SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAINTAINING OWNERSHIP OF AND AVOIDING ORPHANING OF COMMUNICATION SESSIONS

• US 20170048326A1
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Allyn D, Hallquist, Steven R., Pollnow, William O.
• Granted Patent: US 10,110,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving the handing of communications between network applications in a computer system with connectivity services interfaces that seamlessly handle the communications in an easy-to-use, secure, message-oriented environment are disclosed. Embodiments of systems and methods for maintaining ownership of sessions by applications, and for avoiding the orphaning of communication sessions when activities are terminated are also disclosed. Also disclosed are embodiments of systems and methods for accessing data using authentication credentials different than the authentication credentials associated with a user that is requesting access to the data. Embodiments of systems and methods for authenticating credentials for establishing a secure communication connection between applications executing on different platforms are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining ownership of sessions by applications, comprising:

obtaining, by a processor, a communication session table, wherein the communication session table comprises a data structure with information used to establish and maintain a communication session between network applications;

determining, by the processor, if an activity table exists, wherein an activity table comprises a list of operations scheduled for execution;

determining, by the processor, when an activity table is determined to exist, if the session table is linked to the activity table or to another activity table;

linking, by the processor, the session table to the activity table when the activity table is determined to exist, the session table is determined to not already be linked to the activity table, and the session table is referenced by the activity table; and

performing, by the processor, a computer instruction requested by a user on the communication session identified in the session table when the activity table exists and the session table is linked to the activity table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining comprises receiving a request to establish a communication session, and wherein the request includes the session table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining comprises creating the session table.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an activity table when an activity table is determined to not exist.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, when the session table is determined to be linked to the another activity table,

stopping an un-owned session timer associated with the session table;

removing the link between the session table and the another activity table; and

linking the session table to the activity table.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising starting an un-owned session timer when the session table is determined to not be linked to an activity table, wherein when the timer expires the session is aborted if the session is valid, and no action is taken if the session is not valid.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the processor to perform the steps of;

obtaining a communication session table, wherein the communication session table comprises a data structure with information used to establish and maintain a communication session between network applications;

determining if an activity table exists, wherein an activity table comprises a list of operations scheduled for execution;

determining when an activity table is determined to exist, if the session table is linked to the activity table or to another activity table;

linking the session table to the activity table when the activity table is determined to exist, the session table is determined to not already be linked to the activity table, and the session table is referenced by the activity table; and

performing a computer instruction requested by a user on the communication session identified in the session table when the activity table exists and the session table is linked to the activity table.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein obtaining comprises receiving a request to establish a communication session, and wherein the request includes the session table.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein obtaining comprises creating the session table.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the medium further comprises instructions which cause the processor to perform the step of creating an activity table when an activity table is determined to not exist.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the medium further comprises instructions which cause the processor to perform, when the session table is determined to be linked to the another activity table, the steps of:

stopping an un-owned session timer associated with the session table;

removing the link between the session table and the another activity table; and

linking the session table to the activity table.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the medium further comprises instructions which cause the processor to perform the step of starting an un-owned session timer when the session table is determined to not be linked to an activity table, wherein when the timer expires the session is aborted if the session is valid, and no action is taken if the session is not valid.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the steps of;

obtaining a communication session table, wherein the communication session table comprises a data structure with information used to establish and maintain a communication session between network applications;

determining if an activity table exists, wherein an activity table comprises a list of operations scheduled for execution;

determining when an activity table is determined to exist, if the session table is linked to the activity table or to another activity table;

linking the session table to the activity table when the activity table is determined to exist, the session table is determined to not already be linked to the activity table, and the session table is referenced by the activity table; and

performing a computer instruction requested by a user on the communication session identified in the session table when the activity table exists and the session table is linked to the activity table.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein obtaining comprises receiving a request to establish a communication session, and wherein the request includes the session table.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein obtaining comprises creating the session table.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of creating an activity table when an activity table is determined to not exist.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform, when the session table is determined to be linked to the another activity table, the steps of:

stopping an un-owned session timer associated with the session table;

removing the link between the session table and the another activity table; and

linking the session table to the activity table.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of starting an un-owned session timer when the session table is determined to not be linked to an activity table, wherein when the timer expires the session is aborted if the session is valid, and no action is taken if the session is not valid.

19. A method for avoiding the orphaning of communication sessions when activities are terminated, comprising:

identifying, by the processor, one or more communication session tables linked to an activity table;

detecting, by the processor, termination of the activity table prior to the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the activity table being linked to other activity tables or being terminated;

determining, by the processor, whether a first session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity corresponds to a listen session or a standard communication session; and

aborting the standard communication session, freeing resources allocated to the communication session, and removing the link between the first session table and the activity table when the first session table is determined to correspond to a standard communication session.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising marking the activity table as inactive upon detecting termination of the activity table and determining that there is not one or more sessions linked to the activity table.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising aborting the listen session, freeing resources allocated to the listen session, closing the listen session, and removing the link between the first session table and the activity table when the first session table is determined to correspond to a listen session.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising, for each session table in addition to the first session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity:

determining whether the additional session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity corresponds to a listen session or a standard communication session; and

aborting the additional standard communication session, freeing resources allocated to the additional communication session, and removing the link between the additional session table and the activity table when the additional session table is determined to correspond to a standard communication session.

23. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the processor to perform the steps of;

identifying one or more communication session tables linked to an activity table;

detecting termination of the activity table prior to the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the activity table being linked to other activity tables or being terminated;

determining whether a first session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity corresponds to a listen session or a standard communication session; and

aborting the standard communication session, freeing resources allocated to the communication session, and removing the link between the first session table and the activity table when the first session table is determined to correspond to a standard communication session.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the medium further comprises instructions which cause the processor to perform the step of marking the activity table as inactive upon detecting termination of the activity table and determining that there is not one or more sessions linked to the activity table.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the medium further comprises instructions which cause the processor to perform the step of aborting the listen session, freeing resources allocated to the listen session, closing the listen session, and removing the link between the first session table and the activity table when the first session table is determined to correspond to a listen session.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the medium further comprises instructions which cause the processor to perform, for each session table in addition to the first session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity, the steps of:

determining whether the additional session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity corresponds to a listen session or a standard communication session; and

aborting the additional standard communication session, freeing resources allocated to the additional communication session, and removing the link between the additional session table and the activity table when the additional session table is determined to correspond to a standard communication session.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the steps of;

identifying one or more communication session tables linked to an activity table;

detecting termination of the activity table prior to the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the activity table being linked to other activity tables or being terminated;

determining whether a first session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity corresponds to a listen session or a standard communication session; and

aborting the standard communication session, freeing resources allocated to the communication session, and removing the link between the first session table and the activity table when the first session table is determined to correspond to a standard communication session.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of marking the activity table as inactive upon detecting termination of the activity table and determining that there is not one or more sessions linked to the activity table.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of aborting the listen session, freeing resources allocated to the listen session, closing the listen session, and removing the link between the first session table and the activity table when the first session table is determined to correspond to a listen session.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to perform, for each session table in addition to the first session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity, the steps of:

determining whether the additional session table of the one or more session tables determined to be linked to the terminated activity corresponds to a listen session or a standard communication session; and

aborting the additional standard communication session, freeing resources allocated to the additional communication session, and removing the link between the additional session table and the activity table when the additional session table is determined to correspond to a standard communication session.