WEB SERVER EMPLOYING MULTI-HOMED, MODULAR FRAMEWORK

• US 20010011304A1
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telaxian Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Telaxian Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: COLEY, CHRISTOPHER D., WESINGER, RALPH E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,647,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2521 Translation architectures other than single NAT servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A Web server is provided having a multi-homed, modular framework. The modular framework allows extensions to the Web server to be easily compiled into the Web server, allowing the extensions to run natively as part of the server instead of incurring the overhead typical of CGI scripts, for example. The multi-homing capabilities of the Web server provide the appearance to Web users of multiple distinct and independent servers, allowing a small company or individual to create the same kind of Web presence enjoyed by larger companies. In effect, multiple virtual servers run on the same physical machine. The Web server as a whole is easily extensible to allow additional capabilities to be provided natively within the Web server itself. Furthermore, each virtual server is independently configurable in order to turn different capabilities on or off or to modify operation of the virtual server. The Web server is also provided with enhanced security features, built-in animation capability, and other features that afford maximum flexibility and versatility.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed using network server software, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a remote host a connection request requesting that a specified resource be served to the remote host;

processing the connection request to identify the specified resource as being of one of a plurality of resource types; and

consulting a data structure stored in a configuration file to identify a code module to be used to process resources of the type of the specified resource, the data structure identifying for each of a plurality of types of resources a code module to be used to process resources of that type.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the connection request is an HTTP protocol request.

3. The method of

claim 1

, comprising the further steps of:

processing the specified resource using an identified code module; and

serving the specified resource to the remote host.

4. The method of

claim 3

, comprising extending the native capabilities of the network server software by:

providing a new code module to be used to process resources of a particular type when requested by a remote host;

modifying the data structure stored in the configuration file to identify the new code module as a code module to be used to process resources of the particular type, thereby producing a modified data structure; and

compiling the modified data structure and the new code module as part of the network server software.

5. A computer-implemented method performed using network server software running on a single physical machine, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a remote host a connection request requesting that a specified resource be served to the remote host from a specified one of a plurality of virtual local hosts;

processing the connection request to identify the specified virtual local host; and

consulting a data structure stored in a configuration file to identify, for the specified virtual local host, a code module to be used to process resources of the type of the specified resource, the data structure identifying for each of the plurality of virtual local hosts and for each of a plurality of types of resources a code module, if any, to be used by that virtual local host to process resources of that type.

6. The method of

claim 5

, wherein a null entry in the data structure indicates that resources of a corresponding type are not allowed to be processed by a corresponding virtual local host.

7. A computer-implemented method performed using network server software, comprising the steps of:

starting a daemon process that monitors connection requests from remote hosts and directs how such requests are to be handled;

receiving from a remote host a connection request requesting that a specified resource be served to the remote host from a specified local host;

monitoring one of a machine load and a number of connection requests currently being handled to determine whether a limit threshold has been reached;

if the limit threshold has not been reached, forking the daemon process to produce a child process to handle the connection request; and

if the limit threshold has been reached, denying the connection request.

8. A computer-implemented method performed using network server software, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a remote host a connection request requesting that a specified resource be served to the remote host from a specified local host;

processing the connection request to identify the specified local host; and

consulting a data structure stored in a configuration file as part of said network server software to identify, for the specified local host, acceptable connections.

9. The method of

claim 8

, comprising the further steps of, if the connection requested in the connection request is acceptable, allowing the connection request, otherwise denying the connection request.

10. A computer-implemented method performed using network server software, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a remote host a connection request requesting that an animation be served to the remote host; and

calling an animation player to process the connection request;

wherein the animation player runs natively as part of the network server.

11. The method of

claim 10

, wherein said animation player performs the steps of:

reading a command from an animation file specifying that a graphic image be sent to the remote host at a specified time; and

sending the graphic image to the remote host only if the specified time has not already passed.

12. A computer-implemented method performed using network server software, comprising the steps of:

at a network server, receiving from a remote host a connection request requesting that a specified resource be served to the remote host, the remote host having been referred to the network server by following a link in previously-visited resource referring to the specified resource;

processing the connection request; and

logging the connection by recording in a log file particulars of the connection including the identify of the previously-visted resource.

13. A method of configuring a Web server from a remote licensing database, comprising the steps of:

forming and transmitting a validation request message over a public network to a licensing management system;

receiving a return message from the licensing management system which return message contains a validation response;

interpreting the validation response; and

enabling or disabling features of the Web server in response to the validation response.

14. The method of

claim 13

, wherein the Web server is a multi-homing Web server, and the step of enabling or disabling comprises enabling or disabling features of the Web server for each of a plurality of virtual hosts.