Method for preserving referential integrity within web sites
First Claim
1. A method for maintaining the integrity of a hyperlink included within a document stored on a local server, said local server having an address, the hyperlink providing an original uniform resource locator (URL) reference that is mapped to an original location of a linked resource stored on a remote server, the linked resource having been moved from the original location on the remote server to a new location so as to break the hyperlink, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) compiling link redirection data for storage on the remote server, the link redirection data tracking movement of the linked resource on the remote server and including the original location and the new location;
(b) informing the remote server that the local server has a document that contains a hyperlink to the linked resource stored on the remote server;
(c) forwarding the link redirection data from the remote server to the local server; and
(d) updating the hyperlink by changing the original URL reference to an updated URL reference, the updated URL reference being based on the redirection data and referring to the new location of the linked resource.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The integrity of uniform resource locator (URL) references within web sites are maintained when changes occur in the locations where resources referenced by URLs are stored. A Referential Preservation Engine (RPE) maintains a database in which the location of web site documents and reference information are stored and updates various URL hyperlink references contained in the web pages on the site so that users can locate documents that have been moved to new storage locations. The RPE can also update links to external web sites by communicating with an RPE running on each external site. The RPE on the external site keeps track of the movement of linked documents on the sites and passes information pertaining to the new location of the linked documents to the local site, whereupon the links on the local web site pages are updated to reflect the new storage locations. The RPE also can track usage of a user'"'"'s favorite sites and/or documents that are stored in an Internet browser and update the URL references for these favorites when the resources they are mapped to are moved (or renamed).
110 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for maintaining the integrity of a hyperlink included within a document stored on a local server, said local server having an address, the hyperlink providing an original uniform resource locator (URL) reference that is mapped to an original location of a linked resource stored on a remote server, the linked resource having been moved from the original location on the remote server to a new location so as to break the hyperlink, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) compiling link redirection data for storage on the remote server, the link redirection data tracking movement of the linked resource on the remote server and including the original location and the new location;
(b) informing the remote server that the local server has a document that contains a hyperlink to the linked resource stored on the remote server;
(c) forwarding the link redirection data from the remote server to the local server; and
(d) updating the hyperlink by changing the original URL reference to an updated URL reference, the updated URL reference being based on the redirection data and referring to the new location of the linked resource. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for updating a uniform resource locator (URL) reference stored in a client computer browser, the URL reference mapping to an original location of a linked resource on a server, the linked resource having been moved from the original location to a new location, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing redirection data on the server comprising the original location and the new location;
(b) informing the server that the browser has a URL reference stored in it that is mapped to the linked resource;
(c) sending a message containing the redirection data from the server to the client computer; and
(d) updating the URL reference to map to the new location, based on the redirection data. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for maintaining hyperlink integrity on a web site, the web site comprising a plurality of web page documents stored on a server, each document having a content and an original uniform resource locator (URL) reference mapping to an original location on the server where the document is stored, the method enabling a client to retrieve a document after the document is moved from its original location to a new location, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining if the document that was moved meets predefined criteria so as to justify maintaining a redirection page for said document;
(b) creating the redirection page if the document that was moved meets the predefined criteria, the redirection page being mapped to the original URL reference and containing directions to redirect the client to the new location of the document that was moved; and
(c) updating internal hyperlinks within web page documents on the server that contain the original URL for the document, which was moved, the updated hyperlinks comprising an updated URL that maps to the new location of said document. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification