Patent ID: 6952714

Claim:
In a network including a client system and a plurality of server systems, a method for enabling distributed program execution, the method comprising the steps: (a) presenting to a client system a graphical depiction of a data file stored on one of a plurality of server systems; (b) receiving by the client system a selection of the data file through a selection of the graphical depiction of the data file; (c) transmitting, to one of the plurality of server systems, the selection of the data file; (d) receiving a request from one of the plurality of server systems, to execute an executable application program associated with the selected data file, wherein the executable application program is selected by the one of the plurality of server systems according to a mapping specifying an association between the executable application program and a type of the selected data file accepted for processing by the executable application program; and (e) executing the executable application program associated with the type of the selected data file.