A distributed computing system comprising a plurality of computer hosts, a communication network for exchanging information and data between the computer hosts, and a plurality of services, including software-based services, distributed throughout the computing system is disclosed. Each of the services within the present distributed computing system, including some basic system-services are adapted to perform prescribed functions in response to the receipt of an electronic message. The disclosed distributed computing system also includes a plurality of intelligent agents executing on the computer hosts and associated with one or more of the services, wherein an agent exercises control of an associated service by manipulating the electronic messages directed to and originating from the associated service. In addition, the services are adapted to cooperatively perform various tasks by exchanging electronic messages across the communication network via their associated agents.

Method and architecture for the creation, control and deployment of services within a distributed computer environment

Creating collaborative application sharing

A World Wide Web browser makes requests to web servers on a network which receive and fulfill requests as an agent of the browser client, organizing distributed sub-agents as distributed integration solution (DIS) servers on an intranet network supporting the web server which also has an access agent servers accessible over the Internet. DIS servers execute selected capsule objects which perform programmable functions upon a received command from a web server control program agent for retrieving, from a database gateway coupled to a plurality of database resources upon a single request made from a Hypertext document, requested information from multiple data bases located at different types of databases geograhically dispersed, performing calculations, formatting, and other services prior to reporting to the web browser or to other locations, in a selected format, as in a display, fax, printer, and to customer installations or to TV video subscribers, with account tracking.

Service agent for fulfilling requests of a web browser

A World Wide Web browser makes requests to web servers on a network which receive and fulfill requests as an agent of the browser client, organizing distributed sub-agents as distributed integration solution (DIS) servers on an intranet network supporting the web server which also has an access agent servers accessible over the Internet. DIS servers execute selected capsule objects which perform programmable functions upon a received command from a web server control program agent for retrieving, from a database gateway coupled to a plurality of database resources upon a single request made from a Hypertext document, requested information from multiple data bases located at different types of databases geographically dispersed, performing calculations, formatting, and other services prior to reporting to the web browser or to other locations, in a selected format, as in a display, fax, printer, and to customer installations or to TV video subscribers, with account tracking. Intrepretive language based programs or applets are downloaded from the web server to the client and executed on the client machine for online analytical processing from a web browser. The Web client accesses a web server and downloads HTML and a Java applet(s). This enables use of multiple databases of different types using a single request from a client for Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) from a web browser.

WWW client server interactive system method with Java (

The present invention includes a Computer-based Training system (CBT) having one or more Application Translation Units (ATUs), a Message Engine, and a Script Engine For one or more target applications of interest, an ATU is provided for processing events specific to that application, thereby trapping events and translating them into abstract messages or "meta-messages" for conveying information about a particular event to the system A computer-aided software testing embodiment of the present invention is also described The system provides prefabricated building blocks for constructing a high-level model of an application's User Interface (UI) This high-level model serves as a middle ground between test scripts and the application being tested The knowledge of how a given UI element is controlled or how it can be observed is retained in the model rather than in a test script Consequently, the test script consists of easy-to-maintain, high-level testing commands only

System and methods for improved program testing

A computing system includes an application object, a computer based training instruction object ("INSTRUCTION object") and an agent engine. The INSTRUCTION object runs concurrently with the application object. The application objects includes a first action processor and a first command processor. The first action processor receives messages which indicate syntactic actions taken by the user and generates semantic commands based on the syntactic actions. The first command processor receives the semantic commands from the first action processor and executes the semantic commands. The INSTRUCTION object receives input from a user through syntactic actions and displays information on a monitor. The information instructs a user as to operation of the first application. The INSTRUCTION object may include an INSTRUCTION action processor and an INSTRUCTION command processor. The INSTRUCTION action processor receives messages which indicate syntactic actions taken by the user and generates semantic commands based on the syntactic actions. The INSTRUCTION command processor receives the semantic commands from the INSTRUCTION action processor and executes the semantic commands. The agent, running a task language program, sends semantic commands to the INSTRUCTION object which direct the INSTRUCTION object as to what information to display. The agent also monitors the application object and the INSTRUCTION object, intercepting semantic commands before they are executed.

Software agent used to provide instruction to a user for a plurality of computer applications

An application program includes an action processor which receives messages containing user syntactic actions. These actions are translated into semantic commands. The semantic commands are sent to a command processor for execution. The preferred embodiment of the computing system additionally includes an agent engine. The agent engine may be used to perform many functions. It may be used to receive semantic commands from an application, and to record the semantic commands for later playback. It may be used to send semantic commands from a task language file to an application program for execution by the command processor. It may be used to intercept semantic commands sent from action processor to the command processor. After the command is intercepted, the agent engine may be used to allow the semantic command to be executed, to prevent the semantic command from being executed.

Method for recording and replaying mouse commands by recording the commands and the identities of elements affected by the commands

A computing system includes a viewing screen, user interface means, a plurality of application processes, a data file and agent engine means. The viewing screen displays images. The user interface means enables a user to select and move the images displayed by the viewing screen. Each application process in the plurality of application processes includes command processor means and action processor means. The command processor means receives semantic commands and executes the semantic commands. The action processor means monitors selection and movement of the images on the viewing screen and generates the semantic commands by lexical and syntactical analysis of the selection and movement of the images on the viewing screen. The semantic commands are sent to the command processor for execution. The data file includes first semantic commands executable by a first application process from the plurality of application processes. The agent engine means retrieves the first semantic commands and sends the first semantic commands within the data file to the command processor means of the first application process.

Computing system which implements recording and playback of semantic commands

A modular compiler is used to compile code for execution by an agent engine and a plurality of application programs. The modular compiler includes a class independent compiler which parses program code which is to be executed by the agent engine. The modular compiler also includes a class dependent parser for each application program. Each class dependent parser parses program code which is to be executed by its respective application program. When an application program is added to the computing system, an associated class dependent parser is added to the modular compiler. When an application program is removed from the computing system, the associated class dependent parser is removed from the modular compiler.

Modular compiler with a class independent parser and a plurality of class dependent parsers

An application program (100) includes an action processor (101) which receives messages containing user syntactic actions. These actions are translated into semantic commands. The semantic commands are sent to a command processor (102) for execution. The preferred embodiment of the computing system additionally includes an agent engine (108). The agent engine (108) may be used to perform many functions. It may be used to receive semantic commands from an application (100), and to record the semantic commands for later playback. It may be used to send semantic commands from a task language file (131) to an application program (100) for execution by the command processor (102). It may be used to intercept semantic commands sent from the action processor (101) to the command processor (102). After the command is intercepted, the agent engine (108) may be used to allow the semantic command to be executed, to prevent the semantic command from being executed.

Barbara B. Packard

Papers

Software agent used to provide instruction to a user for a plurality of computer applications

Method for recording and replaying mouse commands by recording the commands and the identities of elements affected by the commands

Computing system which implements recording and playback of semantic commands

Modular compiler with a class independent parser and a plurality of class dependent parsers

A computer system and method adapted for task automation and instruction delivery