Server session management application program interface and schema

• US 20070220155A1
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nalla, Amar, Plancarte, Gustavo, Avadhanam, Srikanth
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,439 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding

Abstract

Application program interfaces (APIs), schemas and procedures manage multiple sessions within a server system has a create session request call for establishing a session between a client and a server within the server system. Each of plurality of sessions among the servers is persisted within a database operatively coupled to the servers. Each session is associated with a unique session identification which uniquely identifies the session among the plurality of sessions. A management request call for managing one of the sessions is performed according to the unique session identification.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of managing a plurality of sessions within a server system, the method comprising:

creating a session within a server system, the server system comprising a plurality of servers;

persisting each of a plurality of sessions among the servers in the server system within a database operatively coupled to the plurality of servers;

associating each of the plurality of persisted sessions with a session identification unique among the plurality of sessions; and

managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions according to the unique session identification.

2. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein creating a session within a server system comprises creating a session between a client and a server within the server system.

3. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein creating a session within a server system comprises creating a session relating to an active server within the server system.

4. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein creating a session comprises:

receiving a request to create a session;

selecting a free row within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session and wherein a free row comprises a row having a unique session identification without an associated persisted session; and

inserting a new row within the session table if a free row is unavailable.

5. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein persisting each of the plurality of sessions comprises maintaining a plurality of rows within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session.

6. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein associating each of the plurality of persisted sessions with a session identification unique among the plurality of sessions comprises:

assigning a session identification associated with a free row within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session and wherein a free row comprises a row having a unique session identification without an associated persisted session; and

creating a new session identification if a free row is unavailable.

7. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises:

receiving a request to update session data relating to at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions based upon a unique session identification, wherein the session data is maintained in a row within a session table maintained by the database and wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session; and

updating the session data within the row related to the session as identified by the unique session identification.

8. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises:

receiving a query request for session data relating to at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions; and

providing the requested session data from a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session.

9. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises:

receiving a request to release the session; and

removing session data maintained in a row within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session; and

maintaining the unique session identification within the row following the release of the session.

10. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 9, wherein receiving a request to release the session comprises receiving a request to release a session relating to an active server within the server system and wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions further comprises releasing each session between a client and the released server.

11. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises:

monitoring the status of each of a plurality of client sessions between a client and a server within the server system, wherein each client provides an indication of session activity and wherein the server releases the client session and provides a request to release the client session if the client does not provide an indication of session activity; and

monitoring the status of each of a plurality of server sessions each relating to an active server within the server system, wherein each active server provides a request to update its server session data, wherein each active server provides a query request for session data relating to a server session and wherein a server provides a request to release the server session if an associated active server does not provide a request to update its server session data.

12. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of claim 1, wherein the database maintains a session table comprising a plurality of rows wherein each row is arranged to relate to a persisted session and wherein each row comprises a unique session identification and at least one of the group consisting of:

a server identification, login data, update data and session status.

13. A method of communicating between a requesting process and a serving process comprising:

processing a first call for creating a client session between a client and a server, wherein the server comprises one of a plurality of servers within a server system;

persisting the client session within a database operatively coupled to the plurality of servers;

associating the client session with a unique client session identification unique among a plurality of client sessions; and

processing a second call for managing the client session according to the unique client session identification.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein processing a first call for creating a client session between a client and a server comprises:

issuing, by the requesting process, a CreateUserSessions call to create the client session between the client and the server; and

receiving, by the serving process, the CreateUserSessions call; and

issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including the unique client session identification corresponding to the client session.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein processing a second call for managing the client session comprises:

issuing, by the requesting process, a CPersistentSessionManager class call relating to the client session identified by the unique client session identification;

receiving, by the serving process, the CPersistentSessionManager class call; and

issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including one or more of the group consisting of;

client session data stored in the database, an update of the client session data and a release of the client session.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

processing a third call for creating a server session relating to an active server within the server system;

persisting the server session within a database operatively coupled to the plurality of servers;

associating the server session with a unique server session identification unique among a plurality of server sessions; and

processing a fourth call for managing the server session according to the unique server session identification.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein processing a third call for creating a server session relating to an active server within the server system comprises:

issuing, by the requesting process, a CreateServerSessions call to create the server session for an active server;

receiving, by the serving process, the CreateServerSessions call; and

issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including the unique server session identification corresponding to the server session.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein processing a fourth call for managing the server session according to the unique server session identification comprises:

issuing, by the requesting process, a CPersistentServerSessionManager class call to relating to a server session identified by the unique server session identification;

receiving, by the serving process, the CPersistentServerSessionManager class call; and

issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including one or more of the group consisting of;

server session data stored in the database, an update of the server session data and a release of the server session.

19. A computer adapted for participation in a server system comprising a plurality of servers, the computer comprising:

a network communication device for exchanging data via a network;

a memory storing machine-readable instructions; and

a processor for executing the machine-readable instruction performing a method comprising;

processing a call for creating a session, wherein the session relates to one of the group consisting of;

a client session between a client and a server, and a server session relating to an active server within the server system;

persisting the session within a database operatively coupled to the plurality of servers; and

associating the session with a unique session identification unique among a plurality of sessions.

20. The computer of claim 19, wherein the memory stores instructions for performing the method further comprising:

processing a call for managing the session according to the unique session identification.