Session coupling

• US 7,171,478 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lueckhoff, Hermann, Rai, Ramprasad
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot; Bharat
• Application Number:
  US10/365,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709227-228, 709236-237
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Various implementations for session coupling in a distributed computing system are provided. In one implementation, a first server entity receives a transmission having an identifiable user context from a client entity. In response, the first server entity creates a first session that is related to the identifiable user context. A second server entity receives a transmission related to the first session from the first server entity. In response, the second server entity creates a second session that relates to the identifiable user context. The first and second sessions are coupled to create a common virtual session. The common virtual session is then bound to the identifiable user context so that the first and second server entities recognize that subsequent transmissions from the client entity relate to the common virtual session.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for coupling sessions on server entities, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client entity and at a first server entity, a transmission having an identifiable user context, and in response creating a first session on the first server entity relating to the identifiable user context;

receiving, from the first server entity and at a second server entity, a transmission related to the first session, and in response creating a second session on the second server entity relating to the identifiable user context;

coupling the first and second sessions to create a common virtual session; and

binding the common virtual session to the identifiable user context so that the first and second server entities recognize that subsequent transmissions from the client entity relate to the common virtual session.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein binding the common virtual session to the identifiable user context includes sending a session identifier for the identifiable user context to the client entity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein sending a session identifier for the identifiable user context to the client entity includes sending web-enabled cookie information for the identifiable user context to the client entity.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the second server entity, an additional transmission related to the identifiable user context; and

in response, sending the additional transmission to the first server entity using the common virtual session.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein sending the additional transmission to the first server entity using the common virtual session includes routing the additional transmission through the client entity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein routing the additional transmission through the client entity includes using a persistent connection between the second server entity and the client entity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second server entities perform different functions in the common virtual session.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein creating a first session on the first server entity relating to the identifiable user context includes creating a first session on the first server entity, and wherein the second server entity provides a multi-threaded execution environment.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a transmission having an identifiable user context from a client entity includes receiving a transmission having an identifiable user context from a client entity using a web-based interface.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein receiving a transmission having an identifiable user context from a client entity using a web-based interface includes receiving a transmission having an identifiable user context from a client entity as a result of user input on the client entity.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein creating a first session on the first server entity relating to the identifiable user context includes creating a first session on the first server entity, and wherein the first server entity provides a customer relationship management (CRM) functionality.

12. A computer-implemented method for managing a session between a user and a specified person on a client entity, the method comprising:

sending a first transmission to a first server entity, the first transmission having an identifiable user context for the session between the user and the specified person;

receiving a unique session identifier for the identifiable user context from the first server entity;

storing the unique session identifier;

receiving a second transmission from a second server entity, the second transmission relating to the identifiable user context;

retrieving the unique session identifier; and

sending the unique session identifier and the second transmission to the first server entity.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein receiving a unique session identifier for the identifiable user context from the first server entity includes receiving web-enabled cookie information for the identifiable user context from the first server entity.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein receiving a second transmission from a second server entity includes receiving a second transmission from a second server entity using a persistent connection.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first and second server entities perform different functions for the identifiable user context.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein sending a first transmission to a first server entity includes sending a first transmission to a first server entity using a web-based interface.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the method comprises managing a session between a calling agent and a customer.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client entity and at a first server entity, a transmission having an identifiable user context, and in response creating a first session on the first server entity relating to the identifiable user context;

receiving, from the first server entity and at a second server entity, a transmission related to the first session, and in response creating a second session on the second server entity relating to the identifiable user context;

coupling the first and second sessions to create a common virtual session; and

binding the common virtual session to the identifiable user context so that the first and second server entities recognize that subsequent transmissions from the client entity relate to the common virtual session.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method, the method comprising:

sending a first transmission to a first server entity, the first transmission having an identifiable user context for a session between a user and a specified person;

receiving a unique session identifier for the identifiable user context from the first server entity;

storing the unique session identifier;

receiving a second transmission from a second server entity, the second transmission relating to the identifiable user context;

retrieving the unique session identifier; and

sending the unique session identifier and the second transmission to the first server entity.

20. A server system, comprising:

a first server entity to receive from a client entity a transmission having an identifiable user context, and in response create a first session on the first server entity relating to the identifiable user context;

a second server entity to receive from the first server entity a transmission related to the first session, and in response create a second session on the second server entity relating to the identifiable user context;

wherein the server system includes functionality to couple the first and second sessions to create a common virtual session, and to bind the common virtual session to the identifiable user context so that the first and second server entities recognize that subsequent transmissions from the client entity relate to the common virtual session.

21. The server system of claim 20, wherein the first and second server entities perform different functions for the identifiable user context.

22. The server system of claim 20, wherein the first server entity includes a web-based interface to communicate with the client entity.

23. A client system, comprising:

a storage mechanism; and

a session manager coupled to the storage mechanism, the session manager having functionality to;

send a first transmission to a first server entity, the first transmission having an identifiable user context for a session between a user and a specified person;

receive a unique session identifier for the identifiable user context from the first server entity;

store the unique session identifier in the storage mechanism;

receive a second transmission from a second server entity, the second transmission relating to the identifiable user context;

retrieve the unique session identifier from the storage mechanism; and

send the unique session identifier and the second transmission to the first server entity.

24. The client system of claim 23, wherein the storage element includes functionality to store web-enabled cookie information for the unique session identifier.

25. The client system of claim 23, wherein the session manager includes a web-enabled interface to communicate with the first and second server entities.