Persistent process software architecture

• US 20030120722A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• 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:
  US10/029,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120722A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An application runs on a server. The application includes a persistent process and a plurality of transient processes. The persistent process generates dynamic and interactive content for the application. Each transient process from the plurality of transient processes is launched to handle a client request from a client. The transient process parses the client request, forwards the client request to the persistent process, captures a result from the persistent process and forwards the result to the client.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

an application, the application comprising;

a persistent process that generates dynamic and interactive content for the application; and

,

a plurality of transient processes, wherein each transient process is launched to handle a client request from a client by parsing the client request, forwarding the client request to the persistent process, capturing a result from the persistent process and forwarding the result to the client.

2. A server as in claim 1 wherein the persistent process utilizes a support process outside the server.

3. A server as in claim 1 wherein the transient processes implement a Common Gateway Interface (CGI).

4. A server as in claim 1 wherein the persistent process includes a request queue.

5. A server as in claim 1 wherein the persistent process performs background processing when there are no pending client requests.

6. A server as in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of transient processes terminates after forwarding the result to the client.

7. A server as in claim 1 wherein when a first client sends a file request for a file, a first transient process obtains and forwards the file to the first client.

8. A server as in claim 1 wherein when a first client sends a file request for a file, a first transient process, after verifying access to the file, obtains and forwards the file to the first client.

9. A server as in claim 1 wherein when the plurality of transient processes communicate with the persistent process via Interprocess Communication (IPC).

10. A server as in claim 1 wherein the persistent process performs background processing when there are no pending client requests, the background processing including look-ahead caching.

11. A server as in claim 1 wherein the persistent process uses a queue to process client requests forwarded by the plurality of transient processes to the persistent process.

12. A method performed within a server, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) running a persistent process that generates dynamic and interactive content for an application; and

,

(b) for each of a plurality of client requests, performing the following substeps;

(b.1) launching a transient process to handle each client request,

(b.2) parsing each client request by the transient process,

(b.3) forwarding the client request to the persistent process,

(b.4) capturing a result from the persistent process, and

(b.5) forwarding the result to a client.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein step (a) includes the following substep:

(a.1) utilizing, by the persistent process, a support process outside the server.

14. A method as in claim 12 wherein the transient processes implement a Common Gateway Interface (CGI).

15. A method as in claim 12 wherein step (a) includes the following substep:

(a.1) performing, by the persistent process, background processing when there are no pending client requests.

16. A method as in claim 12 wherein step (b) additionally includes the following substep:

(b.6) terminating the transient process after forwarding the result to the client.

17. A method as in claim 12 additionally comprising the following step:

(c) when a first client sends a file request for a file, performing the following substeps;

(c.1) obtaining, by a first transient process, the file, and

(c.2) forwarding, by the first transient process, the file to the first client.

18. A method as in claim 12 additionally comprising the following step:

(c) when a first client sends a file request for a file, performing the following substeps;

(c.1) verifying a right of the first client to access the file,

(c.2) obtaining, by a first transient process, the file, and

(c.3) forwarding, by the first transient process, the file to the first client.

19. A method as in claim 12 wherein step (a) includes the following substep:

(a.1) performing, by the persistent process, background processing when there are no pending client requests, the background processing including look-ahead caching.

20. A method as in claim 12 wherein step (a) includes the following substep:

(a.1) using a queue to process client requests forwarded by the plurality of transient processes to the persistent process.

21. Storage media for storing an application, the application comprising:

a persistent process that generates dynamic and interactive content for the application; and

,

a plurality of transient processes, wherein each transient process is launched to handle a client request from a client by parsing the client request, forwarding the client request to the persistent process, capturing a result from the persistent process and forwarding the result to the client.

22. Storage media as in claim 21 wherein the persistent process performs background processing when there are no pending client requests.

23. Storage media as in claim 21 wherein each of the plurality of transient processes terminates after forwarding the result to the client.

24. Storage media as in claim 21 wherein when a first client sends a file request for a file, a first transient process obtains and forwards the file to the first client.

25. Storage media as in claim 21 wherein the persistent process performs background processing when there are no pending client requests, the background processing including look-ahead caching.

26. Storage media as in claim 21 wherein the persistent process uses a queue to process client requests forwarded by the plurality of transient processes to the persistent process.