Mechanism for enabling customized session managers to interact with a network server

• US 6,701,367 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2000
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Belkin, Ruslan
• Primary Examiner(s): VOELTZ, EMANUEL T
• Application Number:
  US09/524,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227-229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5016 Session
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5018 Thread allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A mechanism for enabling customized session managers to interact with a network server is disclosed. The mechanism includes a programming interface which enables customized session managers to “plug in” to and to interact with the server. This programming interface makes it possible to change session management functionality without having to make any changes to the core server. It also makes it possible to incorporate multiple session managers into the server. These aspects of the programming interface significantly increase the flexibility and scalability of the web server. In addition to the programming interface, the mechanism further includes a service engine for coordinating the interaction with the session managers. For each client request, the service engine determines which application needs to be invoked. Then, based upon that application, the service engine determines which, if any, associated session manager needs to be invoked to manager session (i.e. state) information for that application. The service engine invokes the session manager via the programming interface. With the programming interface and the service engine, the present invention provides a flexible and scalable mechanism for implementing session management functionality in a network server.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for servicing client requests, comprising:

receiving a first set of multiple associated client requests;

invoking a first application in response to at least one of the requests in said first set of requests;

determining, based upon said first application, a first session manager that is associated with said first application;

invoking, via a programming interface, said first session manager to manage state information for said first application across said first set of requests;

receiving a second set of multiple associated client requests;

invoking a second application in response to at least one of the requests in said second set of requests;

determining, based upon said second application, a second session manager that is associated with said second application;

invoking, via said programming interface, said second session manager to manage state information for said second application across said second set of requests; and

wherein said first session manager and said second session manager provide different implementations for said programming interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said programming interface comprises a definition of an abstract class, and wherein each of said first and second session managers is a subclass of said abstract class.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of said first and second session managers comprises a customized implementation for each method defined for said abstract class, and wherein each of said first and second session managers is invoked by invoking a particular method implementation provided by said first and second session managers.

4. An apparatus for servicing client requests, comprising:

a mechanism for receiving a first set of multiple associated client requests;

a mechanism for invoking a first application in response to at least one of the requests in said first set of requests;

a mechanism for determining, based upon said first application, a first session manager that is associated with said first application;

a mechanism for invoking, via a programming interface, said first session manager to manage state information for said first application across said first set of requests;

a mechanism for receiving a second set of multiple associated client requests;

a mechanism for invoking a second application in response to at least one of the requests in said second set of requests;

a mechanism for determining, based upon said second application, a second session manager that is associated with said second application;

a mechanism for invoking, via said programming interface, said second session manager to manage state information for said second application across said second set of requests; and

wherein said first session manager and said second session manager provide different implementations for said programming interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said programming interface comprises a definition of an abstract class, and wherein each of said first and second session managers is a subclass of said abstract class.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of said first and second session managers comprises a customized implementation for each method defined for said abstract class, and wherein each of said first and second session managers is invoked by invoking a particular method implementation provided by said first and second session managers.

7. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to service client requests, said computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a first set of multiple associated client requests;

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke, via a programming interface, a first application in response to at least one of the requests in said first set of requests;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine, based upon said first application, a first session manager that is associated with said first application;

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke said first session manager to manage state information for said first application across said first set of requests;

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a second set of multiple associated client requests;

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke, via said programming interface, a second application in response to at least one of the requests in said second set of requests;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine, based upon said second application, a second session manager that is associated with said second application;

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke said second session manager to manage state information for said second application across said second set of requests; and

wherein said first session manager and said second session manager provide different implementations for said programming interface.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein said programming interface comprises a definition of an abstract class, and wherein each of said first and second session managers is a subclass of said abstract class.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein each of said first and second session managers comprises a customized implementation for each method defined for said abstract class, and wherein each of said first and second session managers is invoked by invoking a particular method implementation provided by said first and second session managers.