System and method of injecting states into message routing in a distributed computing environment

• US 10,432,712 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Inventors: Mahoney, Mike, DeRemer, Bob, Bullotta, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US15/139,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 709226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms

Abstract

A system and method of operating resources within a distributed computing environment. The resources include a platform server and intermediate servers where each of the intermediate servers connects and maintains a persistent connection to the platform server a number of edge servers. The method includes injecting state identifier information into service requests from a given edge server to the intermediate server and transmitting the service request to the platform server. The method includes receiving to response message from the platform server where the message includes the state identifier. The method includes using the state identifier to route the message to the given edge server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of operating an intermediate server to load share authentication operations with a platform server, the method comprising:

providing a platform server and a plurality of intermediate servers, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate servers connects and maintains a persistent connection to the platform server, and wherein the plurality of intermediate servers communicate and maintain a plurality of persistent connections with a plurality of edge servers;

receiving, by a port at an intermediate server among the plurality of intermediate servers, a service request from a given edge server of the plurality of edge servers over a first persistent connection, wherein the service request includes an identifier associated with an identification of a computing device connected to the given edge server;

determining, by a processor at the intermediate server, a state identifier based on the received identifier associated with the identification of the computing device, wherein the intermediate server maintains, in memory, the state identifier associated with an authentication exchange having been conducted between the computing device connected to the given edge server and the platform server;

inserting, by the processor at the intermediate server, the state identifier into the service request; and

transmitting, at the intermediate server, the service request to the platform server over a second persistent connection, wherein the service request is processed by the platform server subject to inclusion of the state identifier.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state identifier is associated with a name value associated with that of the computing device,

the method further comprising:

comparing, using the processor at the intermediate server, a device identifier located within the service request to the name value and injecting the state identifier into the service request upon a match within the comparison, wherein the device identifier is associated with an identity of a given computing device operatively communicating with the given edge server.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

upon a failed comparison of the device identifier, the intermediate server sending an unbind request to the given edge server, wherein the unbind request causes the device identifier to be removed from a binding list of one or more device identifiers stored at the edge server.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the state identifier is associated to the connection identity of the first persistent connection, and wherein the association is stored in memory at the intermediate server.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate server does not maintain state information associated with message content embedded within the service request.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state identifier is inserted into a header portion of the service request.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second persistent connections are Web-Socket connections.

8. A system that load shares authentication operations with a platform server, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

provide an intermediate server that connects and maintains a persistent connection to a platform server, wherein the intermediate server communicates and maintains a plurality of persistent connections with a plurality of edge servers;

receive, by a port at the intermediate server, a service request from a given edge server of the plurality of edge servers over a first persistent connection, wherein the service request includes an identifier associated with an identification of a computing device connected to the given edge server;

determine, at the intermediate server, a state identifier based on the received identifier associated with the identification of the computing device, wherein the intermediate server maintains, in memory, the state identifier associated with an authentication exchange having been conducted between the computing device connected to the given edge server and the platform server;

insert, at the intermediate server, the state identifier into the service request; and

transmit, at the intermediate server, the service request to the platform server over a second persistent connection, wherein the service request is processed by the platform server subject to inclusion of the state identifier.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the state identifier is associated with a name value associated with the of the computing device,

the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to compare a device identifier located within the service request to the name value and inject the state identifier into the service request upon a match within the comparison, wherein the device identifier is associated with an identity of a given computing device operatively communicating with the given edge server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, upon a failed comparison of the device identifier within the service request to the name value, send an unbind request to the given edge server,

wherein the unbind request causes the device identifier to be removed from a binding list of one or more device identifiers stored at the edge server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the state identifier is associated to the connection identity of the first persistent connection, and wherein the association is stored in memory at the intermediate server.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the intermediate server does not maintain state information associated with message content embedded within the service request.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the state identifier is inserted into a header portion of the service request.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first and second persistent connections are Web-Socket connections.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instruction stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

provide an intermediate server that connects and maintains a persistent connection to a platform server, wherein the intermediate server communicates and maintains a plurality of persistent connections with a plurality of edge servers;

receive, by a port at an intermediate server among the plurality of intermediate servers, a service request from a given edge server of the plurality of edge servers over a first persistent connection, wherein the service request includes an identifier associated with an identification of a computing device connected to the given edge server;

determine a state identifier based on the received identifier associated with the identification of the computing device, wherein the intermediate server maintains, in memory, the state identifier associated with an authentication exchange having been conducted between the computing device connected to the given edge server and the platform server;

insert, at the intermediate server, the state identifier into the service request and

transmit, at the intermediate server, the service request to the platform server over a second persistent connection, wherein the service request is processed by the platform server subject to inclusion of the state identifier.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the state identifier is associated with a name value associated with the of the computing device, wherein

the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

compare a device identifier located within the service request to the name value and inject the state identifier into the service request upon a match within the comparison, wherein the device identifier is associated with an identity of a given computing device operatively communicating with the given edge server.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein

the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to, upon a failed comparison of the device identifier within the service request to the name value, send an unbind request to the given edge server, wherein the unbind request causes the device identifier to be removed from a binding list of one or more device identifiers stored at the edge server.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the state identifier is associated to the connection identity of the first persistent connection, and wherein the association is stored in memory at the intermediate server.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the intermediate server does not maintain state information associated with message content embedded within the service request.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the state identifier is inserted into a header portion of the service request.