ENTERPRISE CLIENT-SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS OF PROVIDING WEB APPLICATION SUPPORT THROUGH DISTRIBUTED EMULATION OF WEBSOCKET COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20100281107A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kaazing Corp.
• Original Assignee: Kaazing Corp.
• Inventors: Eraiah, Siddalingaiah, Salim, Frank J., Fallows, John R., Gaunce, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet

Abstract

A system enabling service communications in distributed Web applications between servers otherwise inaccessible due to cross-origin security restrictions in pre-HTML5 compliant Web-browser clients. A Web-browser client executes a client-side Web application received from a source origin server having a defined source origin and requests connections to request identified Web-application services. Execution of an emulation client library establishes a bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection between the Web-browser client and a gateway server, having a target origin outside the scope of the source origin, providing access to the request identified Web-application service. The bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection includes a cross-origin communications bridge providing a secure communications path between the source and target origins. The gateway server can establish an HTML5 compliant connection to a target defined service, provided by a target server, having a predefined relation to the request identified Web-application service.

Claims

1. A method of providing Web application support in pre-HTML5 compliant Web-browser clients to enable applications provided by source servers to utilize services provided by target servers, where the target server services are provided from target origins secured against communications with the source origins of the source servers, said method comprising the steps of:

a) executing, by a Web-browser client, a client-side Web application received from a source origin server having a defined source origin, wherein said step of executing includes the step of requesting a connection to a request identified Web-application service;

b) first establishing, through execution of an emulation client library by said Web-browser client, a bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection between said Web-browser client and a gateway server for access to said request identified Web-application service, wherein said gateway server is associated with a defined target origin outside the scope of said defined source origin, and wherein said bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection includes a cross-origin communications bridge providing a secure communications path between said defined source origin and said target origin; and

c) second establishing, through said gateway server, an HTML5 compliant connection to a target defined service, provided by a target server, having a predefined relation to said request identified Web-application service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of executing includes executing a communications bridge program by said Web-browser client, wherein said communications bridge program is received from said gateway server in response to said step of requesting, wherein said client-side Web application is executed within said defined source origin and wherein said communications bridge program is executed within said defined target origin, and wherein said cross-origin communications bridge is established between said communications bridge program and said Web-browser client.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of qualifying said bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection by said gateway server, wherein said request provides an identification of said defined source origin and said request identified Web-application service, and wherein said gateway server determines whether to accept said request.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of qualifying includes a step of evaluating a service access policy to determine a permitted relationship between said defined source origin and said request identified Web-application service.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of qualifying includes a step of determining said predefined relation to said request identified Web-application service.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said gateway server further determines whether to redirect said request, said step of qualifying returning a HTTP redirection message wrapped in an HTTP response message to provide for delivery of said HTTP redirection message to said client-side Web application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said emulation client library includes a WebSocket emulation layer and wherein said step of first establishing, responsive to said HTTP redirection message, provides for establishing said bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection between said Web-browser client and a redirection gateway server for access to said request identified Web-application service, wherein said redirection gateway server is associated with a defined redirection target origin outside the scope of said defined source origin.

8. A server system supporting the execution of a distributed Web application, said server system comprising:

a) a source origin server system coupled to a network, said source origin server system including a client side Web-application, wherein said source origin server system is accessible through said network within the scope of a source origin;

b) a gateway server system coupled to said network, said gateway server system including a communications bridge program, wherein said gateway server system is accessible through said network within the scope of a target origin, and wherein said gateway server is operative to provide a network connection to a Web-application service; and

c) a client system coupled to said network, wherein said client system is operative to execute a Web-browser client, wherein said Web-browser client is a pre-HTML5 compliant Web-browser client that precludes cross-origin messaging, wherein said Web-browser client is operative to download said client side Web-application from said source origin server system, wherein said Web-browser client is further operative to execute said client side Web-application on said client system within the scope of said source origin, wherein said Web-browser client is operative to download said communications bridge program from said gateway server system, wherein said Web-browser client is further operative to execute said communications bridge program on said client system within the scope of said target origin, and wherein said client side Web-application and said communications bridge program implement a cross-origin communications channel, said client side Web application being further operative to issue a request for said Web-application service cross-origin through said communications bridge program and said gateway server system.