Patent ID: 7200632

Claim:
A method for serving executable application programs over a computer network from an application server system to a target computer having a helper application provided by the application server system, the method comprising: signaling the application server system with a request for an application program; receiving application descriptor from the application server system in response to the request; executing the helper application in response to the received application descriptor; determining, by the helper application a configuration to allow the target computer to execute the requested application program as function of the application descriptor; controlling, by the helper application execution of the application program on the target computer, the application program residing on the application server system, the helper application implementing the configuration on the target computer, wherein portions of the application program are retrieved and executed from the application server tracking a status of the execution of the application on the target computer; and removing, by the helper application, the retrieved and executed portions of the application program from the target computer in response to termination of the application program on the target computer.