Application dispatcher for seamless, server application support for

Abstract

A plurality of clients are connected to one or more servers. When a client initiates a connection with a server, the server responds to the request for connection by transmitting a message back to the client to determine whether the client is a network terminal or not. The client responds with a message that is received by an application dispatcher at the server which takes one of a pair of actions based on whether the client is a network terminal. If the client terminal is a network terminal, then the application dispatcher starts a server application in the server which responds to the client application in the client. Going forward, the server application responds to all future requests from the client application. If the client is not a network terminal, then the application dispatcher initiates a client application in the server to service the client terminal application requirements. Requests from the client application on behalf of the client terminal are subsequently serviced by a server application at the server which communicates to the client terminal via the client application at the server. In one embodiment, the application dispatcher includes a listener. The listener is assigned to a particular port number of the server. The listener is responsible for waiting for new incoming connections from a client terminal (e.g., a network terminal or a non-network terminal). When a new incoming connection is detected, the listener dynamically instantiates a resolver and passes the connection to the resolver. The behavior of the resolver can vary depending on the port number and requirements of the client terminal. For example, for a network terminal, such as a commercially available VeriFone Personal ATM.TM. (PATM.TM.) appliance or a Personal Computer (PC), the resolver is responsible for executing 'who are you' negotiation and for generating a session key.