SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING WEB SERVICE TRANSACTIONS USING TIMESTAMP DATA

• US 20150046744A1
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Frerking, John Randy
• Granted Patent: US 9,336,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/835 Timestamp

Abstract

A system is provided that is adapted to service web-based service requests. In one implementation, a caching service is provided for storing and servicing web service requests. In one implementation, virtual computer systems may be used to service requests in a more reliable manner. Different operating modes may be configured for backup redundancy and the caching service may be scaled to meet service requests for a particular application. Also, methods are provided for exchanging timestamp information among web service transaction systems to reduce the amount of processing capability and bandwidth for ensuring database consistency.

Claims

1. A system for processing web service transactions, the system comprising:

a plurality of servers each adapted to receive and process one or more web service requests, the plurality of servers comprising;

a first and second server of the plurality of servers are each configured to compare time stamps associated with at least one database record of a common database associated with a web service application.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first server is adapted to delete the at least one database record of the common database associated with the web service application, if it is determined that timestamps of the first and second servers have expired, the timestamps being associated with the at least one database record of the common database.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second servers are configured to update a timestamp associated with the at least one database record of the common database associated with the web service application responsive to an access to the at least one database record.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second servers are located in a first and a second datacenter, respectively.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of servers include a plurality of virtual servers.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the comparing of time stamps is responsive to a determination by one of the first and second servers that at least one of the time stamps is close to an expiration time.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a request handler element adapted to distribute a web service request to at least one of the plurality of servers for processing.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a component configured to monitor processing of web service requests by the at least one of the plurality of servers.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a component to determine a failover of the processing of at least one web service request to another one of the plurality of servers upon failure of the at least one server.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the web service requests include at least one of a group comprising:

a REST service request; and

a SOAP service request.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of servers that receive and process web service requests are operable in at least one of a group of operating modes, the group comprising:

an active/single mode;

an active/standby mode; and

an active/active mode.

12. A method for processing web service transactions, the method comprising acts of:

receiving and processing, by a plurality of respective servers, one or more web service requests, wherein the method further comprises acts of;

comparing, by a first and second server of the plurality of servers are to compare time stamps associated with at least one database record of a common database associated with a web service application.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises an act of deleting, by the first server, the at least one database record of the common database associated with the web service application, if it is determined that timestamps of the first and second servers have expired, the timestamps being associated with the at least one database record of the common database.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising an act of updating, by the first and second servers, a timestamp associated with the at least one database record of the common database associated with the web service application responsive to an access to the at least one database record.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising an act of locating the first and second servers in a first and a second datacenter, respectively.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of servers include a plurality of virtual servers.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of comparing of time stamps is responsive to an act of determining, by one of the first and second servers, that at least one of the time stamps is close to an expiration time.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising an act of distributing, by a request handler element, a web service request to at least one of the plurality of servers for processing.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising an act of monitoring processing of web service requests by the at least one of the plurality of servers.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising an act of determining a failover of the processing of at least one web service request to another one of the plurality of servers upon failure of the at least one server.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the web service requests include at least one of a group comprising:

a REST service request; and

a SOAP service request.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of servers that receive and process web service requests are operable in at least one of a group of operating modes, the group comprising:

an active/single mode;

an active/standby mode; and

an active/active mode.