High-performance server architecture, methods, and software for spatial data
Systems that distribute map data and related map services are vital to companies in many industries, for example, telecommunications, trucking, and national defense. These systems typically comprise a computer, known as a server, which retrieves the map data, and a computer, known as a client, which electronically requests and receives map data from the server over a computer network, such as the Internet. Servers in these systems often suffer from at least two problems: first, the slow delivery of the map data and related services to clients, and second, the inability to operate in different modes with different types of clients. Accordingly, the inventors devised servers, systems, and related methods for rapidly delivering map data to many types of client, ranging from mobile telephones and personal digital assistants to workstations. To support multi-modal operations with at least two clients, an exemplary system includes a map server having two or more client-mode software modules or programs that govern how the server interacts with the clients. The first client, using an appropriate network address, links to the first program and receives a copy of several mapping objects, enabling the first client to provide certain map functions independent of the server. The second client links to the server using a different network address and receives proxy mapping objects, instead of the actual mapping objects, enabling the second client to work with the server to provide the map functions. The exemplary system also implements client-side and server-side caching of map data, and expandable map service pools, all promoting rapid delivery of map data and services.
1. A system for serving map data and map related services over a computer network to two or more clients, the system comprising:
a server associated with at least first and second URLs, wherein the first URL is invokable by at least one of the clients to cause the server to interact with the one client as a first type of map client having a first weight or thickness; and wherein the second URL is invokable by at least another of the clients to cause the server to interact with the other client as second type of map client having a second weight or thickness that differs from the first weight or thickness; and
a map server including:
a first map service pool having two or more first map service objects or instances for answering requests from the clients for a first map service; and
a second map service pool having two or more second map service instances for answering requests from the clients for a second map service; and
means for establishing and maintaining a pool of two or more persistent network connections between the web server and the map server.
2. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the first URL is associated with an applet that comprises at least one executable or compilable map related object for a first map operation and at least one proxy for another executable or compilable map related object for a second map operation; and
wherein the second URL is associated with a second applet that comprises at least one executable or compilable map related object for the first map operation and at least one executable or compilable map related object for the second map operation.
3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a wireless client which has invoked the first URL and a non-wireless client which has invoked the second URL.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the wireless client includes a mobile telephone.
5. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the first map service pool provides geocoding services and the second map service pool provides street routing services; and
wherein the first map service pool provides one of map data access services, geocoding services, street routing services, external map access services, and map image display services.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein one or more of the first map service objects or instances is a proxy for a corresponding first map service object or instance within a machine different from that hosting the map server.
7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a map database coupled to the map server.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one client is an HTML client and the other client is a JAVA client.
9. A system for serving map data and map related services over a computer network, the system comprising:
a server associated with at least first and second URLs;
a wireless client operatively coupled to receive map data from the server after invoking the first URL; and
a non-wireless client operatively coupled to receive map data from the server after invoking the second URL;
wherein invocation of the first URL causes the server to provide the wireless client at least one proxy object for a may operation; and
wherein invocation of the second URL causes the server to provide the non-wireless client an executable or compilable object for the map operation.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a map server coupled to the server and including:
a first map service pool having two or more first map service objects or instances for answering requests from the clients for a first map service; and
a second map service pool having two or more second map service instances for answering requests from the clients for a second map service; and
means for establishing and maintaining a pool of two or more persistent network connections between the server and the map server.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the wireless client includes a mobile telephone.
12. A system for serving map data and map related services over a computer network, the system comprising:
a server for serving map data;
a wireless client operatively coupled to receive map data from the server; and
a non-wireless client operatively coupled to receive may data from the server;
wherein the wireless client includes at least one proxy object for a map operation, and the non-wireless client includes an executable or compilable object for the map operation.
13. A method of distributing map data through a common server and over a communications network to a wireless client including a mobile telephone and to a non-wireless client, the method comprising:
communicating a first map related applet to the wireless client in response to the wireless client connecting to the common server;
communicating a second map related applet to the non-wireless client in response to the non-wireless client connecting to the common server;
receiving respective first and second requests for map data from the wireless client and the non-wireless clients; and
responding to the respective first and second requests in first and second different ways based on differences in the first and second clients, with responses to the requests including map data from a common map database;
wherein the first map-related applet includes at least one proxy object for a may operation; and the second map-related applet includes an executable or compilable object for the map operation.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wireless client includes a mobile telephone or a personal digital assistant.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first map-related applet is referenced in a first property file that is associated with a first URL, and the second map-related applet is referenced in a second property file that is associated with a second URL.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second URL are associated with the server.