Resource sharing on the internet via the HTTP

• US 20010032320A1
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Abhay, Callaghan, Brent, Abdelnur, Alejandro
• Granted Patent: US 6,789,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sharing resources in a network environment. Typically, a computer linked to the Internet may have resources or may provide services, that are usable by other computers. A user, using one or more embodiments of the invention, can access those resources or services as if they were locally situated. An application running on a client can access a resource on a remote computer by submitting a request via an Internet browser. The request is analyzed, converted to proper format and is transferred over the network lines to a server that can satisfy the request. For security reasons, an application may not be authorized to submit a request directly to a server on the Internet. For example, limitations have been implemented that prohibit a requesting application from obtaining access to resources of a server computer unless that application is a trusted application. If a requesting application has a trusted status, then its request for connecting to the server is granted. If a request submitted by an application to a server is denied, then a server that entrusts the application is identified, and the request is submitted to that server. A program code called a “servlet” is implemented on that server to accept the requests submitted by a trusted application. The submitted requests are analyzed by the servlet and are forwarded to a resource server that can satisfy the requests. A response from the resource server is routed through the servlet back to the requesting application.

Claims

1. A method for accessing one or more resources on a first server in a network environment comprising:

an application requesting access to one or more resources on a first sever;

submitting the request to a second server;

the second server submitting the request to the first server.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein the request is submitted to the second server, if the application cannot successfully authenticate against the first server.

3. The method of

claim 1

wherein the second server comprises a servlet that can access the first server'"'"'s resources.

4. The method of

claim 3

, wherein the servlet receives a request from the application.

5. The method of

claim 4

, wherein the servlet submits the request to the first server.

6. The method of

claim 5

, further comprising the servlet receiving a response from the first server.

7. The method of

claim 6

, further comprising the servlet sending the response to the application.

8. The method of

claim 7

, wherein the request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

9. The method of

claim 7

, wherein the request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

10. The method of

claim 7

further comprising, the servlet modifying the application'"'"'s scope of access to resources on the first server.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to access one or more resources on a first server in a network environment;

the computer program product comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause an application running on a computer to request access to one or more resources on a first server;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to submit the request to a second server;

computer readable code configured to cause the second server to submit the request to the first server.

12. The computer program product of

claim 11

, wherein the request is submitted to the second server, if the application cannot successfully authenticate against the first server.

13. The computer program product of

claim 11

further comprising computer readable code configured to cause a computer to find a servlet on the second server that can access the first server'"'"'s resources.

14. The computer program product of

claim 13

, wherein the servlet receives a request from the application.

15. The computer program product of

claim 14

, wherein the servlet submits the request to the first server.

16. The computer program product of

claim 15

further comprising computer readable code configured to cause the servlet to receive a response from the first server.

17. The computer program product of

claim 16

further comprising computer readable code configured to cause the servlet to send the response to the application.

18. The computer program product of

claim 17

, wherein the request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

19. The computer program product of

claim 17

, wherein the request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

20. The computer program product of

claim 17

further comprising computer readable code configured to cause the servlet to modify the application'"'"'s scope of access to resources on the first server.

21. A system configured to share computer resources in a network environment comprising:

a first server having one or more resources;

an application configured to access the one or more resources through a second server;

the second server having a servlet configured to receive a request from the application and submit the request to the first server.

22. The system of

claim 21

, wherein the servlet is configured to receive a response from the first server and submit the response to the application.

23. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the application is configured to directly submit a request to the first server.

24. The system of

claim 23

, wherein the application is configured to submit the request to the servlet, if it fails to authenticate with the first server.

25. The system of

claim 24

, wherein the request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

26. The system of

claim 25

, wherein the request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

27. The system of

claim 26

, wherein the servlet modifies the application'"'"'s scope of access to resources on the first server.

28. A method of sharing computer resources in a network environment comprising:

a second server responding to a request submitted by an application to access one or more resources on a first server; and

the second server routing the request submitted by the application to the first server.

29. The method of

claim 28

, further comprising the second server routing a response generated by the server to the application.

30. The method of

claim 28

, wherein the second server routs the request submitted by the application to the first server, if the application cannot successfully authenticate against the first server.