System for integrating java servlets with asynchronous message

• US 20060168139A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Messinger, Adam, Pullara, Sam, Brown, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a traditional application server that uses servlets, when a request is dispatched to a thread the service method of the appropriate servlet is called. When the service method returns the response is sent. This is sub-optimal in the case that an asynchronous event must occur before the response can be sent, because the thread running the servlet must block until the event occurs. The invention provides for asynchronous processing of such requests. In one embodiment, the invention provides an extension to the Servlet API which allows the service method to return (and thus the thread to be freed) before the response is ready to be sent. Then when the asynchronous event later occurs the response may be completed and sent.

Claims

1. A system for asynchronous messaging between Java servlets and an HTTP client, comprising:

a server that includes a servlet container, a servlet, and a servlet response handler;

an HTTP interface at the servlet container that receives requests from an HTTP client, wherein a request from the HTTP client is transmitted by the servlet container to the servlet; and

wherein the servlet upon receiving the request from the servlet container immediately sets a response code to be used with a subsequent response, releases the response handler to interleave the processing of subsequent requests from the HTTP client or from other HTTP clients, and then processes the original request by locating the required information, resetting the response code, and sending the information to the HTTP client via the servlet response handler.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the subsequent response is triggered by a response command from the HTTP client to send additional response data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes an extension to the HTTP interface that allows a service method to return, and the thread handling that service method to be released before the response is ready to be sent.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a Java Messaging Service (JMS), wherein the servlet builds a portion of a response, queues a JMS message requesting the data, and creates a response object as the response code, which is later retrieved when another JMS message containing the requested data arrives.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system sets a period of time for which to send the subsequent response, after which period of time the servlet sends a send signal to the response handler, which then signals the servlet container to send the subsequent response to the client.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is used to provide information within a search function to a user of a web page, and wherein the system provides partial items of information to the user'"'"'s screen, while other items of information are returned as subsequent responses to the user'"'"'s screen as the servlet finds the appropriate data.

7. A method for asynchronous messaging between Java servlets and an HTTP client, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from an HTTP client to access a servlet within a servlet container; and

immediately setting a response code to be used with a subsequent response,

releasing the servlet response handler to interleave the processing of subsequent requests from the HTTP client or from other HTTP clients,

processing the original request by locating the required information, and

resetting the response code, and sending the information to the HTTP client via the servlet response handler.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the subsequent response is triggered by a response command from the HTTP client to send additional response data.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the system includes an extension to the HTTP interface that allows a service method to return, and the thread handling that service method to be released before the response is ready to be sent.

10. The method of claim 7 further including a Java Messaging Service (JMS), wherein the servlet builds a portion of a response, queues a JMS message requesting the data, and creates a response object as the response code, which is later retrieved when another JMS message containing the requested data arrives.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the system sets a period of time for which to send the subsequent response, after which period of time the servlet sends a send signal to the response handler, which then signals the servlet container to send the subsequent response to the client.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the system is used to provide information within a search function to a user of a web page, and wherein the system provides partial items of information to the user'"'"'s screen, while other items of information are returned as subsequent responses to the user'"'"'s screen as the servlet finds the appropriate data.

13. A computer readable medium, including instructions stored therein which w

receiving a request from an HTTP client to access a servlet within a servlet container;

and

immediately setting a response code to be used with a subsequent response,

releasing the servlet response handler to interleave the processing of subsequent requests from the HTTP client or from other HTTP clients,

processing the original request by locating the required information, and

resetting the response code, and sending the information to the HTTP client via the servlet response handler.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the subsequent response is triggered by a response command from the HTTP client to send additional response data.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the system includes an extension to the HTTP interface that allows a service method to return, and the thread handling that service method to be released before the response is ready to be sent.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further including a Java Messaging Service (JMS), wherein the servlet builds a portion of a response, queues a JMS message requesting the data, and creates a response object as the response code, which is later retrieved when another JMS message containing the requested data arrives.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the system sets a period of time for which to send the subsequent response, after which period of time the servlet sends a send signal to the response handler, which then signals the servlet container to send the subsequent response to the client.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the system is used to provide information within a search function to a user of a web page, and wherein the system provides partial items of information to the user'"'"'s screen, while other items of information are returned as subsequent responses to the user'"'"'s screen as the servlet finds the appropriate data.