Method and apparatus for application software control of echo response

Abstract

Method for controlling the echo of user-initiated actions taken through the input devices of a workstation in a distributed computational system providing application processing services at a site remote to the user. When application services are being used, an application protocol located proximate to the user separates user input actions which do not require application computational response but which do require registration in the system from those actions which initiate events requiring application program computational response. The application protocol buffers the non-computational actions, and invokes a local service to register the actions and to stimulate a user-discernible response. Other actions are forwarded by the protocol to the remote application process in the host computer. The invention reduces the response time to certain user-initiated actions by providing local response facilities, thereby eliminating a time-consuming communication with the remote application process.