Reducing a number of server-client sessions

• US 10,666,737 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMEC International, Koninklijke KPN NV, Universiteit Gent Vzw, Universiteit Van Gent
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Inventors: Van Den Abeele, Floris, Hoebeke, Jeroen, Teklemariam, Girum
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea, Philip J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Wing
• Application Number:
  US14/655,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160006818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 709227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

A method for an intermediary node to reduce a number of server-client sessions between a server (104) and a plurality of clients (102a, 102b, 102c) communicably connected to the server (104) over a network is disclosed. The intermediary node (106) intercepts a first request and a second request destined to the server (104) from a first client (102a; 102b; 102c) and a second client (102a; 102b; 102c). The intermediary node (106) establishes a server-client session, between the intermediary node (106) and the server (104), using the first request. If the first request overlaps in part with the second request and if a part of the second request is not overlapping with the first request, the intermediary node (106) updates the server-client session between the intermediary node (106) and the server (104) to include a part of the second request.

Claims

1. A method for an intermediary node to reduce a number of server-client sessions between a server and a plurality of clients communicably connected to the server over a network, the method comprising:

intercepting, at the intermediary node, a first request destined to the server from a first client;

establishing a server-client session between the intermediary node and the server on behalf of the first client using the first request;

intercepting, at the intermediary node, a second request destined to the server from a second client, said second request being different from the first request;

determining a first information set requested by the first request;

determining a second information set requested by the second request;

determining whether the first request overlaps in part with the second request, based on whether at least part of the second information set is derivable from at least a part of the first information set;

if the first request overlaps in part with the second request and if a part of the second request is not overlapping with the first request, updating the server-client session between the intermediary node and the server on behalf of the two clients into an aggregate server-client session including the part of the second request which is not overlapping with the first request.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data at the intermediary node from the server over the server-client session in accordance with the first request and the second request;

deriving a first response and optionally a second response from the data, said first response in accordance with the first request and said second response in accordance with the second request.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting, from the intermediary node, the first response in response to the first request to the first client; and

optionally, transmitting, from the intermediary node, the second response in response to the second request to the second client.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

filtering at least a part of the first information set to generate a filtered information set in accordance with the second request;

transmitting the filtered information set to the second client in response to the second request.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the first information set is in a first format and the second information set is in a second format different from the first format, the method further comprising:

translating the at least a part of the first information set to generate a translated information set in the second format;

transmitting the translated information set to the second client in response to the second request.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third request from a first client to terminate the first request, and/or determining the first request has expired;

updating the server-client session between the intermediary node and the server to remove a part of the first request, said part not overlapping with the second request.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server comprises a constrained device, and optionally, the server is communicably connected to the intermediary node over a low power and lossy network.

10. A computer program product, implemented on computer-readable non-transitory storage medium, the computer program product configured for, when run on a computer, executing the method steps according to claim 1.

8. An intermediary node for reducing a number of server-client sessions in a network between a server and a plurality of clients, the intermediary node comprising:

a receiver for intercepting, at the intermediary node, a first request destined to the server from a first client;

a relationship manager for establishing a server-client session between the intermediary node and the server on behalf of the first client using the first request;

the receiver further for intercepting, at the intermediary node, a second request destined to the server from a second client, said second request being different from the first request;

the relationship manager further for;

determining a first information set requested by the first request;

determining a second information set requested by the second request;

determining whether the first request overlaps in part with the second request, based on whether at least part of the second information set is derivable from at least a part of the first information set;

if the first request overlaps in part with the second request and if a part of the second request is not overlapping with the first request, updating the server-client session between the intermediary node and the server on behalf of the two clients into an aggregate server-client session including the part of the second request.

9. A system comprising at least one server, and an intermediary node of claim 8, said intermediary node communicably connected to the at least one server and at least one client.