System and method for determining the availability of a web page

• US 7,194,531 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelley, Edward E., Wilbrink, Tijs Y., Donker, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Galad; Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano; Sargon N.
• Application Number:
  US10/307,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20040107267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/229, 709/242
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links

Abstract

A process and system that allows a client/server, upon receiving a web page, to invoke a program that reads the page for all links and commences a first ping transaction for each of the links to determine if each link is available. The process and system visually indicate to the client/server an availability status of each of these links so that the client/server can predetermine the success rate with which the client/server will be able to access each of these links, thereby avoiding manually clicking on each of these links to determine a page'"'"'s availability. As some servers may be unavailable due to server or network issues, the process and system continue testing for any links previously not found. This testing continues until the web page is within “n” number of pages from the web page currently being viewed, whereby the client/server may modify the “n” number of pages.

Claims

1. A process for dynamically checking availability of hyperlinks on a web page comprising the steps of:

accessing a first web page having hyperlinks to other web pages;

compiling a single ping transaction containing file structures for all said hyperlinks to other web pages;

determining an availability status of all said hyperlinks to other web pages in a single request using said single ping transaction comprising,

constructing a first single ping transaction containing an address to a common server and an individual file structure for each of a plurality of said hyperlinks to the other web pages accessible by said common server,

sending said first single ping transaction to said common server to determine said availability status for each of said file structures of said hyperlinks,

receiving a return ping transaction containing each of said file structures and a status code indicating said availability status of each of said file structures of the hyperlinks; and

visually indicating said availability status of said hyperlinks to the other web pages on said first web page comprising,

creating a ping table containing said address to said common server and each of said individual file structures for each of said hyperlinks,

storing said status codes indicating said availability status for each of said file structures of the hyperlinks in said ping table,

continually updating said ping table with said status codes indicating a current availability status for each of said hyperlinks, and

refreshing said first web page by dynamically indicating said current availability status for each of said hyperlinks to the other web pages using a visual availability indicator.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said process steps continue for all hyperlinks found on said first web page by constructing at least a second single ping transaction containing a second address to a second common server and individual file structures for others of said hyperlinks to the other web pages accessible by said second common server.

3. The process of claim 1 further including a time delay for a predetermined amount of time when said common server is non-responsive, said time delay indicating an expected length of time for accessing said common server that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein said time delay has exceeded said predetermined threshold further including the step of resending said ping transaction to said common server to determine said availability status for each of said file structures of the hyperlinks.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said visual availability indicator comprises a display selected from the group consisting of color indicators, sounds, graphical displays, tables, highlighting, a change of text, underlining and brackets.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein a plurality of differing current availability status for said hyperlinks to the other web pages are simultaneously visually indicated on said first web page using a variety of differing visual availability indicators.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein said variety of differing visual availability indicators simultaneously indicate those hyperlinks to other web pages that are available, those hyperlinks to other web pages that are not available and those hyperlinks to other web pages for which a time delay has occurred.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of continually updating said ping table with said status codes indicating said current availability status for each of said hyperlinks comprises:

accessing said ping table having said hyperlinks to the other web pages referenced by relative numbers within said ping table;

continually searching for and locating newer versions of said hyperlinks to the other web pages;

replacing said hyperlinks to the other web pages with said newer versions of said hyperlinks; and

identifying said newer versions of said hyperlinks as the currently found hyperlinks to the other web pages by renumbering said relative numbers within said ping table, thereby preventing duplicative hyperlink listings within said ping table.

9. The process of claim 8 further including dynamically maintaining said hotlink search for a predetermined number of web pages away from said first web page.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein at least one of said newer versions of said hyperlinks to other web pages comprises a redirected web page.

11. A system for dynamically checking availability of hyperlinks on a web page, the system to perform the steps of:

accessing a first web page having hyperlinks to other web pages;

compiling a single ping transaction containing file structures for all said hyperlinks to other web pages;

determining an availability status of all the hyperlinks to the other web pages in a single request using said single ping transaction comprising the steps of,

constructing a first single ping transaction containing an address to a common server and an individual file structure for each of a plurality of said hyperlinks to the other web pages accessible by said common server;

sending said first single ping transaction to said common server to determine said availability status for each of said file structures of said hyperlinks; and

receiving a return ping transaction containing each of said file structures and a status code indicating said availability status of each of said file structures of the hyperlinks; and

visually indicating the availability status of the other web pages on the first web page comprising the steps of,

creating a ping table containing said address to said common server and each of said individual file structures for each of said hyperlinks;

storing said status codes indicating said availability status for each of said file structures of the hyperlinks in said ping table;

continually updating said ping table with said status codes indicating a current availability status for each of said hyperlinks, and

refreshing said first web page by dynamically indicating said current availability status for each of said hyperlinks to the other web pages using a visual availability indicator.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the step of continually updating said ping table with said status codes indicating said current availability status for each of said hyperlinks, the system to further perform the steps of:

accessing said ping table having said hyperlinks to the other web pages referenced by relative numbers within said ping table;

continually searching for and locating newer versions of said hyperlinks to the other web pages;

replacing said hyperlinks to the other web pages with said newer versions of said hyperlinks; and

identifying said newer versions of said hyperlinks as the currently found hyperlinks to the other web pages by renumbering said relative numbers within said ping table, thereby preventing duplicative hyperlink listings within said ping table.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said process steps continue for all hyperlinks found on said first web page by constructing at least a second single ping transaction containing a second address to a second common server and individual file structures for others of said hyperlinks to the other web pages accessible by said second common server.

14. The system of claim 11 further to perform the step of including a time delay for a predetermined amount of time when said common server is non-responsive, said time delay indicating an expected length of time for accessing said common server that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein said visual availability indicator of said system comprises a display selected from the group consisting of color indicators, sounds, graphical displays, tables, highlighting, a change of text, underlining and brackets.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein a plurality of differing current availability status for said hyperlinks to the other web pages are simultaneously visually indicated on said first web page using a variety of differing visual availability indicators.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the step of continually updating said ping table with said status codes indicating said current availability status for each of said hyperlinks comprises:

accessing said ping table having said hyperlinks to the other web pages referenced by relative numbers within said ping table;

continually searching for and locating newer versions of said hyperlinks to the other web pages;

replacing said hyperlinks to the other web pages with said newer versions of said hyperlinks; and

identifying said newer versions of said hyperlinks as the currently found hyperlinks to the other web pages by renumbering said relative numbers within said ping table, thereby preventing duplicative hyperlink listings within said ping table.

18. The system of claim 17 further to perform the step of dynamically maintaining said hotlink search for a predetermined number of web pages away from said first web page.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein at least one of said newer versions of said hyperlinks to other web pages comprises a redirected web page.

20. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a process of dynamically checking availability of hyperlinks on a web page comprising the steps of:

accessing a first web page having hyperlinks to other web pages;

compiling a single ping transaction containing file structures for all said hyperlinks to other web pages;

determining an availability status of all said hyperlinks to other web pages in a single request using said single ping transaction comprising the steps of,

constructing a first single ping transaction containing an address to a common server and an individual file structure for each of a plurality of said hyperlinks to the other web pages accessible by said common server;

sending said first single ping transaction to said common server to determine said availability status for each of said file structures of said hyperlinks; and

receiving a return ping transaction containing each of said file structures and a status code indicating said availability status of each of said file structures of the hyperlinks; and

visually indicating said availability status of the other web pages on said first web page comprising the steps of,

creating a ping table containing said address to said common server and each of said individual file structures for each of said hyperlinks;

storing said status codes indicating said availability status for each of said file structures of the hyperlinks in said ping table;

continually updating said ping table with said status codes indicating a current availability status for each of said hyperlinks; and

refreshing said first web page by dynamically indicating said current availability status for each of said hyperlinks to the other web pages using a visual availability indicator.