Method and apparatus for detecting and processing multiple additional requests from a single user at a server in a distributed data processing system

• US 6,725,252 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mall, Michael Gerard, Rosengren, Steven Edward, Himmel, Maria Azua
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/325,401
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/227, 709/228, 715/500
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a distributed data processing system for processing requests for documents. A request is received from a user for a selected page at a server. The selected page is returned to the user with a unique token, wherein each user is sent a unique token. Responsive to receiving a new request for a page, a determination is made as to whether the new request includes the unique token. Responsive to receiving the new request including the unique token, a determination is made as to whether a previous request from this user is simultaneously being processed by the server. Responsive to a new request having been received for a document while another prior request is pending, the new request is processed by either rejecting the new request, or by canceling the previous request and processing the new request, or by delaying the processing of the new request until the previous request has completed.

Claims

1. A method in a distributed data processing system for processing requests for documents, the method comprising the data processing system, implemented steps of:

responsive to receiving a request from a client for a document, determining whether a prior request for the document is being processed; and

responsive to a determination that a prior request for the document is being processed, canceling the request and processing the prior request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the prior request for the document is being processed, sending a message to the client indicating that the prior request is being processed and that additional requests will be unprocessed until processing of the prior request has completed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is a web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether a prior request for the document is being processed comprises determining whether a unique identifier is associated with the request and whether a prior request associated with the unique identifier is being processed.

5. A method in a distributed data processing system for processing requests for documents, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving a request via hypertext transfer protocol from a client for a selected page at a server;

returning the selected page to the client with a unique token, wherein each client is sent a unique token;

responsive to receiving a current request for the page, determining whether the current request includes the unique token;

responsive to receiving the current request including the unique token, determining whether a pending request is present for the document; and

responsive to a pending request being present for the document, canceling the current request and processing only the pending request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the page is a web page.

7. A method in a data processing system for processing requests for documents, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving a current request from a user;

determining whether the current request includes a unique identifier;

responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, determining whether a previous request from the user is being processed based on the unique identifier; and

responsive to a determination that a previous request from the user is being processed, canceling of the current request.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

sending a message to the user, wherein the message indicates that a request is already being processed by the server and that the request must be processed before new requests can be accepted from the user.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

responsive to a unique identifier being absent from the current request, sending a unique identifier to the user for use in future requests to the server.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of receiving a current request comprises:

receiving a current request for a document from a user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step, responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, determining whether a previous request from the user is being processed based on the unique identifier comprises:

responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, determining whether a previous request for the document from the user is being processed based on the unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is a token.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is located in a cookie.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is located in a certificate.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique identifier is located in a hidden field.

16. A method in a data processing system for processing requests for documents, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving a current request for a web page from a user,

determining whether the current request includes a unique identifier;

responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, determining whether a previous request from the user is being processed based on the unique identifier; and

responsive to a determination that a previous request from the user is being processed, canceling the current request.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the previous request is for a first web page and wherein the current request is for a second web page.

18. A distributed data processing system comprising:

a network;

a plurality of clients connected to the network, wherein the plurality of clients generate requests for documents; and

a server connected to the network, wherein the server has a number of modes of operation including;

a first mode of operation in which the server monitors for a request for a document;

a second mode of operation, responsive to receiving a request as a current request, in which the server determines whether the current request for the document includes a unique identifier;

a third mode of operation, responsive to the current request for the document including the unique identifier, in which the server determines whether a pending request from the client is being processed based on the unique identifier; and

a fourth mode of operation, responsive to a determination that a pending request from the client is being processed, in which the server cancels the current request.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the pending request is for the document.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the pending request is for another document.

21. The distributed data processing system of claim 18, wherein the distributed data processing system is an Internet.

22. The distributed data processing system of claim 18, wherein the distributed data processing system is an intranet.

23. A data processing system for processing requests for documents, the data processing system comprising:

determining means, responsive to receiving a request from a client for a document, for determining whether a prior request for the document is being processed; and

selective means, responsive to a determination that a prior request for the document is being processed, for canceling the request.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, further comprising:

sending means for sending a message to the client indicating that a prior request is being processed and that additional requests will be unprocessed until processing of the prior request has completed.

25. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the document is a web page.

26. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the means of determining whether a prior request for the document is being processed comprises determining whether a unique identifier is associated with the request and whether a prior request associated with the unique identifier is being processed.

27. A data processing system for processing requests for documents, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving via hypertext transfer protocol a request from a client for a selected page at a server;

returning means for returning the selected page to the client with a unique token, wherein each client is sent a unique token;

first determining means, responsive to receiving a current request for the page, for determining whether the current request includes the unique token;

second determining means, responsive to receiving the current request including the unique token, for determining whether a pending request is present for the document; and

processing means, responsive to a pending request being present for the document, for canceling the current request and processing only the pending request.

28. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the page is a web page.

29. A data processing system for processing requests for documents, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a current request for a web page from a client;

first determining means for determining whether the current request includes a unique identifier;

second determining means, responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, for determining whether a previous request from the client is being processed based on the unique identifier; and

processing means, responsive to a determination that a previous request from the client is being processed, for canceling the current request.

30. The data processing system of claim 29 further comprising:

sending means for sending a message to the client, wherein the message indicates that a request is already being processed by the server and that the request must be processed before new requests can be accepted.

31. The data processing system of claim 29 further comprising:

sending means, responsive to a unique identifier being absent from the current request, for sending a unique identifier to the client for use in future requests to the server.

32. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving a current request comprises:

receiving means for receiving a current request for a document from a client.

33. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the means, responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, determining whether a previous request from the client is being processed based on the unique identifier comprises:

determining means, responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, for determining whether a previous request for the document from the client is being processed based on the unique identifier.

34. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the unique identifier is a token.

35. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the unique identifier is located in a cookie.

36. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the unique identifier is located in a certificate.

37. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the unique identifier is located in a hidden field.

38. A data processing system for processing requests for documents, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a current request for a web page from a user;

first determining means for determining whether the current request includes a unique identifier;

second determining means, responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, for determining whether a previous request from the user is being processed based on the unique identifier; and

processing means, responsive to a determination that a previous request from the user is being processed, for canceling the current request.

39. The data processing system of claim 38, wherein the previous request is for a first web page and wherein the current request is for a second web page.

40. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing requests for documents, the computer program comprising:

first instructions for receiving via hypertext transfer protocol a request from a client for a selected page at a server;

second instructions for returning the selected page to the client with a unique token, wherein each client is sent a unique token;

third instructions, responsive to receiving a current request for the page, for determining whether the current request includes the unique token;

fourth instructions, responsive to receiving the current request including the unique token, for determining whether a pending request is present for the document; and

fifth instructions, responsive to a pending request being present for the document, for canceling the current request and processing only the pending request.

41. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing requests for documents, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a current request for a web page from a user;

second instructions for determining whether the current request includes a unique identifier;

third instructions, responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, for determining whether a previous request from the user is being processed based on the unique identifier; and

fourth instructions, responsive to a determination that a previous request from the user is being processed, for canceling the current request.

42. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing requests for documents, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a current request from a user;

second instructions for determining whether the current request includes a unique identifier;

third instructions, responsive to the current request including the unique identifier, for determining whether a previous request from the user is being processed based on the unique identifier; and

fourth instructions, responsive to a determination that a previous request from the user is being processed, for canceling one of the current request.

43. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing requests for documents, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions, responsive to receiving a request from a client for a document, for determining whether a prior request for the document is being processed; and

second instructions, responsive to a determination that a prior request for the document is being processed, for canceling the request.