Patent ID: 7043731

Claim:
An object distribution system for distributing access to group of objects, wherein the objects reside on one or more computers attached to a network, the system comprising: a first computer in communication with the network; wherein the first computer comprises: a client program; a distributor program; a first object proxy, wherein the first object proxy is associated with a first object resident on a second computer in communication with the network; and a second object proxy, wherein the second object proxy is associated with a second object resident on the second computer; wherein the first object and the second object are part of an object group comprising a plurality of objects, each of the plurality of objects being configured to perform a particular function, such that the first object, which is associated with the first object proxy, and the second object, which is associated with the second object proxy, perform the same function; and wherein the distributor program selects between the first and the second objects, based on a round robin algorithm, to perform the function for the client program; wherein the distributor program selects the first object to perform the function for the client program only when the first object is available; and an object request broker in communication with the first computer via the network and configured to send a message to the second computer, the message being related to the function.