Efficient inter-process object and interface pinging

Abstract

A computer system includes a plurality of client processes executing in respective address spaces and at least one server process executing in a different address space than the client processes. The server process has one or more available server objects for potential use by the client processes. The server objects are accessible by the client processes through a plurality of server object interfaces dynamically created in response to demand for said interfaces by the client processes. The server object interfaces are destroyed when there is no further demand for them. Each object interface can be simultaneously held for use during at least a portion of its lifetime by more than one of the client processes. The computer system further includes one or more client-side ping managers and at least one server-side ping manager. Each client process registers interfaces it is holding for use with an associated client-side ping manager. The server-side ping manager is associated with the server process and stores one or more interface lists indicating server object interfaces held for use by client processes. The server-side ping manager has a ping manager object interface available to the client-side ping managers. Each client-side ping manager accesses the server-side ping manager through the ping manager object interface to maintain an interface list with the server-side ping manager indicating server object interfaces which are registered with the client-side ping manager. Each client-side ping manager monitors whether any of its registered client processes have terminated, and automatically unregisters the interfaces of any such client processes which have terminated. The server-side ping manager notifies the server process of any server object interfaces which are no longer included in the interface lists of the server-side ping manager so that those interfaces can be destroyed.