International Business Machines Corporation

Donald E Keith

Robert Christian Sizemore

Richard T Brandle

Randy A Robinette

Garry J Smithwick

Don L Goodliffe

Anthony J Zappavigna

A system for making procedure calls can be used with a network of computers. An application program on a local node calls a desired library procedure. The library procedure can be available on the local node or a remote node, and the location need not be known by the application. If the library procedure is available on a remote node, a remote router procedure communicates a procedure identifier to the remote node. The procedure is executed, and any results are returned to the locol node, to be returned to the application program.

Remote procedure calls in heterogeneous systems

A system software interface is provided which is called by applications programs using a standard format. All calls to system library routines are made through this interface. When called, the interface determines the location and original language of a desired library procedure. The interface then sets up parameters and calls such procedure using the calling convention which it expects. The interface receives any results generated by the library procedure, converts them to the return convention used by the calling application, and returns the results to the calling application.

Procedure call interface

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Peachtree City, GA, United States of America

Donald E Keith