System for coordinating communication between a terminal requesting connection with another terminal while both terminals accessing one of a plurality of servers under the management of a dispatcher

• US 6,567,848 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Yoichi, Kusuda, Rika
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/416,657
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217-219, 709/203-205, 705/1, 705/35, 705/42, 370/352, 379/93.01, 379/93.09
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An information terminal connected to one of a plurality of servers which are allocated by a dispatcher is connected to another information terminal via its allocated server. When a Web Browser 111 is connected to a Web Server 143 via a Dispatcher 120, a content including a button for requesting the agent side for connection is displayed in the web screen. When the customer clicks this button, a customer ID and an IP address of the server 142 are stored in a table 155. After a CTI Server allocated an agent, an Agent proxy 173 obtains an IP address corresponding to the customer to be connected and accesses to the server 142.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a first information terminal and a second information terminal, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) receiving, at one of a plurality of servers managed by a dispatcher, a first request sent to an address of a cluster of the dispatcher from said first information terminal,

(b) allocating information which can specify said first information terminal in said one of the plurality of servers,

(c) receiving a second request from said first information terminal, requesting connection to a second information terminal,

(d) storing said information which can specify said first information terminal and information which can specify said one of the plurality of servers in correlation to each other,

(e) specifying a second information terminal to be connected to said one of the plurality of servers,

(f) in response to step (e), accessing to said one of the plurality of servers from said second information terminal based on the information specifying said one of the plurality of servers which were stored in the step (d), and

(g) communicating between said first information terminal and said second information terminal.

2. A method of communicating between a first information terminal and a second information terminal, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) receiving a first request sent from a Web Browser of a first information terminal to an address of a cluster of a dispatcher to a Web Server of one of a plurality of servers managed by said dispatcher,

(b) allocating information which can specify said first information terminal in said one of the plurality of servers,

(c) sending to said first information terminal a response including a content which displays information which can specify said first information terminal, an object instructing to connect to a second information terminal, and an entry for inputting a telephone number of the operator of said first information terminal on a display device of said first information terminal,

(d) receiving a second request requesting connection to the second information terminal and including information which can specify said first information terminal and a telephone number of the operator of said first information terminal, said second request being generated by operating said object in said first information terminal,

(e) storing said information which can specify said first information terminal and the information which can specify said one of the plurality of servers in correlation to each other,

(f) storing the telephone number of the operator of said first information terminal and information which can specify said first information terminal in correlation to each other,

(g) specifying a second information terminal to be connected to said one of the plurality of servers,

(h) storing information which can specify said second information terminal and information which can specify said first information terminal in correlation to each other,

(i) accessing to said one of the plurality of servers from said second information terminal based on the information specifying said one of the plurality of servers which were stored in the step (e), and

(j) communicating between said first information terminal and said second information terminal.

(k) sending a third request instructing a voice connection and including information which can specify the telephone number of the operator of said second information terminal in response to an operation instructing a voice connection of said second information terminal, and

(l) connecting the telephone of the operator of said first information terminal to the telephone of the operator of said second information terminal in response to the third request.

3. A method of communicating between a first information terminal and a second information terminal, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) connecting said first information terminal to one of a plurality of servers based on address information received at said one of the plurality of servers which can support said first information terminal, said address information being obtained by said first information terminal from a dispatcher managing said plurality of servers,

(b) storing information which can specify said first information terminal and information which can specify said one of the plurality of servers in correlation to each other,

(c) connecting a second information terminal desiring communication with said first information terminal to said one of the plurality of servers based on information specifying the one of the plurality of servers which was stored in said step (b), and

(d) in response to step (c), communicating between said first information terminal and said second information terminal.

4. A method of accessing to one of a plurality of servers, which are under the management of a dispatcher, by a second information terminal desiring communication with a first information terminal, said method comprising the steps of,

(a) storing information which can specify one of the plurality of servers managed by said dispatcher and is accessed from the first information terminal via said dispatcher, and information which can specify said first information terminal in correlation to each other,

(b) storing information which can specify the second information terminal in correlation to the information stored in step (a);

and

(c) accessing to said one of the servers from the second information terminal based on information specifying the one of the servers which was stored in said step (a).

5. A Communication System supporting communication between a first information terminal and a second information terminal, said system comprising;

(a) a Dispatcher for managing a plurality of servers and allocating a first request from the first information terminal to one of said plurality of servers,

(b) a UAI Manager for allocating information which can specify said first information terminal,

(c) a Collaboration Manager for supporting a Collaboration Software installed in said first and said second information terminals,

(d) a CTI Interface for managing a managing table which stores information which can specify said first information terminal, information which can specify said one of the plurality of servers, and information which can specify said second information terminal in correlation to each other,

(e) a CTI Server for specifying the second information terminal to be connected to said first information terminal, and

(f) an Agent Proxy for accessing to said one of the plurality of servers from said second information terminal based on information specifying said one of the plurality of servers which is obtained from said managing table.

6. A communication system supporting communication between a first information terminal and a second information terminal, said system comprising;

(a) a Web Browser for sending a first request from the first information terminal,

(b) a Dispatcher for managing a plurality of servers and allocating the first request to one of said plurality of servers,

(c) a UAI Manager for allocating information which can specify said first information terminal,

(d) a Web Server for sending to said first information terminal a response including a content which displays on a display device of said first information terminal, information which can specify said first information terminal, an object instructing to connect to a second information terminal, and an entry for inputting a telephone number of the operator of said first information terminal,

(e) a CTI Interface for sending a message instructing to specify the second information terminal, which is to communicate with said first information terminal, in response to transmission of a second request requesting connection to the second information terminal and including information which can specify said first information terminal and a telephone number of the operator of said first information terminal, said second request being generated by operating said object in said first information terminal,

(f) a Matching Table for storing the information which can specify said first information terminal, the information which can specify said second information terminal and information which can specify said one of the plurality of servers in correlation to each other,

(g) a Managing Table for storing the telephone number of the operator of said first information terminal and information which can specify said first information terminal in correlation to each other,

(h) an Agent Proxy for accessing to said one of the plurality of servers from said second information terminal based on the information specifying said one of the plurality of servers which is obtained from said matching table,

(i) a CTI Server/Client Application for sending a third request instructing a voice connection and including information which can specify the telephone number of the operator of said second information terminal in response to an operation instructing a voice connection of said second information terminal, and

(j) a PBX for connecting the telephone of the operator of said first information terminal to the telephone of the operator of said second information terminal in response to the third request.

7. A recording medium storing a control program for accessing to one of a plurality of servers, which are under the management of a dispatcher, from both of first and second information terminals, said program including a program code which contains instructions for accessing a managing table storing information which can specify the one of the plurality of servers accessed from said first information terminal via said dispatcher and information which can specify said first information terminal in correlation to each other;

and instructions for accessing said one of the plurality of servers from said second information terminal based on a matching table storing the information which can specify said first information terminal, information which can specify said second information terminal and the information which can specify said one of the plurality of servers in correlation to each other.