Persistent storage implementations for session data within a multi-tiered enterprise network

• US 20060248350A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Stanev, Georgi
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A system is described in which similar session objects are managed within session domains. In addition, in one embodiment, a persistence storage interface is employed which maps each session domain to a table within a relational database or other persistent storage implementation. For example, one embodiment of the invention is a system comprising: an object-oriented application server 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 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 persistence management layer to provide a persistent representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units, the persistent representation of the session object storage units mapping each session storage object unit and each individual session object within each session object storage unit to different persistent data structures within a persistent storage device.

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 persistent representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units, the persistent representation of the session object storage units mapping each session storage object unit and each individual session object within each session object storage unit to different persistent data structures within a persistent storage device.

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; and

generating a persistent storage representation for each session object storage unit within each separate hierarchy.

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

EJB”

) container.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the persistent storage device comprises a database and wherein mapping further comprises:

mapping each session object storage unit to a table within the database; and

mapping each session object stored within the session object storage units to a row within the table within the database.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the persistent storage device comprises a file system and wherein mapping further comprises:

mapping each session object storage unit to a first hierarchical level within the file system; and

mapping each session object stored within the session object storage units to a second hierarchical level within the file system, the second hierarchical level positioned under the first hierarchical level.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the persistent representation comprises a persistent storage interface to map each session object storage unit to a first persistent data structure within the persistent storage device, and a plurality of persistent model interfaces which map a corresponding plurality of session objects within the session object storage units to a second persistent data structure within the persistent storage device.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein the persistent storage device is a database and wherein the persistent storage interface maps each session object storage unit to a table within the database, and the plurality of persistent model interfaces map each session object stored within the session object storage units to a table within the database.

11. The system as in claim 1 wherein the persistent storage device comprises a database and wherein the persistent representation comprises a mapping of each session object storage unit to a table within the database;

and a mapping of each session object stored within the session object storage units to a row within the table within the database.

8. A system comprising:

an object-oriented application server 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 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 persistence management layer to provide a persistent representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units, the persistent representation of the session object storage units mapping each session storage object unit and each individual session object within each session object storage unit to different persistent data structures within a persistent storage device.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein the hierarchy of session object storage units comprises:

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

wherein the persistent storage interface generates a persistent storage representation for each session object storage unit within each separate hierarchy.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein the layers include an enterprise java bean (“

EJB”

) container.

12. The system as in claim 8 wherein the persistent storage device comprises a file system and wherein the persistent representation comprises a mapping of each session object storage unit to a first hierarchical level within the file system;

and a mapping of each session object stored within the session object storage units to a second hierarchical level within the file system, the second hierarchical level positioned under the first hierarchical level.

13. The system as in claim 8 wherein the persistent representation comprises a persistent storage interface to map each session object storage unit to a first persistent data structure within the persistent storage device, and a plurality of persistent model interfaces which map a corresponding plurality of session objects within the session object storage units to a second persistent data structure within the persistent storage device.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein the persistent storage device is a database and wherein the persistent storage interface maps each session object storage unit to a table within the database, and the plurality of persistent model interfaces map each session object stored within the session object storage units to a table within the database.

15. A machine-readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform the operations of:

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 persistent representation of the hierarchy of session object storage units, the persistent representation of the session object storage units mapping each session storage object unit and each individual session object within each session object storage unit to different persistent data structures within a persistent storage device.

16. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 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; and

generating a persistent storage representation for each session object storage unit within each separate hierarchy.

17. The machine-readable medium as in claim 16 wherein the layers include an enterprise java bean (“

EJB”

) container.

18. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein the persistent storage device comprises a database and wherein mapping further comprises:

mapping each session object storage unit to a table within the database; and

mapping each session object stored within the session object storage units to a row within the table within the database.

19. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein the persistent storage device comprises a file system and wherein mapping further comprises:

mapping each session object storage unit to a first hierarchical level within the file system; and

mapping each session object stored within the session object storage units to a second hierarchical level within the file system, the second hierarchical level positioned under the first hierarchical level.

20. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein the persistent representation comprises a persistent storage interface to map each session object storage unit to a first persistent data structure within the persistent storage device, and a plurality of persistent model interfaces which map a corresponding plurality of session objects within the session object storage units to a second persistent data structure within the persistent storage device.

21. The machine-readable medium as in claim 20 wherein the persistent storage device is a database and wherein the persistent storage interface maps each session object storage unit to a table within the database, and the plurality of persistent model interfaces map each session object stored within the session object storage units to a table within the database.