Web server utilizing a state machine and user token

• US 20030079039A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Munsey, Jeffrey M., Forkner, Damien R.
• Application Number:
  US09/978,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079039A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Dialog state between a client and a server is tracked. When sending a communication from the server to the client, dialog state for a dialog between the client and the server is stored in storage within the server. A key is included in the communication from the server to the client. The key references a storage location within the server in which the dialog state is stored.

Claims

1. A method for tracking dialog state between a client and a server comprising the following step:

(a) when sending a communication from the server to the client, performing the following substeps;

(a.1) storing dialog state for a dialog between the client and the server, the dialog state being stored in storage within the server, and

(a.2) sending a key from the server to the client, the key referencing a storage location within the server in which the dialog state is stored.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein in step (a.2) the key is embedded within a page sent from the server to the client.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the client is a web browser client and the server is a web server.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein in substep (a.1) the storage within the server is a server state cache.

5. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step:

(b) when a message is received by the server from the client, performing the following substeps by the server;

(b.1) checking to determine whether the key is included in the message, and

(b.2) when the key is included in the message, using the key to access the storage location to obtain the dialog state.

6. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step:

(b) when a message is received by the server from the client, performing the following substeps by the server;

(b.1) checking to determine whether the key is included in the message,

(b.2) when the key is included in the message, using the key to access the storage location to obtain the dialog state,

(b.3) checking the dialog state to determine whether the message is in correct sequence, and

(b.4) when the message is not in correct sequence, taking corrective action.

7. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step:

(b) when a message is received by the server from the client, performing the following substeps by the server;

(b.1) checking to determine whether the key is included in the message,

(b.2) when the key is included in the message, using the key to access the storage location to obtain the dialog state,

(b.3) checking the dialog state to determine whether the message is in correct sequence,

(b.4) when the message is not in correct sequence, taking corrective action.

(b.5) when the message is in correct sequence, generating a response to the client, the response including a new key, and

(b.6) storing new dialog state for the dialog between the client and the server, the dialog state being stored in the storage within the server at a new storage location accessible to the server using the new key.

8. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step:

(b) when a message is received by the server from the client, performing the following substeps by the server;

(b.1) checking to determine whether the key is included in the message,

(b.2) when the key is included in the message, using the key to access the storage location to obtain the dialog state,

(b.3) generating a response to the client, the response including a new key, and,

(b.4) storing new dialog state for the dialog between the client and the server, the dialog state being stored in the storage within the server at a new storage location accessible to the server using the new key.

9. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step:

(b) when a message is received by the server from the client, performing the following substeps by the server;

(b.1) generating a response to the client, the response including a new key, and,

(b.2) storing new dialog state for the dialog between the client and the server, the dialog state being stored in the storage within the server at a new storage location accessible to the server using the new key.

17. A server as in claim 1 wherein the client is a web browser client and the server is a web server.

18. A server as in claim 1 wherein when a message is received by the server from the client, the server checks to determine whether the key is included in the message, and when the key is included in the message, the server uses the key to obtain the dialog state from server state cache.

10. A method for tracking dialog state between a client and a server comprising the following steps

(a) when a message is received by the server from the client, performing the following substeps by the server:

(a.

     1) checking to determine whether a key is included in the message, and,

(a.2) when a key is included in the message, using the key to access a dialog state from storage within the server.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein step (a) additionally comprises the following substeps:

(a.3) checking the dialog state to determine whether the message is in correct sequence, and

(a.4) when the message is not in correct sequence, taking corrective action.

12. A method as in claim 10 wherein step (a) additionally comprises the following substeps:

(a.3) checking the dialog state to determine whether the message is in correct sequence,

(a.4) when the message is not in correct sequence, taking corrective action.

(a.5) when the message is in correct sequence, generating a response to the client, the response including a new key, and

(a.6) storing new dialog state for the dialog between the client and the server, the dialog state being stored in the storage within the server at a new storage location accessible to the server using the new key.

13. A method as in claim 10 wherein step (a) additionally comprises the following substeps:

(a.3) generating a response to the client, the response including a new key, and,

(a.4) storing new dialog state for the dialog between the client and the server, the dialog state being stored in the storage within the server at a new storage location accessible to the server using the new key.

14. A method as in claim 10 wherein the client is a web browser client and the server is a web server.

15. A method as in claim 10 wherein in substep (a.2) the storage within the server is a server state cache.

16. A server that tracks dialog state for communication between a client and the server, the server comprising:

a server state cache, the server state cache being used by the server to store dialog state for a dialog between the client and the server, so that when the server sends a communication to the client, the server sends with the communication a key, the key referencing a storage location within the server state cache in which the dialog state is stored.

19. A server that tracks dialog state for communication between a client and the server, the server comprising:

a server state cache, the server state cache being used by the server to store dialog state for a dialog between the client and the server, so that when a message is received by the server from the client, the server checks to determine whether a key is included in the message, and when the key is included in the message, the server uses the key to obtain the dialog state from server state cache.

20. A server as in claim 19 wherein the client is a web browser client and the server is a web server.