Patent ID: 9256478
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A method, comprising: in a computer having a processor and a memory, wherein the memory has program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the computer to execute a instance manager configured to manage a plurality of instances of a single application, and wherein each of the plurality of instances is remotely located with respect to the other instances; storing, by the instance manager, a table having a plurality of entries, each entry having at least one instance property and value pair corresponding to each of the plurality of instances, each of the instance properties and value pairs having been published to the table by a corresponding one of the plurality of instances during a most-recent execution of the corresponding instance; updating the table, by the instance manager, with an updated instance property and value pair published by a first one of the plurality of instances in response to execution of the first instance; receiving, at the instance manager, from a second one of the plurality of instances while the first instance is not being executed, a request that identifies the updated instance property; and in response to the request, providing, by the instance manager, an updated value stored in the table as corresponding to the updated instance property to the second instance while the first instance is not being executed and without using any configuration files external to the first instance, wherein the response appears to the second instance as if it were being provided directly by the first instance and not by the instance manager; wherein each instance property further comprises an expiration that defines a lifetime of the instance property, and wherein the values of the one or more instance properties are available to other instances during the instance property lifetime.