Web garden application pools having a plurality of user-mode web applications

• US 7,228,551 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Deily, Eric D., Kruglick, Emily, Karagounis, Vasilios, Stenson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US10/377,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 719/313, 719/310, 719/314, 718/104, 708/102, 708/104, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A web server system is provided which includes a web garden made up of a plurality of instances of a user-mode web application. The web server includes a kernel-mode listener service that is configured to receive web requests and selectively provide the TCP/IP connections to selected instances of the user-mode web application. It does this by establishing a plurality of request queues corresponding to the number of instances of the web application logic. The web server also includes a user-mode administrative process that is configured to selectively start each of the instances of the web application and maintain the size of the resulting web garden, for example, based on a defined maximum web garden size parameter.

Claims

1. A method for creating a web garden within a web server, the method comprising:

determining at least a maximum web garden size of the web garden;

causing a user-mode administrative process to selectively start a plurality of instances of a user-mode web application, a number of said plurality of instances being no greater than said maximum web garden size;

configuring a kernel-mode listener service based on a configuration of said user-mode web application effective to enable said listener service to establish a plurality of request queues corresponding to said number of said plurality of instances;

causing said listener service to establish said plurality of request queues corresponding to said number of said plurality of instances;

causing said administrative process to start said instances of said web application when requested to do so by said listener service;

causing said listener service to request an additional instance of said web application based on demand for said web application; and

causing said listener service to request said additional instance of said web application using a ticket scheme, wherein a ticket being earlier issued by said administrative process is redeemable for a demand start of said additional instance of said web application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said demand is based on receipt of an additional web request.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein causing said listener service to request said additional instance of said web application further includes causing said listener service to always request said additional instance of said web application based on demand for said web application as long as said number of said plurality of instances is no greater than said maximum web garden size.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

causing said listener service to selectively associate a subsequently established connection with a specific one of said plurality of request queues based on a distribution scheme.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said distribution scheme includes a round-robin distribution scheme.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a metabase defining at least said maximum web garden size, and wherein the act of configuring said listener service reads said configuration from a configuration store in the metabase.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

recycling at least one of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein recycling said at least one of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application, further includes staggering recycling of each of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-implemented instructions for configuring at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

creating a web garden within a web server by;

defining at least a maximum web garden size of the web garden;

establishing a user-mode administrative process configured to selectively start a plurality of instances of a user-mode web application, a number of said plurality of instances being no greater than said maximum, web garden size;

configuring a kernel-mode listener service based on a configuration of said web application effective to enable said listener service to establish a plurality of request queues corresponding to said number of said plurality of instances;

causing said listener service to establish said plurality of request queues corresponding to said number of said plurality of instances;

causing said administrative process to start said instances of said web application when requested to do so by said listener service;

configuring said listener service to request an additional instance of said web application based on demand for said web application; and

configuring said listener service to request said additional instance of said web application using a ticket scheme, wherein a ticket being earlier issued by said administrative process is redeemable for a demand start of said additional instance of said web application.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said demand is based on receipt of an additional web request.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, having further computer-implemented instructions for configuring said at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

configuring said listener service to always request said additional instance of said web application based on demand for said web application as long as said number of said plurality of instances is no greater than said maximum web garden size.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, having further computer-implemented instructions for configuring said at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

configuring said listener service to selectively associate a subsequently established connection with a specific one of said plurality of request queues based on a distribution scheme.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein said distribution scheme includes a round-robin distribution scheme.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, having further computer-implemented instructions for configuring said at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

establishing a metabase defining at least said maximum web garden size, and wherein the act of configuring said listener service reads said configuration from a configuration store in the metabase.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, having further computer-implemented instructions for configuring said at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

recycling at least one of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein recycling said at least one of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application, further includes staggering recycling of each of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application.

17. A web server system comprising:

memory;

a web garden stored in said memory, said web garden comprising a plurality of instances of a user-mode web application logic;

a kernel-mode listener service logic operatively coupled to said plurality of instances of said web application logic and configured to receive web requests and selectively provide said web requests to selected ones of said plurality of instances of said web application logic by establishing, based on a configuration of said web application, a plurality of request queues corresponding to said number of said plurality of instances of said web application logic; and

user-mode administrative process logic operatively coupled to said plurality of instances of said web application logic and said listener service logic and configured to selectively start each of said plurality of instances of said web application logic, and wherein a number of said plurality of instances of said web application logic in said web garden is not greater than a defined maximum web garden size,

wherein said administrative process logic is further configured to start said instances of said web application logic when requested to do so by said listener service logic, and wherein said listener service logic is configured to request an additional instance of said web application logic based on demand for said web application, and wherein said listener service logic is further configured to request said additional instance of said web application logic using a ticket scheme wherein a ticket being earlier issued by said administrative process logic is redeemable for a demand start of said additional instance of said web application logic.

18. The web server system as recited in claim 17, wherein said demand is based on receipt of an additional web request.

19. The web server system as recited in claim 17, wherein said listener service logic is configured to always request said additional instance of said web application logic based on demand for said web application logic as long as said number of said plurality of instances is no greater than said maximum web garden size.

20. The web server system as recited in claim 17, wherein said listener service logic is configured to selectively associate a subsequently established connection with a specific one of said plurality of request queues based on a distribution scheme.

21. The web server system as recited in claim 20, wherein said distribution scheme includes a round-robin distribution scheme.

22. The web server system as recited in claim 17, wherein said administrative process logic is further configured to recycle at least one of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application.

23. The web server system as recited in claim 22, wherein said administrative process logic is further configured to stagger said recycling of each of said plurality of instances of said user-mode web application.