System using session data stored in session data storage for associating and disassociating user identifiers for switching client sessions in a server

• US 6,088,728 A
• Filed: 06/11/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle Corporation
• Inventors: Chatterjee, Debashish, Bellemore, John, Jasuja, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US08/873,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 395/325, 395/727, 395/188.01, 395/200.77, 395/650, 395/200.53, 370/401, 380/21, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/225, 709/226, 709/238, 709/242
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC

Abstract

A method and apparatus allows clients to share ports on a server. The server can maintain more sessions than server ports. When a client sends a command directed to the server, a resource manager inserted between the clients and the server intercepts the command and directs the server to select the session associated with a client prior to or at the same time that the resource manager forwards the intercepted command to the server. Responses from the server are forwarded by the resource manager to the client that sent the command to which the response relates. The resource manager may be coupled to multiple clients, and one or more ports of one or more servers.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

a set of at least one port for communicating with at least one device external to the server;

a session data storage for storing a first number of sets of session data corresponding to a first number of sessions greater than a second number of ports of the server; and

a session switcher module coupled to at least one of the ports in the set of ports and to the session data storage, the session switcher module for receiving at least one command from at least one port, and responsive to the command;

associating a first session data set in the session data storage with a port associated with a second session data set in the data storage;

disassociating the second session data set from the port; and

preserving the second session data set; and

wherein the first session data set comprises an identifier of a first user and the second session data set comprises an identifier of a second user.

2. The server of claim 1 additionally comprising at least one active session data storage coupled to the session switcher module to store at least one indicator of at least one session data set associated with one of the ports.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the port associated with the second data set is coupled to the session switcher module.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein at least the first session data set has a handle identifying the set, and the at least one command received by the session switcher module comprises the handle of the first session data set.

5. The server of claim 1 additionally comprising a session initiator module coupled to at least one port in the set and to the session data storage for receiving a request to initiate a session, causing a portion of the session data storage to be reserved and communicating a handle with at least one of the ports in the set.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the session initiator module receives from at least one of the ports coupled to said session initiator module the handle and causes the handle received to be associated with the session data storage reserved.

7. The server of claim 5 wherein the session initiator module causes the handle associated with the session data storage received to be transmitted to at least one of the ports coupled to said session initiator module.

8. The server of claim 1 additionally comprising a session information maintainer module coupled to at least one of the ports for receiving a command to designate at least one port as available to be switched, and coupled to the session switcher module for identifying to the session switcher module the at least one port designated.

9. The server of claim 1 additionally comprising a session terminator module coupled to the at least one port for receiving at least one command describing at least one session to be terminated, and coupled to the session data storage for identifying as terminated the session data set corresponding to the session described.

10. A method of executing commands on a server having a port, a first set of session information corresponding to a first client and a second set of session information corresponding to a second client, the method comprising:

receiving a first command over the port;

executing the command received according to the first set of session information;

receiving a request to associate the second set of session information with the port;

associating the second set of session information with the port responsive to the receiving the request step;

disassociating the first set of session information from the port responsive to the receiving the request step;

preserving at least a portion of the first set of session information;

receiving a second command over the port after the receiving the request step; and

executing the second command received according to the second set of session information.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising the additional step of copying the first set of session information.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising the additional step of receiving a command granting permission to associate the port with a set of information different than the first set of session information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second commands and the command granting permission are received over the port.

14. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to executing commands on a server having a port, a first set of session information corresponding to a first client and a second set of session information corresponding to a second client, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a first command over the port;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to execute the command received according to the first set of session information;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a request to associate the second set of session information with the port;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to associate the second set of session information with the port responsive to the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive the request;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to disassociate at least a portion of the first set of session information from the port responsive to the computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive the request;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to preserve at least a portion of the first set of session information;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a second command over the port after the request is received; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to execute the second command received according to the second set of session information.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to copy the first set of session information.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receiving a command granting permission to associate the port with a set of information different than the first set of session information.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the first and second commands and the command granting permission are received over the port.