Resources sharing on the internet via the HTTP

• US 6,212,640 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Abhay, Callaghan, Brent, Abdelnur, Alejandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce P.
• Application Number:
  US09/277,218
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 713/200, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 726/2
• 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 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sharing resources in a network environment. Typically, a computer linked to the Internet may have resources or may provide services, that are usable by other computers. A user, using one or more embodiments of the invention, can access those resources or services as if they were locally situated. An application running on a client can access a resource on a remote computer by submitting a request via an Internet browser. The request is analyzed, converted to proper format and is transferred over the network lines to a server that can satisfy the request. For security reasons, an application may not be authorized to submit a request directly to a server on the Internet. For example, limitations have been implemented that prohibit a requesting application from obtaining access to resources of a server computer unless that application is a trusted application. If a requesting application has a trusted status, then its request for connecting to the server is granted. If a request submitted by an application to a server is denied, then a server that entrusts the application is identified, and the request is submitted to that server. A program code called a “servlet” is implemented on that server to accept the requests submitted by a trusted application. The submitted requests are analyzed by the servlet and are forwarded to a resource server that can satisfy the requests. A response from the resource server is routed through the servlet back to the requesting application.

Claims

1. A method for accessing one or more resources on a first server in a network environment comprising:

an application sending a request for access to one or more resources on a first sever;

providing a response to said request if said application successfully authenticates on said first server;

submitting said request to a second server if said application cannot successfully authenticate on said first server, said second server comprising a servlet that can access said first server'"'"'s resources;

said servlet submitting said request to said first server;

said servlet receiving a response from the first server; and

said servlet sending said response to said application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said servlet receives said request from said application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising said servlet modifying said application'"'"'s scope of access to resources on said first server.

6. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to access one or more resources on a first server in a network environment;

the computer program product comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause an application running on a computer to request access to one or more resources on a first server;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to provide a response to said request if said application successfully authenticates on said first server;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to submit said request to a second server if said application cannot successfully authenticate on said first server, said second server comprising a servlet that can access said first server'"'"'s resources;

computer readable code configured to cause said servlet to submit said request to said first server;

computer readable code configured to cause said servlet to receive a response from the first server; and

computer readable code configured to cause said servlet to send said response to said application.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said servlet receives said request from said application.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising computer readable code configured to cause the servlet to modify the application'"'"'s scope of access to resources on the first server.

11. A system configured to share computer resources in a network environment comprising:

a first server having one or more resources;

an application configured to access said one or more resources, said application submitting a request to said first server, said first server servicing said request if said application is authenticated;

a second server having a servlet configured to receive a request from said application and submit said request to said first server if said application is not authenticated by said first server, said servlet configured to receive a response from the first server and forward said response to said application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said application comprises an applet.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said applet originated from said second server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said servlet modifies said application'"'"'s scope of access to resources on said first server.

17. A method of sharing computer resources in a network environment comprising:

an application routing a request for access to one or more resources of a first server to a second server when said application cannot successfully authenticate against said first server;

said second server responding to said request submitted by said application to access said one or more resources on said first server; and

said second server routing said request submitted by said application to said first server;

said second server routing a response generated by said first server to said application.

18. A method for accessing resources on a server in a computer network environment comprising:

sending a request for access to one or more resources on a first sever;

authenticating said request on said first server;

receiving a response to said request from said first server if said authenticating is successful;

obtaining a response to said request from a second server if said authenticating fails, said obtaining a response from said second server comprising;

submitting said request to said second server;

forwarding said request from said second server to said first server;

sending a response to said request from said first server to said second server;

receiving said response from said second server.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said request originates from an application.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said authenticating said request is successful if said application was retrieved from said first server.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said application comprises an applet.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said applet originated from said second server.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein said second server comprises a servlet with access to said first server'"'"'s resources.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said obtaining a response from said second server further comprises locating a servlet with access to said one or more resources of said first server.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising sending an error message to said application if said locating a servlet fails.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising said servlet modifying said application'"'"'s scope of access to said one or more resources on said first server.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein said servlet returns an error message to said application if said application is not authorized to access said one or more resources.

30. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to access resources on server in a network environment;

said computer program product comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to send a request for access to one or more resources on a first sever;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to authenticate said request on said first server;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to receive a response to said request from said first server if said authenticating is successful;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain a response to said request from a second server if said authenticate fails, said obtain a response from said second server comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to submit said request to said second server;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to forward said request from said second server to said first server;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to send a response to said request from said first server to said second server;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to receive said response from said second server.

31. The computer program product of claim 30 wherein said request originates from an application.

32. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein said authenticate said request is successful if said application was retrieved from said first server.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein said application comprises an applet.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein said applet originated from said second server.

35. The computer program product of claim 30 wherein said second server comprises a servlet with access to said first server'"'"'s resources.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein said obtain a response from said second server further comprises computer readable code configured to cause a computer to locate a servlet with access to said one or more resources of said first server.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, further comprising computer readable code configured to cause a computer to send an error message to said application if said locate a servlet fails.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, further comprising said servlet modifying said application'"'"'s scope of access to said one or more resources on said first server.

41. The computer program product of claim 35 wherein said servlet returns an error message to said application if said application is not authorized to access said one or more resources.

42. A system configured to share computer resources in a network environment comprising:

a first server comprising one or more resources;

a second server with access to said one or more resources on said first server;

an application accessing said one or more resources, said accessing comprising;

said application sending a request for access to said first sever for said one or more resources;

said first server authenticating said request;

said first server providing access to said one or more resources if said authenticating is successful;

said application obtaining access to said one or more resources through said second server if said authenticating fails.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said obtaining access to said one or more resources through said second server comprises:

said application submitting said request for access to said second server;

said second server forwarding said request for access to said first server;

said first server providing access to said one or more resources to said second server;

said second server acting as a proxy between said application and said one or more resources.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein said second server comprises a servlet.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein said servlet returns an error message to said application if said application is not authorized to access said one or more resources.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein said obtaining access through said second server further comprises locating a servlet with access to said one or more resources of said first server.

47. The system of claim 46, further comprising sending an error message to said application if said locating a servlet fails.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said request is submitted using an NFS communication model.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein said request is submitted via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

50. The system of claim 47, further comprising said servlet modifying said application'"'"'s scope of access to said one or more resources on said first server.

51. The system of claim 42, wherein said authenticating said request is successful if said application was retrieved from said first server.