Shared memory implementations for session data within a multi-tiered enterprise network

• US 20060248200A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Stanev, Georgi
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A system and method are described in which session objects are organized and managed within a structured hierarchy of session object storage units, referred to herein as “session domains.” The session domains store session objects sharing one or more related characteristics. In one embodiment, a separate hierarchy of session domains is implemented within each layer of an enterprise application server. For example, in a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (“J2EE”) environment, a separate set of hierarchically-arranged session domains are generated for the EJB container, the Web container and the portal container. In one embodiment, a representation of the hierarchy of session domains and data associated with the session objects is generated and managed within a shared memory. The session data is accessible from the shared memory by a plurality of different worker notes within an application server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a plurality of session objects in response to client requests, the session objects storing session data defining a state of interaction with each of a respective plurality of clients

defining a hierarchy of session object storage units, the session object storage units configured to store session objects having one or more related characteristics;

grouping the session objects within the session object storage units based on the one or more related characteristics of each of the session objects;

generating a representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units and data associated with the session objects within a shared memory, the representation of the session object storage units accessible by a plurality of different worker notes within an application server.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein defining further comprises:

generating a separate hierarchy of session object storage units for each of a plurality of layers within an enterprise application server.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the layers include an enterprise java bean (“

EJB”

) container.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein defining further comprises:

generating a separate session object storage unit for each session bean within the EJB container.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein defining further comprises:

generating a separate set of hierarchies of session object storage units for each of a plurality of applications executed by an application server.

6. The method as in claim 5 wherein generating the separate set of hierarchies of session object storage units further comprises:

generating a separate hierarchical tree of session object storage units for each of a plurality of layers within an enterprise application server.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein the session object storage units comprise session domains.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

defining a configuration policy for each of the session object storage units, the configuration policy including parameters for managing session objects within each session object storage unit.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the configuration policy includes an indication as to how long each of the session objects will remain in an active state following a client interaction.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units comprises a system table for each session object storage unit, the system table to store system data related to each session object.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising:

copying the system table to a local memory of a worker node in response to detecting that the worker node needs access to session data, the worker node modifying the session data within the table and storing the system table back in shared memory.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein modifying the session data comprises removing data related to the session object from the table.

13. The method as in claim 10 wherein the system table is arranged with each row representing a different session object within each session object storage unit.

14. The method as in claim 10 further comprising:

separating user data within the representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units from the system data and logically separating the user data into a plurality of delta attributes, each of the delta attributes being independently accessible by each of the worker nodes.

17. The system as in claim 10 wherein the system table is copied to a local memory of a worker node in response to detecting that the worker node needs access to session data, the worker node modifying the session data within the table and storing the system table back in shared memory.

18. The system as in claim 10 wherein the system table is arranged with each row representing a different session object within each session object storage unit.

15. A system comprising:

a plurality of worker nodes communicatively coupled on a network to serve applications over the network to a plurality of clients, the worker nodes generating a plurality of session objects in response to client requests, the session objects storing session data defining a state of interaction with each of a respective plurality of clients;

a session manager to generate a hierarchy of session object storage units, the session object storage units configured to store session objects having one or more related characteristics, the session manager to group the session objects within the session object storage units based on the one or more related characteristics of each of the session objects; and

a shared memory manager generating a representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units and data associated with the session objects within a shared memory, the representation of the session object storage units accessible by each of the plurality of different worker nodes.

16. The system as in claim 15 wherein the representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units further comprises a system table for each session object storage unit, the system table to store system data related to each session object.

19. A system comprising:

worker node means communicatively coupled on a network to serve applications over the network to a plurality of clients, the worker node means generating a plurality of session objects in response to client requests, the session objects storing session data defining a state of interaction with each of a respective plurality of clients;

session manager means to generate a hierarchy of session object storage units, the session object storage units configured to store session objects having one or more related characteristics, the session manager means to group the session objects within the session object storage units based on the one or more related characteristics of each of the session objects; and

shared memory management means generating a representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units and data associated with the session objects within a shared memory, the representation of the session object storage units accessible by each of the plurality of different worker node means.

20. The system as in claim 19 wherein the representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units further comprises system table means for each session object storage unit, the system table means to store system data related to each session object.