Method and apparatus for dynamic proxy insertion in network traffic flow

• US 6,567,857 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Amit, Baehr, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/363,472
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 709/239, 709/238, 709/242, 370/235, 370/237
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

In embodiments of the invention, a method and apparatus for dynamic proxy insertion in network traffic path is described. According to one or more embodiments of the invention, a request and/or response message may be modified to include one or more thru-proxy tags to identify a network (or traffic) node (e.g., a proxy, server, or intermediary). For example, a request directed to a server or a response directed to a client may be altered to insert a plurality of intermediate or final destination designations. In so doing, a path of a request or response may be altered dynamically. A thru-proxy tag in a response may be inserted in a related request to identify a destination or node such that the request is sent to the destination in the thru-proxy tag before being sent to an origin server. Thru-proxy tags may be used to identify multiple and/or alternate destinations.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method of dynamically inserting a node in network traffic flow comprising:

designating a plurality of intermediary network nodes in a response to a first request;

designating at least one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in a second request when said second request is related to said response, wherein said plurality of intermediary network nodes comprise at least two intermediary network node designations;

directing said second request to said at least two intermediary network node designations according to an order of designation in said second request.

2. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to dynamically insert a network node comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate a plurality of intermediary network nodes in a response to a first request;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate at least one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in a second request when said second request is related to said response, wherein;

said plurality of intermediary network nodes comprise at least two intermediary network node designations, said computer program product further comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to direct said second request to said at least two intermediary network node designations according to an order of designation in said second request.

3. In a computer system, a method of dynamically inserting a node in network traffic flow comprising:

designating a plurality of intermediary network nodes in a response to a first request;

designating at least one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in a second request when said second request is related to said response, wherein designating a plurality of intermediary network nodes in a response further comprises;

designating one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in said response as a default intermediary network node;

designating another of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in said response as an override intermediary network node.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said override intermediary network node is related to a portion of said response, said designating at least one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in a second request further comprises:

designating said override intermediary node in said second request when said second request is associated with said portion of said response;

designating said default intermediary network node in said second request when said second request is not associated with said portion of said response.

5. A system comprising:

a first network node configured to generate a response to a first request, said response including a plurality of intermediary network node designations;

a second network node configured to receive said response and to generate a plurality of requests related to said response, said second network node configured to include at least one of said plurality of intermediary network node designations in said plurality of requests, wherein;

one of said plurality of intermediary network node designations is a default and the remainder of said plurality of intermediary network node designation are capable of overriding said default.

6. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to dynamically insert a network node comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate a plurality of intermediary network nodes in a response to a first request;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate at least one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in a second request when said second request is related to said response, wherein;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate a plurality of intermediary network nodes in a response further comprises;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in said response as a default intermediary network node;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate another of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in said response as an override intermediary network node.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein said override intermediary network node is related to a portion of said response, said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate at least one of said plurality of intermediary network nodes in a second request further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate said override intermediary node in said second request when said second request is associated with said portion of said response;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to designate said default intermediary network node in said second request when said second request is not associated with said portion of said response.