Prioritization of third party access to an online commerce site

• US 20040133478A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Cohen, Alon, Leahy, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Providing prioritization of user online access to an online commerce site. Third party applications using API function calls to access an online commerce site are restricted to specific services by an access rule. An access rule defines which API server on the online commerce site a specific third party application may access when using a specific API function call. In this way, the operator of the online commerce site may prioritize server access per service level agreements based on a specific third party application and API function call.

Claims

1. A method to provide access to services of an online commerce site that includes a plurality of servers, the method including:

responsive to a request received from a user, determining an identity of the user;

identifying a first server of the plurality of server to which to direct the user for service by the online commerce site; and

transmitting an identifier for the first server to the user so as to enable the user to direct a request for service to the first server of the plurality of servers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first server of the plurality of servers identified based on the identity of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of servers include a second server that provides a service level different from that of the first server, and wherein the first server of the plurality of servers is satiated with the user based on a service level agreement between the user and the online commerce site.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of servers include API servers for servicing API function calls received from the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the identifying the first server of the plurality of servers to which to direct the user for service further includes identifying the first server of the plurality of servers to which to direct based on the API function call.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the online commerce site is a network-based auction site.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier for the first server to the user so as to enable the user to direct a request for service is an access rule.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying further includes searching a database table for a record containing the identifier to reply to the client.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier for the first server to the user so as to enable the user to direct a request for service is a URL.

10. A method to facilitate access to an online commerce site, the method including:

receiving a request from a client at the online commerce site for an access rule; and

replying to the request with the access rule, the access rule being to direct the client to an API server upon performing an API function call.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the API function call is to perform a function to facilitate the online commerce.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the API function call is to retrieve information regarding items that are available for transaction via the online commerce site.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the access rule includes a URL that addresses the API server.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the access rule includes a CallName that describes the API function call associated with the access rule being returned.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the request includes an application ID to identify the access rule being returned.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the request includes a developer ID to identify the access rule being returned.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the request includes a session certificate in order to validate the client making the request.

18. The method of claim 10 further including:

responsive to receiving the request from the client, searching a database table for a record containing the access rule to reply to the client.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the searching of the database table is to locate an access rule based on an identity of the client.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the online commerce site includes a plurality of API servers, and the access rule is to direct the client to the API server in order to provide the client with a predetermined level of service associated with the API server.

21. A method to facilitate access to an online commerce site, the method including:

receiving a request to access a service on a server, the request including an identifier of a client; and

validating the request based on an access rule stored on the server associated with the identifier.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the validating includes validating the request based on whether a URL in the access rule is associated with the server.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the identifier is an application identifier.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the identifier is a developer identifier.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the identifier is a session certificate.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the identifier is a CallName.

27. The method of claim 21 further including providing the access to the service.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the server is an online auction server.

29. A method to facilitate access to an online commerce site, the method including:

requesting an access rule from a server;

receiving the access rule, the access rule includes a URL of an API server; and

performing an API function call to the URL of the API server.

30. The method of claim 29 further includes storing the access rule in a data store.

31. The method of claim 30 further including obtaining the URL associated to the API function from the access rule stored in the data store.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the requesting being periodically scheduled to be performed.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the server is an online commerce auction server.

34. A method to facilitate access to an online commerce site, the method including:

searching for an access rule in a data store, the access rule includes a URL of an API server; and

performing an API function call to the URL of the API server.

35. A method to facilitate access to an online commerce site, the method including:

receiving a request from a client to perform a transaction on a server;

determining the client has not exceeded a maximum rate usage level; and

performing the requested transaction.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of transactions.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of calls per day.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of calls per hour.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of simultaneous calls.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein the maximum rate usage level the time of day.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein the request is from an API function call.

42. The method of claim 35 wherein the server is an online auction server.

43. The method of claim 35 wherein the performing includes increasing the rate usage counter and returning a number of transaction results up to the number the maximum rate usage.

44. A system, including:

a network;

an application server capable of making a API function call; and

an API server to transmit an access rule to the application server via the network upon receiving a request for the access rule from the application server, the access rule includes a URL.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the API server validates the API function call based on whether an identifier stored in the request is associated with an identifier stored in the access rule.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the API server validates the API function call based on whether the URL in the access rule is associated with the API server.

47. The system of claim 44 wherein the API function call is via a URL request string.

48. The system of claim 44 wherein the application server stores the retrieved access rule in a data store.

49. The system of claim 44 wherein the application server obtains the URL from the retrieved access rule to determine an API server to make a transaction request within an API function call.

50. The system of claim 44 wherein the API server receives the transaction request and performs the transaction request upon determining whether the maximum usage rate limit is not exceeded.

51. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method including:

receiving a request from a client at an online commerce site for an access rule; and

replying to the request with the access rule, the access rule being to direct the client to an API server upon performing an API function call.

52. The machine-readable medium of claim 51 wherein the API function call is to perform a function to facilitate the online commerce.

53. The machine-readable medium of claim 51 wherein the API function call is to retrieve information regarding items that are available for transaction via the online commerce site.

54. The machine-readable medium of claim 51 wherein the access rule includes a URL that addresses the API server.

55. The machine-readable medium of claim 51 wherein the access rule includes a Call Name.

56. The machine-readable medium of claim 51 wherein the request includes an application ID to identify the client.

57. The machine-readable medium of claim 51 wherein the request includes a developer ID to identify the client.

58. The machine-readable medium of claim 51 wherein the request includes a session certificate to identify the client.

59. The machine readable medium of claim 51 further including:

responsive to receiving the request from the client, searching a database table for a record containing the access rule to reply to the client.

60. The machine readable medium of claim 51 wherein the searching of the database table is to locate an access rule based on an identity of the client.

61. The machine readable medium of claim 51 wherein the online commerce site includes a plurality of API servers, and the access rule is to direct the client to the API server in order to provide the client with a predetermined level of service associated with the API server.

62. A machine readable medium having executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method including:

receiving a request to access a service on a server, the request including an identifier of a client; and

validating the request based on an access rule stored on the server associated with the identifier.

63. The machine-readable medium of claim 62 wherein the validating includes validating the request based on whether a URL in the access rule is associated with the server.

64. The machine-readable medium of claim 62 wherein the identifier is an application identifier.

65. The machine-readable medium of claim 62 wherein the identifier is a developer identifier.

66. The machine-readable medium of claim 62 wherein the identifier is a session certificate.

67. The machine-readable medium of claim 62 wherein the identifier is a CallName.

68. The machine-readable medium of claim 62 further including providing the access to the service.

69. The machine-readable medium of claim 62 wherein the server is an online auction server.

70. A machine readable medium having executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method including:

requesting an access rule from a server;

receiving the access rule, the access rule includes a URL of an API server; and

performing an API function call to the URL of the API server.

71. The machine-readable medium of claim 70 further includes storing the access rule in a data store.

72. The machine readable medium of claim 71 further including obtaining the URL associated to the API function from the access rule stored in the data store.

73. The machine-readable medium of claim 70 wherein the requesting periodically scheduled to be performed.

74. The machine-readable medium of claim 70 wherein the server is an online commerce auction server.

75. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method including:

searching for an access rule in a data store, the access rule includes a URL of an API server; and

performing an API function call to the URL of the API server.

76. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method including:

receiving a request from a client to perform a transaction on a server;

determining the client has not exceeded a maximum rate usage level; and

performing the requested transaction.

77. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of transactions.

78. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of calls per day.

79. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of calls per hour.

80. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the maximum rate usage level is a maximum number of simultaneous calls.

81. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the maximum rate usage level the time of day.

82. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the request is from an API function call.

83. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the server is an online auction server.

84. The machine-readable medium of claim 76 wherein the performing includes increasing the rate usage counter and returning a number of transaction results up to the number the maximum rate usage.