Methods and apparatus enabling dynamic resource collaboration when collaboration session host is distinct from resource host

• US 6,289,333 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dilip, Venkatachari, Jawahar, Janardhanan
• Primary Examiner(s): Choules, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US09/196,892
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/104, 707/10, 707/513, 707/201, 709/204, 709/206, 709/203, 711/113
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/323 Visualisation of programs or trace data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for enabling collaboration between clients with respect to dynamic resources are described. The method includes the step of establishing a collaboration session between a first client and a second client through a session host. A first client request having a first uniform resource locator (URL) identifying a host other than the session host is re-directed through the session host. In one embodiment, the retrieved resource is modified such that for each embedded request identifying a host other than the session host, its associated embedded URL is replaced with a re-directed URL incorporating the embedded URL. The re-directed URL re-directs the corresponding request for a resource identified by the embedded URL through the session host. In an alternative embodiment, the retrieved resource is not modified. In either embodiment, the resulting resource is cached if necessary (e.g., when the resource is dynamic). In one embodiment, an expiration date of the retrieved resource indicates whether the resource is dynamic. In another embodiment, the retrieved resource is presumed dynamic if the first client request includes at least one of a POST, PUT, DELETE, LINK, and an UNLINK hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) command. The resulting resource is then provided to the first client. The second client is provided with a second URL that identifies either the requested resource or the cached resource depending upon whether caching was necessary.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a collaboration session between a first client and a second client with a session host;

b) re-directing a first client request having a first uniform resource locator (URL) through the session host, if the first URL identifies a host other than the session host; and

c) caching a resource retrieved by the session host in response to the re-directed request as a cached resource at the session host, if at least one of the first request and the retrieved resource has a pre-determined characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cached resource is a dynamic web page.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved resource is cached if the first request includes at least one of a POST, PUT, DELETE, LINK, HEAD, and an UNLINK hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) command.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved resource is cached if an expiration date of the retrieved resource indicates that the retrieved resource is dynamic.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

d) providing the retrieved resource to the first client.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step d) further comprises the step of:

i) embedding a second URL in the retrieved resource before providing the retrieved resource to the first client, wherein the second URL is the same as the first URL if the retrieved resource is not cached, wherein the second URL identifies the cached resource if the retrieved resource is cached.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a browser application of the first client generates the first client request, wherein a first client re-direction application modifies the first client request to re-direct the first client request through the session host if the first URL identifies a host other than the session host, wherein the first client browser application communicates the second URL to a browser application of the second client.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

d) providing the second client with a second URL, wherein the second URL is the same as the first URL if the retrieved resource is not cached, wherein the second URL identifies the cached resource if the retrieved resource is cached.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) further comprises the steps of modifying the first client request to form a second URL incorporating the first client request, wherein the second URL redirects the first client request including the first URL through the session host.

10. An apparatus comprising storage medium storing instructions forming a client re-direction application, wherein when executed in conjunction with a browser application of a first client, the client re-direction application communicates with the browser application, wherein during a collaboration session between the first client and a second client through a session host, the client re-direction application issues a re-direction request in response to a selected first client request having a uniform resource locator (URL) identifying a host other than the session host, wherein the re-direction request incorporates the first request, wherein the re-direction request causes the session host to issue the selected first client requests wherein the session host caches a retrieved resource if one of the retrieved resource and the URL has a pre-determined characteristic identified by the stored instructions.

11. An apparatus comprising a browser application including a re-direction application for establishing a collaboration session through a session host, wherein in response to a selected request to access a host other than the session host, the re-direction application re-directs the selected request through the session host, wherein the session host caches a retrieved resource if one of the retrieved resource and selected request has a predetermined characteristic.

12. A method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a collaboration session between a first client and a second client with a session host; and

b) retrieving a requested resource from a resource host to a session host in response to a first client request having a first uniform resource locator (URL), if the first URL identifies a resource host other than the session host; and

c) modifying the retrieved resource, wherein for each embedded request identifying a host other than the session host an associated embedded URL of the embedded request is replaced with a re-directed URL incorporating the embedded URL, wherein the re-directed URL re-directs the corresponding request for a resource identified by the embedded URL through the session host.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

d) caching the modified resource if at least one of the first request and the retrieved resource has a specified characteristic.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the modified resource is cached if the retrieved resource is a dynamic resource.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein an expiration date of the retrieved resource indicates whether the retrieved resource is a dynamic resource.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the modified resource is cached if the retrieved resource is associated with a filename having a selected characteristic.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the modified resource is cached if the first request includes at least one of a POST, PUT, DELETE, LINK, and an UNLINK hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) command.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

e) providing the modified resource to the first client.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein steps c)-e) are performed by the session host.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

f) providing a second URL to the second client, wherein the second URL identifies the cached modified resource if the modified resource was cached, wherein the second URL is the same as the first URL if the modified resource was not cached.