A workstation and data processing network in which having an application selection mode simultaneously displaying representations of both local and remote applications from which either remote or local applications may be started using a common selection procedure. When a remote application is selected a surrogate application is run on the workstation which establishes a communication with the remote processor. The provision of this common selection procedure means that the workstation is easier to use.
A system is described in which a local task (415) running on a local computer (400) can use a remote task (430) running on a remote computer (405). The local task (415) firstly establishes a conversation between a local data transmission agent (410) in the local computer (400) and a remote data transmission agent (420) in the remote computer (405). This conversation is assigned a handle (XmitHandle). The local task (415) can then use this handle (XmitHandle) to call tasks (430) running on the remote computer (405). Data is passed between the local task (415) and the local data transmission agent (410) by the use of a shared memory buffer. Data is similarly passed between the remote, task (430) and the remote data transmission agent (420) by the use of a shared memory buffer. The local (410) and remote (420) data transmission agent are connected together in a network which is preferably an SNA network.
An object of the present invention is to allow a plurality of people to manipulate a large amount of consistent graphic data concurrently and to simplify development of application programs having a distributed input facility. Data 2 to be manipulated is stored in one workstation among a plurality of workstations WS1 to WSn connected over a network 5. The data 2 is divided and displayed on each of the workstations. Operators operate input means (e.g., a mouse) included in each workstation to process the data 2 concurrently. A device for implementing a distributed input environment is installed in a window system 1. A window copying unit 1g creates copies of, for example, an editing window opened in one workstation, whereby windows are opened in the other workstations.
Disclosed herein are a system and method for using a remote terminal to control processes executing on a client terminal by transmitting data to the client terminal emulating keystroke inputs at the client terminal. A remote control application program executing at the remote terminal initiates the transmission of a message for emulating keystroke inputs to the client terminal. The remote terminal also executes an operating system having logic for responding to a detection of any one combination of keystrokes of a set of predetermined combinations of keystrokes, independently of any application program executing on the remote terminal. While the remote control application is active, the remote terminal inhibits the operating system from responding to detected keystrokes and transmits a message to the client terminal emulating an input of the detected keystrokes at the client terminal.
The same "look and feel" of environment applications is given to non-environment, or foreign, applications. Like environment applications, a non-environment application is docked, launched and run in the environment. There is no need to modify a foreign application to run in the environment. When a foreign application is docked, a wrapper application is associated with the foreign application. The wrapper application launches the foreign application, awaits a notification regarding a change in status for the foreign application, and communicates with the environment's docking application regarding the status of the foreign application. The same menu that is created for environment applications is created for the foreign application that allows a user to manipulate the foreign application's windows and execution. The dock tile associated with the foreign application is modified to reflect changes in the status of the application. The wrapper application is used to manage a single foreign application. Alternatively, a wrapper application can be used to manage multiple foreign applications (e.g., multiple instances of different foreign applications or multiple instances of the same foreign application). With the present invention, there is no need to re-write a non-environment application to make it compatible with an environment. Using the present invention, an application is compatible with a foreign environment. Thus, legacy applications can be used in the environment without modifying the application.
A method and apparatus for management of application programs in a computer network are disclosed. A modified hierarchical database which includes application objects that represent applications and their execution environments is utilized. Administrator tools support the creation, deletion, and modification of application objects. Each application object includes the location of an executable code for a given application, an icon, a working directory name, drive mappings, printer port captures, command line parameters, and similar information. An application launcher queries the database and updates a list of available applications which is kept in the user's desktop. The launcher automatically launches specified applications when a user runs the launcher. The launcher also uses the information in the application object to setup resources needed by the application, to create a process that executes the application, and to clean up after the application terminates. Resource setup involves mapping drives and capturing printer ports as needed. The database, the launcher, and the administrator tools allow consistent tracking and use of information about application programs and their execution environments in the network.
