Apparatus, system, and method for maintaining a persistent data state on a communications network

• US 7,188,176 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Priceline.com LLC (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Priceline Com Incorporated (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Nedderman, Scott, Taylor, Jonathan, Lenz, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLETT, STEPHAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/707,211
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/227, 709/237, 709/246, 709/249, 707/201
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus, system, and method for the improved tracking of a data state. The present invention allows session states to be maintained by sites that run on multiple, load-balanced servers. The present invention removes a single point of failure in a system, thus preventing all active sessions from being lost by providing persistent session data distributable across one or more machines over a communications network.

Claims

1. A session state method allowing session states to be maintained by sites that run on multiple, load-balanced servers by providing persistent updated session data that is validated in multiple session states distributable across one or more machines over a communications network, comprising:

recalling session information based on a current and corresponding session key upon traversal of a web form segment having a session state,

wherein session information is maintained for multiple web form segments and session states that are associated with the web form segments;

obtaining user provided information via the web form segment;

updating the session information based on the current and corresponding session key with session states for each of the web form segments;

validating the user provided information in each web form segment using the associated session state or states;

retrieving a web form segment for user correction using the associated session state or states where the user provided information was not validated;

obtaining user corrections for any provided information that was not validated; and

posting the user provided information to an information server if the user provided information is validated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cookie.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cache.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a session server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to an information server.

6. A session state system allowing session states to be maintained by sites that run on multiple, load-balanced servers by providing persistent updated session data that is validated in multiple session states distributable across one or more machines over a communications network, comprising:

means for recalling session information based on a current and corresponding session key upon traversal of a web form segment having a session state,

wherein session information is maintained for multiple web form segments and session states that are associated with the web form segments;

means for obtaining user provided information via the web form segment;

means for updating the session information based on the current and corresponding session key with session states for each of the web form segments;

means for validating the user provided information in each web form segment using the associated session state or states;

means for retrieving a web form segment for user correction using the associated session state or states where the user provided information was not validated;

means for obtaining user corrections for any provided information that was not validated; and

means for posting the user provided information to an information server if the user provided information is validated.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cookie.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cache.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a session server.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to an information server.

11. A computer session state program stored on a computer readable medium, the session state program to allow session states to be maintained by sites that run on multiple, load-balanced servers by providing persistent updated session data that is validated in multiple session states distributable across one or more machines over a communications network, comprising:

a module to recall session information based on a current and corresponding session key upon traversal of a web form segment having a session state,

wherein session information is maintained for multiple web form segments and session states that are associated with the web form segments;

a module to obtain user provided information via the web form segment;

a module to update the session information based on the current and corresponding session key with session states for each of the web form segments;

a module to validate the user provided information in each web form segment using the associated session state or states;

a module to retrieve a web form segment for user correction using the associated session state or states where the user provided information was not validated;

a module to obtain user corrections for any provided information that was not validated; and

a module to post the user provided information to an information server if the user provided information is validated.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cookie.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cache.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a session server.

15. The medium of claim 11, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to an information server.

16. A session state apparatus to allow session states to be maintained by sites that run on multiple, load-balanced servers by providing persistent updated session data that is validated in multiple session states distributable across one or more machines over a communications network, comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium, communicatively connected to the processor; and

a program, stored in the storage medium, comprising;

a module to recall session information based on a current and corresponding session key upon traversal of a web form segment having a session state,

wherein session information is maintained for multiple web form segments and session states that are associated with the web form segments;

a module to obtain user provided information via the web form segment;

a module to update the session information based on the current and corresponding session key with session states for each of the web form segments;

a module to validate the user provided information in each web form segment using the associated session state or states;

a module to retrieve a web form segment for user correction using the associated session state or states where the user information was not validated;

a module to obtain user corrections for any provided information that was not validated;

a module to post the user provided information to an information server if the user provided information is validated.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cookie.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a cache.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to a session server.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the updated session information based on the current and corresponding session key is updated to an information server.

21. A method for facilitating persistent updated data management sessions validated in multiple session states, comprising:

recalling session information based on a current and corresponding session key upon traversal of a web form segment having a session state, wherein the session information includes a series of session updated data;

updating the session information based on the current and corresponding session key with session states for each of the web form segments;

obtaining user provided information via the web form segment;

validating the user provided information in each web form segment using the associated session state or states;

retrieving a web form segment for user correction using the associated session state or states where the user provided information was not validated;

obtaining user corrections for any provided information that was not validated; and

posting the user provided information to an information server if the user provided information is validated.