Method and Infrastructure for Accessing Remote Applications

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and infrastructure for accessing a remote application running on a system A by a system B, each being connected to an open network and located behind a firewall, are provided. The method, computer program product, and infrastructure provide for system A sending a first HTTP request to system B via the open network, blocking the first HTTP request from system A till an application request is available at system B, system B sending an HTTP response to system A via the open network, the HTTP response comprising the application request, system A processing the application request from system B to generate an application response, system A sending a second HTTP request to system B via the open network, the second HTTP request comprising the application response, and blocking the second HTTP request from system A till another application request is available at system B.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the circumstances and infrastructure of a remote access according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the exchange of information between a remote side and a local side by performing a remote access according to an implementation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a remote application running on a system A by a system B, wherein system A and system B are connected to an open network and are each located behind a firewall, the method comprising: system A sending a first HTTP request to system B via the open network;blocking the first HTTP request from system A till an application request is available at system B for transfer to system A;system B sending an HTTP response to system A via the open network, the HTTP response comprising the application request;system A processing the application request from system B to generate an application response;system A sending a second HTTP request to system B via the open network, the second HTTP request comprising the application response; andblocking the second HTTP request from system A till another application request is available at system B for transfer to system A.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an application X is specified with the first HTTP request as to be accessed by system B and wherein each HTTP request from system A concerning application X is blocked till an application request concerning application X is available at system B.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein all operations that system A wants to allow when processing an application request of system B are defined in advance and wherein processing an application request of system B comprises: allowing or denying any operation implied therewith on the basis of the definition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein HTTP communication between system A and system B is encrypted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the application request from system B comprises at least one of a request to monitor an application running on system A, a request to analyze performance of the application running on system A, and a request to collect information relating to configuration and workload of the application running on system A.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application request is from a performance server running on system B seeking to monitor performance of a remote server running on system A and comprises structured query language (SQL) statements for invoking one or more snapshot table functions of the remote server, wherein a Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) protocol is used for communication between the performance server running on system B and the remote server running on system A, and wherein processing the application request comprises: performing the table functions using the SQL statements in the application request, the table functions retrieving performance data relating to the remote server and storing the performance data into a plurality of tables; andaccessing the plurality of tables to generate the application response.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance server is accessing the remote server based on the request from a client connected to the performance server.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance server is accessing the remote server in a background mode at regular intervals.

9. An infrastructure for accessing a remote application running on a system A by a system B, wherein system A and system B are connected to an open network and are each located behind a firewall, the infrastructure comprising: means for sending HTTP requests from system A to system B via the open network;means for receiving HTTP responses from system B top system A via the open network;means for processing HTTP responses from system B to extract application requests and to forward the application requests to system A; andmeans for generating HTTP requests comprising application responses generated by system A.

10. The infrastructure of claim 9, further comprising: means for generating HTTP requests specifying an application X to be accessed by system B.

11. The infrastructure of claim 9, further comprising: means for defining all operations that system A wants to allow when processing an application request of system B; andmeans for allowing or denying any operation implied with an application request of system B on the basis of the definition when processing the application request.

12. The infrastructure of claim 9, further comprising: means for encrypting HTTP communication between system A and system B.

13. The infrastructure of claim 9, wherein a database engine of a remote server running on system A is able to perform one or more snapshot table functions to retrieve performance data of the remote server and to store the performance data in one or more tables, and wherein the means for generating an application response are able to select the requested information from the one or more tables.

14. The infrastructure of claim 13, further comprising: means for using a Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) protocol for communication between the remote server and system B.

15. An infrastructure for accessing a remote application running on a system A by a system B, wherein system A and system B are connected to an open network and are each located behind a firewall, the infrastructure comprising: means for receiving HTTP requests from system A to system B via the open network;means for sending HTTP responses from system B to system A via the open network;means for listening for application requests from system B concerning applications running on system A;means for blocking HTTP requests from system A to system B till an appropriate application request is available at system B;means for generating HTTP responses comprising application requests from system B; andmeans for processing HTTP requests received from system A to extract application responses and to forward the application responses to system B.

16. The infrastructure of claim 15, further comprising: means for processing HTTP requests received from system A to identify an application X to be accessed by system B.

17. The infrastructure of claim 15, further comprising: means for encrypting HTTP communication between system A and system B.

18. The infrastructure of claim 15, wherein system B comprises a performance server for collecting performance information of a remote server running on system A, and wherein the performance server is able to issue structured query language (SQL) statements as application requests invoking one or more snapshot table functions of the remote server to retrieve and store performance data of the remote server.

19. The infrastructure of claim 18, further comprising: a client as graphical user interface for the performance server.

20. The infrastructure of claim 18, further comprising: means for using a Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) protocol for communication between the performance server and the remote server.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including a computer readable program for accessing a remote application running on a system A by a system B, system A and system B each being connected to an open network and located behind a firewall, the computer readable program comprising program instructions for: system A sending a first HTTP request to system B via the open network;blocking the first HTTP request from system A till an appropriate request is available at system B for transfer to system A;system B sending an HTTP response to system A via the open network, the HTTP response comprising the application request;system A processing the application request from system B to generate an application response;system A sending a second HTTP request to system B via the open network, the second HTTP request comprising the application response; andblocking the second HTTP request from system A till another application request is available at system B for transfer to system A.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein an application X is specified with the first HTTP request as to be accessed by system B and wherein each HTTP request from system A concerning application X is blocked till an application request concerning application X is available at system B.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein all operations that system A wants to allow when processing an application request of system B are defined in advance and wherein processing an application request of system B comprises: allowing or denying any operation implied therewith on the basis of the definition.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein HTTP communication between system A and system B is encrypted.

25. The computer readable program product of claim 21, wherein the application request is from a performance server running on system B seeking to monitor performance of a remote server running on system A and comprises structured query language (SQL) statements for invoking one or more snapshot table functions of the remote server, wherein a Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) protocol is used for communication between the performance server running on system B and the remote server running on system A, and wherein processing the application request comprises: performing the table functions using the SQL statements in the application request, the table functions retrieving performance data relating to the remote server and storing the performance data into a plurality of tables; andaccessing the plurality of tables to generate the application response.