HTTP publish/subscribe communication protocol

• US 20070192325A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Swift Creek Systems LLC
• Inventors: Morris, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A communication protocol for distributing information related to a resource in substantially real-time to a subscriber includes a first HTTP request message for allowing the subscriber to request a subscription to the information related to the resource, where the first HTTP request message includes subscription data in a header and/or in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the first HTTP request message, and the subscription data identifies the first HTTP request message as a subscription request. The communication protocol also includes a second HTTP request message for allowing a publisher to update the information related to the resource, and an HTTP response message for allowing a publish/subscribe service to notify the subscriber of the updated information related to the resource each time the publish/subscribe service receives the second HTTP request message from the publisher.

Claims

1. A communication protocol for distributing information related to a resource in substantially real-time to a subscriber, the communication protocol comprising:

a first HTTP request message for allowing the subscriber to request a subscription to information related to the resource, wherein the first HTTP request message includes subscription data in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the first HTTP request message, wherein the subscription data identifies the first HTTP request message as a subscription request;

a second HTTP request message for allowing a publisher to update the information related to the resource; and

an HTTP response message for allowing a publish/subscribe service to notify the subscriber of the updated information related to the resource each time the publish/subscribe service receives the second HTTP request message from the publisher.

2. The communication protocol of claim 1 wherein the first HTTP request message includes either an HTTP GET method or an HTTP HEAD method.

3. The communication protocol of claim 2 wherein the HTTP response message is based on the subscription data associated with the HTTP GET or HEAD method, and is sent each time the information related to the resource is updated via the second HTTP request message.

4. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein the second HTTP request message includes either an HTTP PUT method or an HTTP POST method.

5. The communication protocol of claim 1, comprising a third HTTP request message for allowing the publish/subscribe service to notify the subscriber of the updated information related to the resource, wherein the third HTTP request message includes either an HTTP PUT method or an HTTP POST method.

6. The communication protocol according to claim 1 wherein the second HTTP request message further allows the publisher to request publication of the updated information to a non-subscribing recipient, and wherein the second HTTP request message includes other data that identifies the non-subscribing recipient.

7. The communication protocol according to claim 1 wherein the subscription data includes an indication of a duration of the subscription that comprises at least one of a specified time period and a specified number of HTTP response messages.

8. The communication protocol according to claim 1 wherein the subscription data includes a subscription identifier that is associated with the first HTTP request message.

9. The communication protocol according to claim 8 wherein each HTTP response message includes the subscription identifier associated with the first HTTP request message such that each HTTP response message can be correlated to the first HTTP request message.

10. The communication protocol according to claim 1 further comprising:

a third HTTP request message including either an HTTP PUT method or an HTTP POST method for managing a roster and members of the roster.

11. A communication protocol message for allowing a subscriber to request a subscription to information related to a resource, the communication protocol message comprising:

an HTTP request message including subscription data in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the request message, wherein the subscription data identifies the request message as a subscription request.

12. A communication protocol message for notifying a subscriber when information related to a resource is updated, the communication protocol message comprising:

an HTTP response message sent to the subscriber each time an HTTP request message that updates the information related to the resource is received, wherein the HTTP response message is based on subscription data associated with another HTTP request message that creates a subscription to the information related to the resource.

13. A method of subscribing to information related to a resource, the method comprising:

generating by a subscriber an HTTP request message;

including subscription data in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the HTTP request message, wherein the subscription data identifies the HTTP request message as a subscription request; and

sending the HTTP request message to a publish/subscribe service.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the subscription data includes an indication of a duration of the subscription that comprises at least one of a specified time period and a specified number of HTTP response messages.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving from the publish/subscribe service an HTTP message that notifies the subscriber of an update to the information related to the resource, wherein the HTTP message is sent each time the publish/subscribe service receives another HTTP message that updates the information related to the resource.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the subscription data includes a subscription identifier that is associated with the HTTP request message.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein each HTTP message is an HTTP response message that includes the subscription identifier associated with the HTTP request message such that each HTTP response message can be correlated to the HTTP request message.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the received HTTP message is an HTTP request message that includes either an HTTP PUT method or an HTTP POST method, the method further comprising:

providing in the subscriber an HTTP request handler component;

using the HTTP request handler component to generate an HTTP response message based on the subscription data associated with the received HTTP request message; and

passing the generated HTTP response message from the HTTP request message handler component to the subscriber.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

prior to sending the HTTP request message to the publish/subscribe service, establishing a persistent connection between the subscriber and the publish/subscribe service;

utilizing the persistent connection to send the HTTP request message to the publish/subscribe service; and

receiving from the publish/subscribe service via the persistent connection an HTTP message that notifies the subscriber of an update to the information related to the resource, wherein the HTTP message is sent each time the publish/subscribe service receives another HTTP message that updates the information related to the resource.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

providing a session layer on top of the persistent connection; and

allowing a first subscriber to create a first session and allowing a second subscriber to create a second session, wherein the first subscriber and the second subscriber share the persistent connection via the first and second sessions,

whereby either of the first or second sessions can be terminated without affecting the other session and the persistent connection.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the HTTP request message includes either an HTTP GET method or an HTTP HEAD method.

22. A method of publishing information related to a resource to at least one subscriber via a publish/subscribe service, the method comprising:

generating by a publisher an HTTP request message including information related to the resource; and

sending the HTTP request message to the publish/subscribe service, wherein data associated with the HTTP request message is updated with the information related to the resource.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the HTTP request message includes either an HTTP PUT method or an HTTP POST method.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein generating the HTTP request message further comprises:

providing other data that identifies a non-subscribing recipient in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the HTTP request message thereby allowing the publisher to distribute the updated information to the non-subscribing recipient.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

managing a roster and members of the roster via another HTTP request message.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein managing the roster and members of the roster further comprises:

utilizing an HTTP request message including an HTTP PUT method to either add, update, or delete a roster or member; and

utilizing an HTTP request message including an HTTP GET method to retrieve a roster or member.

27. A method of distributing information related to a resource between a publisher and a subscriber via a publish/subscribe service, the method comprising:

receiving from the subscriber a first HTTP request message for requesting a subscription to the information related to the resource, wherein the first HTTP request message includes subscription data in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the first HTTP request message, and identifies the first HTTP request message as a subscription request;

receiving from the publisher a second HTTP request message including updated information related to the resource; and

in response to receiving the second HTTP request message, generating and sending an HTTP message from the publish/subscribe service to the subscriber to notify the subscriber of the updated information related to the resource.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving from the publisher a plurality of HTTP request messages, wherein each of the plurality of request messages includes updated information related to the resource; and

in response to receiving each of the plurality of HTTP request messages from the publisher, generating and sending a corresponding HTTP message from the publish/subscribe service to the subscriber to notify the subscriber of the updated information related to the resource.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving from the publisher a third HTTP request message including updated information related to the resource and other data identifying a non-subscribing recipient to which the updated information is to be distributed;

in response to receiving the third HTTP request message, generating an HTTP request message for notifying the non-subscribing recipient of the updated information; and

using the other data to send the generated HTTP request message from the publish/subscribe service to the non-subscribing recipient.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein generating the HTTP message from the publish/subscribe service includes providing an HTTP response message based on the subscription data associated with the first HTTP request message.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein generating the HTTP message from the publish/subscribe service includes providing an HTTP request message that includes either an HTTP PUT method or an HTTP POST method.

32. A method of implementing publish/subscribe commands, the method comprising:

for each of a SUBSCRIBE command and a PUBLISH command, generating an HTTP request message including an existing HTTP method;

including subscription data in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the HTTP request message generated for the SUBSCRIBE command, wherein the data identifies the HTTP message as a subscription request; and

for a NOTIFY command, generating either an HTTP response message based on a correlated HTTP request message, or an HTTP request message including an existing HTTP method.

33. A computer readable medium including a computer program for distributing information related to a resource between a publisher and a subscriber, the computer program comprising instructions executable in a publish/subscribe service for:

receiving from the subscriber a first HTTP request message for requesting a subscription to the information related to the resource, wherein the first HTTP request message includes subscription data in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the first HTTP request message, and identifies the first HTTP request message as a subscription request;

receiving from the publisher a second HTTP request message including updated information related to the resource; and

in response to receiving the second HTTP request message, generating and sending an HTTP message from the publish/subscribe service to the subscriber to notify the subscriber of the updated information related to the resource.

34. A computer readable medium including a computer program for subscribing to information related to a resource, the computer program comprising instructions executable in a subscriber for:

generating an HTTP request message;

including subscription data in at least one of a header and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) reference associated with the HTTP request message, wherein the subscription data identifies the HTTP request message as a subscription request; and

sending the HTTP request message to a publish/subscribe service.