^ ^ ^ ^ I ^ ^ ^ ^ II ^ II ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ II ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ I ^ � European Patent Office Office europeen des brevets EP 0 950 953 A2 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION (43) Date of publication: (51) |nt CI.6: G06F 9/46 20.10.1999 Bulletin 1999/42 (21) Application number: 99400947.0 (22) Date of filing: 19.04.1999 (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventor: Tharakan, George AT BE CH CY DE DK ES Fl FR GB GR IE IT LI LU Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (US) MC NL PT SE Designated Extension States: (74) Representative: Chameroy, Claude et al AL LT LV MK RO SI c/o Cabinet Malemont 42, avenue du President Wilson (30) Priority: 17.04.1998 US 61803 75116 Paris (FR) (71) Applicant: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC. Palo Alto, California 94303 (US) (54) Methods and apparatus for a property editing mechanism for a network computer environment (57) A system allows an administrator to edit, from information, the client passes it to a configuration portion a client, property files that reside on a server. The client of the application program, where the property informa- issues a request to the server for property information tion is edited by the administrator. The client receives for an application program. After receiving the property the edited property information and sends it to the serv- er, where it is stored. FIG. 2 Java Interface 220 Configuration Administrative a RMI Server Application t \ Property Class Applet v Program >i » Files 210 230 240 190 CM < T CO 110 180 lO O) o LO O) o a. LU Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 0 950 953 A2 2 Description cation programs to take advantage of the different levels of property configuration possible in a network computer BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION system. In such a system, property files can be organ- ized by user, by groups of users, or by network compu- A. Field of the Invention 5 ter. User properties are those that are specific to a par- ticular user, regardless of the network computer on [0001] This invention generally relates to distributed which that user is logged in. Group properties are those computer systems and, more particularly, to methods that are common to one or more users. Host properties and apparatus for remotely editing property information. are those that are specific to a network computer, re- 10 gardless of which user is logged into that computer. Sys- B. Description of the Related Art tem administrators should be able to configure these property files in a manner that is transparent to applica- [0002] Early computer systems and application pro- tion programs. grams provided their users with simple, text interfaces [0007] There have been some attempts made to ad- for entering and displaying information. Such interfaces 15 dress these problems, the Netra™ product from Sun Mi- were normally predefined, and there was little need or crosystems Computer Corporation allows system ad- capability for a user to customize the interface. Since ministrators to remotely edit property files by using Com- then, user interfaces- and application programs have mon Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts in conjunction with become increasingly robust and correspondingly com- HyperText Markup Language (HTML) forms.1 Although plex. For example, many modern computer systems 20 this approach works reasonably well for simple, static employ graphic user interfaces that contain numerous configurations, it is cumbersome in situations involving windows and panels. Also, modem application pro- dependencies between property fields. Moreover, this grams provide a wealth of capabilities, only a fraction of product does not allow system administrators to config- which are used by any one user. ure the different levels of property files in a manner that [0003] These complex systems and application pro- 25 is transparent to application programs. grams become cumbersome unless users can config- [0008] The Java Server product from JavaSoft also ure them to suit their needs best. For example, users allows system administrators to remotely edit property may wish to customize the color of the graphical desktop files that reside on a server. This is accomplished by us- or the commands that appear on the toolbar of a word ing an applet that interfaces with a servlet using the Hy- processing application program. This configuration is 30 perText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). An applet is a class generally accomplished by using property files that are created by using the Java™ programming language. stored at each user's computer. When a computer is The concept of an applet, and the Java programming turned on, or when an application program is launched, language, are described in a text entitled "The Java™ configuration information is read from the appropriate Tutorial" by Mary Campione and Kathy Walrath, Addi- file(s) to configure the system properly. Although these 35 son-Wesley, 1996, the contents ofwhich are hereby in- property files make matters easier for system users, corporated by reference. A servlet is similar to an applet, managing them makes matters more complicated for but it executes at a server. Although the Java Server system administrators. product is less cumbersome than the Netra product, it [0004] Much of the burden on administrators stems also does not allow configuration of different levels of from the fact that they must configure and maintain prop- 40 property files in a manner that is transparent to applica- erty files at each of the numerous users' computers. Ac- tion programs. cordingly, one approach for reducing the burden on sys- [0009] There exists, therefore, a need for a solution tem administrators is to employ the concept of network that allows system administrators to remotely and dy- computers. In a network computer system, all neces- namically edit property files in a network computer en- sary files, including property files, are stored centrally 45 vironment. Moreover, there is a similar need for a solu- on a server and are transferred to the network comput- tion that allows system administrators to configure prop- ers as needed for execution. As a result, the system ad- erty files in a manner that is transparent to application ministrator need only configure and maintain property programs. files at one location, namely the server. [0005] One problem associated with network compu- so SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ter systems arises because network computers typically have neither the capability nor the authorization to alter [0010] To meet these needs, apparatus and methods files at the server, for security reasons. As a result, a consistent with the present invention allow a system ad- system administrator cannot remotely edit property files ministrator to remotely configure different levels of prop- from network Instead, the 55 on a server a computer. sys- 1 tem administrator must directly log into the server and Sun, Sun Microsystems, Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, JavaSoft, the Sun Logo, Netra, Java Server, Java, and HotJava Views make changes there. are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in [0006] Another problem relates to configuring appli- the United States and other countries. 2 3 EP 0 950 953 A2 4 erty files in a manner that is transparent to application property information and presents it in a manner that can programs. More specifically, a method for allowing a be readily understood and edited by a system adminis- system administrator to remotely edit property files in a trator. distributed system comprises receiving, at a client, prop- [0015] When the system administrator is finished ed- erty values from a system administrator. Next, an object s iting the property information, the configuration class containing the property values is created at the client. passes the edited information to the administrative ap- That object is transmitted to a server, which creates and plet. The administrative applet, in turn, sends the edited stores a property file based on the object. values to the server, which stores them in the application program's property file that corresponds to the selected BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 10 group. A similar approach may be used to edit user or network computer property files. [0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incor- [0016] Importantly, throughout this process, the con- porated in and constitute a part ofthis specification, il- figuration class need not be aware of whether the prop- lustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together erty information corresponds to that of a user, a network with the description, explain the advantages and princi- 15 computer, or a group. Instead, the configuration class pies ofthe invention. In the drawings, merely knows that it has been given some property in- formation to be edited. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system con- sistent with the present invention; B. Architecture FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the interaction between 20 functional components of a system consistent with [0017] Fig. 1 is a block diagram ofa computer system the present invention; in which the present invention may be implemented. FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting the organization System 100 consists of a network computer 110 con- of property files at a server consistent with the nected to a server 180 via a network 170. System 100 present invention; 25 is suitable for use in the HotJava™ Views™ user envi- FIG. 4 is a representative screen display that shows ronment, although one of skill in the art will recognize an application program's configuration interface that methods and apparatus consistent with the present within an administrative applet's window; and invention may be applied to other suitable user environ- FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of steps performed to edit ments HotJava Views is an application developed by an application program's properties for a selected 30 Sun Microsystems, Inc. for network computers.