Method and System for Facilitating Client Server Interaction

• US 20100057937A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuratomi, Toshio E., Macken, Luke J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

The apparatus includes a base client module and a server module. The base client module receives requests from a client application on a client computer. The base client module calls a resource of a web application.. A server module transparently interacts with the logic of the web application to obtain the requested data and sends it back to the base client in a format handled by the base client. The base client can then reformat the data to a client application requested format before passing the data to the client application. This method allows a client application programmer to obtain easily usable data from a web application by using the base client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first request from a client application for data from a web application at a base client module;

generating a second request in response to the first request, the second request specific to the web application;

receiving a response to the second request in a non-web page format; and

reformatting the non-web page format into a format for the client application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first request is a call to a method of the base client module.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing cookies for a session with the web application by the base client module.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an error indicator in the response.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

initiating an error for the client application in response to the error indicator.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a uniform resource locator for the web application during initialization of the base client module.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving authentication data for the web application during initialization of the base client module.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the client application is implemented in Python.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the non-web page format is JavaScript Object Notation.

10. A computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a computer to perform a set of operations comprising:

receiving a first request from a client application for data from a web application at a base client module;

generating a second request in response to the first request, the second request specific to the web application;

receiving a response to the second request in a non-web page format; and

reformatting the non-web page format into a format for the client application.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first request is a call to a method of the base client module.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising:

establishing cookies for a session with the web application by the base client module.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising:

identifying an error indicator in the response.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising:

initiating an error for the client application in response to the error indicator.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations further comprising:

receiving a uniform resource locator for the web application during initialization of the base client module.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising:

receiving authentication data for the web application during initialization of the base client module.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the client application is implemented Python.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the non-web page format is JavaScript Object Notation.

19. A system comprising:

a processor;

a system memory coupled to the processor;

a base client module to provide an interface between a remote web application and a client application, the interface to service data requests for the web application and to return requested data in a client application format.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the base client module generates a cookie to track a session with the remote web application.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the base client module invokes a method of the remote web application.