Sharing sessions between web-based applications

• US 20070088831A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Mehra, Vinod, Pallamreddy, Prasanth
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/327 in the session layer [OSI layer 5]

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for sharing sessions between web-based applications. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide sharing sessions between web-based applications. A method embodiment includes receiving a request to access a second web application from a user currently accessing a first web application. Session information from a first session between the user and the first web application is provided to a second session established between the user and the second web application. Access to the second web application is provided responsive to the user'"'"'s request, using session information from the first session.

Claims

1. A method for sharing sessions between web-based applications, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application;

providing session information from a first session between the user and the first web application to a second session established between the user and the second web application; and

providing, responsive to the user'"'"'s request, access to the second web application using session information from the first session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application comprises:

receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application, the first web application and the second web application associated with a common container.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application comprises:

determining, based upon the identity of the request that the user already has established a first session with the first web application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing session information from a first session between the user and the first web application to a second session established between the user and the second web application, wherein the session information is provided as a non-persistent data object comprises:

creating a sharable session object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein creating a sharable session object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application comprises:

creating a data object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating a data object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application comprises:

creating a wrapper object for a session object associated with the first web application for use by the second web application.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

delegating, by the wrapper object, invocations to methods to the session object associated with the first web application.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

returning, by the wrapper object, context information associated with the second session for the second web application responsive to invocations to a getServletContext( ) method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, responsive to the user'"'"'s request, access to the second web application using session information from the first session comprises:

establishing, from the viewpoint of the user, a second session with the second web application, the second session having context data from the first session with the first web application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, responsive to the user'"'"'s request, access to the second web application using session information from the first session comprises:

establishing inheritance by the second session of context data from the first session.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first web application and second web application are disparate and unassociated web applications and wherein the first session is currently active.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first web application and second web application are disparate web applications and wherein the first session is currently active.

11. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for sharing sessions between web-based applications, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application;

providing session information from a first session between the user and the first web application to a second session established between the user and the second web application; and

providing, responsive to the user'"'"'s request, access to the second web application using session information from the first session.

12. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application include instructions for carrying out the step of:

receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application, the first web application and the second web application associated with a common container.

13. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application include instructions for carrying out the step of:

determining, based upon the identity of the request that the user already has established a first session with the first web application.

14. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of providing session information from a first session between the user and the first web application to a second session established between the user and the second web application, wherein the session information is provided as a non-persistent data object include instructions for carrying out the step of:

creating a sharable session object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application.

15. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of creating a sharable session object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application include instructions for carrying out the step of:

creating a data object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application.

16. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of creating a data object storing session context from the first web application for use by the second web application include instructions for carrying out the step of:

creating a wrapper object for a session object associated with the first web application for use by the second web application.

17. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 16, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

delegating, by the wrapper object, invocations to methods to the session object associated with the first web application.

18. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 17, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

returning, by the wrapper object, context information associated with the second session for the second web application responsive to invocations to a getServletContext( ) method.

19. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of providing, responsive to the user'"'"'s request, access to the second web application using session information from the first session include instructions for carrying out the step of:

establishing, from the viewpoint of the user, a second session with the second web application, the second session having context data from the first session with the first web application.

20. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of providing, responsive to the user'"'"'s request, access to the second web application using session information from the first session include instructions for carrying out the step of:

establishing inheritance by the second session of context data from the first session.

21. An apparatus for sharing sessions between web-based applications, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving, from a user currently accessing a first web application, a request to access a second web application;

providing session information from a first session between the user and the first web application to a second session established between the user and the second web application; and

providing, responsive to the user'"'"'s request, access to the second web application using session information from the first session.