtime engine instances to provide distributed pluggable middleware services to applications executing on the computing system.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising using a schema comprising parameters to validate each plug-in. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 expressing each plug-in in extensible mark-up language; and   expressing the schema in extensible mark-up language.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising providing a description for each plug-in comprising a core definition comprising instructions for loading and starting each the plug-in, a properties section comprising a set of plug-in properties specific to that plug-in and a dependencies section comprising a description of relationships between that plug-in and another other plug-in. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising using a configuration manager in communication with each core runtime engine instance to determine an architecture for the distributed environment, to associate the pre-defined custom functionality with each core runtime engine instance and to instantiate plug-ins on the appropriate core runtime engine instances. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising using an interface mechanism in communication with the configuration manager to facilitate instantiations of the core runtime engine on the host in accordance with the determined architecture. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising using a plug-in instance management application program interface to facilitate dynamic runtime management of each plug-in;
 wherein the dynamic runtime management comprises plug-in definition creation, plug-in definition retrieval, plug-in definition updating, plug-in definition deletion, plug-in instance loading, plug-in instance unloading, plug-in instance reloading or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising:
 deploying a proxy on a first core runtime engine instance;   associating the proxy with a plug-in instance on a second core runtime instance; and   using the proxy to facilitate utilization of the plug-in instance by the first core runtime instance.   
     
     
         52 . A computer-readable medium containing a computer-readable code that when read by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for managing a computer application within a distributed environment, the method comprising:
 instantiating a core runtime engine on at least one computing system hardware host within the distributed environment, each core runtime engine instance comprising sufficient functionality to support plug-in architecture and each core runtime instance in communication with other concurrent core runtime engine instances;   associating a pre-defined custom functionality with each core runtime engine instance;   defining a plurality of pre-define plug-ins, each associating at least one plug-in with each personality, each plug-in comprising runtime plug-in comprising runtime code that provides a basic unit of functionality to core runtime engine instances executing its runtime code and each custom functionality comprising one or more basic units of functionality;   associating only those plug-ins required for a given custom functionality with the core runtime engine instance associated with that custom functionality; and   using communication and resource sharing among the plurality of core runtime engine instances to provide distributed pluggable middleware services to applications executing on the computing system.