System for sending messages to all users in a web hosting environment

• US 6,915,341 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McGee, Jason R., Peters, Brent A., Mitchell, Christopher C., Morton, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Liang-che
• Application Number:
  US10/041,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20030131092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/203, 709/206, 715/733, 714/48
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system of selectively sending messages to clients interacting with a server in a distributed network computing environment. The message is sent from the system administrator to the users by posting a message to a server, detecting receipt at the server of requests for data from users, and sending the message to the users in response to received requests from the users.

Claims

1. A method of selectively sending to clients interacting with a server in a distributed network computing environment a messages having content that is not responsive to requests issued by said clients, said method comprising the steps of:

posting to a server a message from an administrator of said distributed network computer environment concerning operations of said server;

detecting receipt at said server of requests for data from users; and

sending said message to said users responsive to said received requests and said data requested by said clients, said step of sending said message with said data requested by said client comprising the steps of;

combining said message in a frameset with said requested data, said frameset including a first portion comprising said data requested by said client and a second portion comprising said message from said administrator; and

sending said frameset to said client.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said sending step comprises sending said message instead of said data requested by said clients.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying a time period over which said message is to be sent to clients; and

identifying a type for said message, said type indicating whether said message is to be sent to clients along with said requested data or instead of said requested data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said sending step comprises sending said message in response to requests received only during said identified time period.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said sending step further comprises sending said message with said requested data or instead of said requested data as a function of said message type.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of posting said message comprises posting an XML file to said server using an HTTP Post command, said XML file containing said message.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of posting said message comprises posting an XML file to said server using an HTTP Post command, said XML file containing said message.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said steps of identifying a time period and identifying a type for said message comprises sending additional HTTP commands to said server.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of posting said message comprises the use of Simple Object Access Protocol.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of posting said message comprises the use of Simple Object Access Protocol.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said steps of identifying a time period and identifying a type for said message comprises sending additional Simple Object Access Protocol commands to said server.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

clearing all buffers associated with received, but non-committed, requests from clients; and

re-processing said received but non-committed requests.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying all pending requests at the time said message is posted;

segregating said pending requests into committed requests and non-committed requests;

clearing all buffers associated with received, but non-committed, requests from clients; and

re-processing said received but non-committed requests.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of sending said message with said data requested by said client comprises the steps of:

dynamically modifying an HTML file responsive to said request by said client to add said message within said file.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of dynamically modifying comprises adding said contents of said message into said file using a separate <

DIV>

tag.

16. A computer program product for selectively sending to clients interacting with a server in a distributed network computing environment a messages having content that is not responsive to requests from a client, comprising computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium for:

sending to said server a message from a System Administrator of said distributed network computing environment concerning operation of said server;

maintaining said message on said server;

sending said message to said client in response to a browser request for data from said client, along with said data requested by said client, said sending of said message with said data including;

combining said message in a frameset with said requested data, said frameset including a first portion comprising said data requested by said client and a second portion comprising said message from said System Administrator; and

sending said frameset to said client.

17. A computer program product as set forth in claim 16, wherein the computer executable instructions for sending said message to said client in response to a browser request from said client further comprise:

instructions for sending said message along with said data requested by said browser.

18. A computer program product as set forth in claim 16, wherein the computer executable instructions for sending a message from said System Administrator to said server further comprise:

instructions for configuring the message in an XML file and sending the XML file to the server using an HTTP Post command or a Single Object Access Protocol command.

19. A computer program product as set forth in claim 16, wherein the computer executable instructions for maintaining said message on said server are executed using at least one servlet.

20. A computer program product as set forth in claim 16, wherein the computer executable instructions for sending said message to said client in response to a browser request for data from said client further comprise instructions for:

identifying all pending requests at the time said message is sent to said server;

segregating said pending requests into committed requests and non-committed requests;

clearing all buffers associated with received but non-committed requests;

re-processing said received but non-committed requests.

21. A computer program product as set forth in claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions for sending said message to said client in response to a browser request for data from said client further comprise instructions for:

combining said message in a frameset with said requested data; and

sending said frameset to said client.

22. A computer program product as set forth in claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions for sending said message to said client in response to a browser request for data from said client further comprise instructions for:

dynamically modifying an HTML file responsive to said request by said client to add said message within said file; and

sending said file to said client.

23. A method of selectively sending to clients interacting with a server in a distributed network computing environment a series of messages that are not responsive to requests from a client browser, said method comprising the steps of:

posting to a server a first message from an administrator of said distributed network computer environment concerning operations of said server;

maintaining said message on said server for a specified period of time;

detecting receipt at said server of requests for data from a client browser during said specified period of time;

sending said first message in combination with data responsive to said requests to said browser, wherein said requests are received by said server during said specified period of time, said sending said first message in combination with said data responsive to said requests comprising;

combining said message in a frameset with said requested data, said frameset including a first portion comprising said data requested by said client and a second portion comprising said message from said administrator; and

sending said frameset to said client;

posting a second message to a server at the expiration of said specified period of time;

detecting receipt at said server of requests for data from a client browser received after the expiration of said specified period of time; and

sending said second message instead of data responsive to said browser responsive to said requests.

24. A method as set forth in claim 23, wherein said specified period of time is determined by sending additional HTTP commands to said server in conjunction with said first message.

25. A method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the step of detecting receipt at said server of requests for data from a client browser during said specified period of time further comprises the steps of:

identifying all pending requests at the time said first message is posted;

segregating said pending requests into committed requests and non-committed requests;

clearing all buffers associated with received, but non-committed requests; and

re-processing said received but non-committed requests.