METHOD FOR REMOTELY ACCESSING SERVICE-PROGRAMS OF A LOCAL PROCESSING SYSTEM SUPPORTING MULTIPLE PROTOCOL STACKS AND MULTIPLE DEVICE-DRIVERS

摘要

A method for enabling one or more external processing systems to access service programs (16) of a local processing system (10) having an operating system kernel (12) and supporting multiple protocol stacks (18) and multiple hardware device drivers (20). Hardware device drivers (20) are monitored for receipt of any requests to access the service programs (16). Upon receipt of an access request, a master control structure is cloned into a control structure (DCB) for the required service program. A virtual circuit, representing a communication path between the external processing system, the protocol stack/device driver pair (18, 20) receiving the access request, and the service program (16), is then created. A control block (NCB) is then generated for each predetermined block of actual data to be communicated to and from the service program (16). The service program control structure and the virtual circuit are maintained while actual data is communicated between the service program, the protocol stack/device driver pair (18, 20) and the external processing system.