Systems, methods and computer program products for validating web content tailored for display within pervasive computing devices

• US 6,684,257 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Heninger, Ivan M., Camut, Samuel A., Vought, Eric M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US09/419,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/224, 709/219, 714/741, 714/736, 700/231, 700/203, 700/236, 700/217, 700/223
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for testing whether Web content has been properly tailored by a transcoding proxy for display within various requesting pervasive computing devices. Simulated HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests are built using information from one or more data files. Each simulated request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content. Each simulated request also includes an HTTP header containing information about a respective pervasive computing device. Simulated HTTP requests are asynchronously issued to respective Web servers identified in the respective HTTP requests. An HTTP response to each respective simulated HTTP request is received and includes Web content tailored for display within a respective pervasive computing device associated with the respective simulated HTTP request. Each HTTP response is then compared with an expected HTTP response. An HTTP response that does not compare favorably with an expected HTTP response can be saved for later analysis.

Claims

1. A method of validating Web content tailored for display within a pervasive computing device in response to a simulated request from the pervasive computing device generated by a data processing system that is not the pervasive computing device, the method comprising the following steps:

building a simulated HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request of a pervasive computing device via a separate data processing system that is not the pervasive computing device, wherein the simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein the simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about the pervasive computing device;

issuing the simulated HTTP request from the data processing system independently of the pervasive computing device to a Web server identified in the simulated HTTP request;

receiving at the data processing system independently of the pervasive computing device an HTTP response from the Web server, wherein the HTTP response includes Web content tailored for display within the pervasive computing device by a transcoding proxy adapted to tailor Web content for display within pervasive computing devices; and

comparing the received HTTP response with an expected response.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the pervasive computing device information includes at least one of an identification of a browser running on the pervasive computing device, an identification of an operating system running on the pervasive computing device, an identification of characteristics of a display for the pervasive computing device, and an identification of Web content the pervasive computing device is configured to display.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of storing the HTTP response received in response to the simulated HTTP request.

4. The method according to claim 1 further wherein the step of comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response comprises the step of storing the received HTTP response if the received HTTP response does not match the expected HTTP response.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of building a simulated HTTP request via the data processing system comprises:

building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests from a respective plurality of pervasive computing devices via the data processing system, wherein each simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein each simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about a respective pervasive computing device; and

storing the plurality of simulated HTTP requests.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the step of issuing the simulated HTTP request via the data processing system to a Web server identified in the simulated HTTP request comprises asynchronously issuing the plurality of simulated HTTP requests via the data processing system to Web servers identified in each respective simulated HTTP request.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the step of building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests via the data processing system comprises retrieving HTTP header fields and URLs from respective data files.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein the step of comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response comprises comparing each received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response for a pervasive computing device associated with each respective simulated HTTP request.

9. A method of validating Web content tailored for display within a plurality of pervasive computing devices in response to simulated requests from the pervasive computing devices generated by a data processing system that is not one of the pervasive computing devices, the method comprising the following steps:

building a plurality of simulated HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests for one or more pervasive computing devices via a separate data processing system that is not the one or more pervasive computing devices, wherein each simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein each simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about a respective pervasive computing device;

asynchronously issuing each simulated HTTP request from the data processing system independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices to a Web server identified in each respective simulated HTTP request;

receiving at the data processing system independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices an HTTP response to each respective simulated HTTP request, wherein each HTTP response includes Web content tailored for display within a pervasive computing device identified within a respective simulated HTTP request; and

comparing each received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response for a pervasive computing device specified in each respective simulated HTTP request.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein pervasive computing device information within each simulated HTTP request includes at least one of an identification of a browser running on a pervasive computing device, an identification of an operating system running on a pervasive computing device, an identification of characteristics of a pervasive computing device display, and an identification of Web content a pervasive computing device is configured to display.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of storing the HTTP responses received in response to the simulated HTTP requests.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of comparing each received HTTP response with a respective expected HTTP response comprises storing the received HTTP response if the received HTTP response does not match the expected HTTP response.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests comprises retrieving HTTP header fields and URLs from respective data files.

14. A system that validates Web content tailored for display within a pervasive computing device in response to a simulated request from the pervasive computing device generated by a data processing system that is not the pervasive computing device, comprising:

means for building a simulated HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request of a pervasive computing device independently of the pervasive computing device, wherein the simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein the simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about the pervasive computing device;

means for issuing the simulated HTTP request from the data processing system independently of the pervasive computing device to a Web server identified in the simulated HTTP request;

means for receiving at the data processing system independently of the pervasive computing device an HTTP response from the Web server, wherein the HTTP response includes Web content tailored for display within the pervasive computing device by a transcoding proxy adapted to tailor Web content for display within pervasive computing devices; and

means for comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the pervasive computing device information includes at least one of an identification of a browser running on the pervasive computing device, an identification of an operating system running on the pervasive computing device, an identification of characteristics of a display for the pervasive computing device, and an identification of Web content the pervasive computing device is configured to display.

16. The system according to claim 14 wherein the means for receiving an HTTP response from the Web server comprises means for storing the HTTP response.

17. The system according to claim 14 wherein the means for comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response comprises means for storing the received HTTP response if the received HTTP response does not match the expected HTTP response.

18. The system according to claim 14 wherein the means for building a simulated HTTP request comprises:

means for building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests from a respective plurality of pervasive computing devices, wherein each simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein each simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about a respective pervasive computing device; and

means for storing the plurality of simulated HTTP requests.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for issuing the simulated HTTP request via the data processing system to a Web server identified in the simulated HTTP request comprises means for asynchronously issuing the plurality of simulated HTTP requests to Web servers identified in each respective simulated HTTP request.

20. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests via the data processing system comprises means for retrieving HTTP header fields and URLs from respective data files.

21. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response comprises means for comparing each received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response for a pervasive computing device associated with each respective simulated HTTP request.

22. A system that validates Web content tailored for display within a plurality of pervasive computing devices in response to simulated requests from the pervasive computing devices generated by a data processing system that is not one of the pervasive computing devices, comprising:

means for building a plurality of simulated HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests of one or more pervasive computing devices independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices, wherein each simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein each simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about a respective pervasive computing device;

means for asynchronously issuing independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices each simulated HTTP request from the data processing system to a Web server identified in each respective simulated HTTP request;

means for receiving independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices an HTTP response to each respective simulated HTTP request, wherein each HTTP response includes Web content tailored for display within a pervasive computing device identified within a respective simulated HTTP request; and

means for comparing each received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response for a pervasive computing device specified in each respective simulated HTTP request.

23. The system according to claim 22 wherein pervasive computing device information within each simulated HTTP request includes at least one of an identification of a browser running on a pervasive computing device, an identification of an operating system running on a pervasive computing device, an identification of characteristics of a pervasive computing device display, and an identification of Web content a pervasive computing device is configured to display.

24. The system according to claim 22 wherein the means for receiving an HTTP response to each respective simulated HTTP request comprises means for storing the HTTP responses.

25. The system according to claim 22 wherein the means for comparing each received HTTP response with a respective expected HTTP response comprises means for storing the received HTTP response if the received HTTP response does not match the expected HTTP response.

26. The system according to claim 22 wherein the means for building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests comprises means for retrieving HTTP header fields and URLs from respective data files.

27. A computer program product for validating Web content tailored for display within a pervasive computing device in response to a simulated request from the pervasive computing device generated by a data processing system that is not the pervasive computing device, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for building a simulated HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request of a pervasive computing device independently of the pervasive computing device, wherein the simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein the simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about the pervasive computing device;

computer readable program code means for issuing independently of the pervasive computing device the simulated HTTP request from the data processing system to a Web server identified in the simulated HTTP request;

computer readable program code means for receiving independently of the pervasive computing device at the data processing system an HTTP response from the Web server, wherein the HTTP response includes Web content tailored for display within the pervasive computing device by a transcoding proxy adapted to tailor Web content for display within pervasive computing devices; and

computer readable program code means for comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response.

28. The computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the pervasive computing device information includes at least one of an identification of a browser running on the pervasive computing device, an identification of an operating system running on the pervasive computing device, an identification of characteristics of a display for the pervasive computing device, and an identification of Web content the pervasive computing device is configured to display.

29. The computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the computer readable program code means for receiving an HTTP response from the Web server comprises computer readable program code means for storing the HTTP response.

30. The computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the computer readable program code means for comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response comprises computer readable program code means for storing the received HTTP response if the received HTTP response does not match the expected HTTP response.

31. The computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the computer readable program code means for building a simulated HTTP request comprises:

computer readable program code means for building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests from a respective plurality of pervasive computing devices, wherein each simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein each simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about a respective pervasive computing device; and

computer readable program code means for storing the plurality of simulated HTTP requests.

32. The computer program product according to claim 31 wherein the computer readable program code means for issuing the simulated HTTP request via the data processing system to a Web server identified in the simulated HTTP request comprises computer readable program code means for asynchronously issuing the plurality of simulated HTTP requests to Web servers identified in each respective simulated HTTP request.

33. The computer program product according to claim 31 wherein the computer readable program code means for building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests via the data processing system comprises computer readable program code means for retrieving HTTP header fields and URLs from respective data files.

34. The computer program product according to claim 31 wherein the computer readable program code means for comparing the received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response comprises computer readable program code means for comparing each received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response for a pervasive computing device associated with each respective simulated HTTP request.

35. A computer program product that validates Web content tailored for display within a plurality of pervasive computing devices in response to simulated requests from the pervasive computing devices generated by a data processing system that is not one of the pervasive computing devices, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for building a plurality of simulated HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests of one or more pervasive computing devices independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices, wherein each simulated HTTP request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a location of Web content, and wherein each simulated HTTP request includes an HTTP header that contains information about a respective pervasive computing device;

computer readable program code means for asynchronously issuing independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices each simulated HTTP request from the data processing system to a Web server identified in each respective simulated HTTP request;

computer readable program code means for receiving independently of the one or more pervasive computing devices an HTTP response to each respective simulated HTTP request, wherein each HTTP response includes Web content tailored for display within a pervasive computing device identified within a respective simulated HTTP request; and

computer readable program code means for comparing each received HTTP response with an expected HTTP response for a pervasive computing device specified in each respective simulated HTTP request.

36. The computer program product according to claim 35 wherein pervasive computing device information within each simulated HTTP request includes at least one of an identification of a browser running on a pervasive computing device, an identification of an operating system running on a pervasive computing device, an identification of characteristics of a pervasive computing device display, and an identification of Web content a pervasive computing device is configured to display.

37. The computer program product according to claim 35 wherein the computer readable program code means for receiving an HTTP response to each respective simulated HTTP request comprises computer readable program code means for storing the HTTP responses.

38. The computer program product according to claim 35 wherein the computer readable program code means for comparing each received HTTP response with a respective expected HTTP response comprises computer readable program code means for storing the received HTTP response if the received HTTP response does not match the expected HTTP response.

39. The computer program product according to claim 35 wherein the computer readable program code means for building a plurality of simulated HTTP requests comprises computer readable program code means for retrieving HTTP header fields and URLs from respective data files.