Importance

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Abstract

A system provides a comstack manager used with a communications stack having any number of layers. These layers are located on different computers so as to spread the load of the communications stack across multiple computers. The comstack manager facilitates the reconfiguration of a communications stack without having to modify any of the layers of the communications stack. Each layer provides a single entrypoint through which it communicates to its adjacent layers and the layers of the communications stack communicate with each other using a message transfer system that has a single entrypoint for transferring messages. The single entrypoint of the layer provides compatibility among the layers and flexibility since each layer is not bound to a specific definition of the functions provided by another layer. Each layer only needs to know how to access the single entrypoint which is the same for each layer. The comstack manager performs its processing by receiving configuration information at runtime. This configuration information contains an indication of each of the layers in the communications stack, a reference to their location which indicates whether the layer is located on a local computer or on a remote computer, and the ordering of the layers. After receiving the configuration information, the comstack manager of the system starts the communications stack. Sending the comstack manager new configuration information indicates either a new communications stack or one or more new layers in the communications stack. The comstack manager will start each layer and facilitate communications between the layers.

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