High performance client-server communication system

• US 7,325,030 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Robert A., Nazem, Farzad
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, PHILIP C
• Application Number:
  US09/770,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,560 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/238, 709/204, 709/245, 707/204, 710/52
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A communication system includes a client and a sever. The client has a first proxy, a first memory, and a plurality of first processes. The first memory includes a plurality of first slots, each first slot being assigned to one of the plurality of first processes and configured to store data to be transmitted or received by the assigned first process. The server has a second proxy, a second memory, and a plurality of second processes. The second memory includes a plurality of second slots being assigned to one of the plurality of second processes and configured to store data to be transmitted or received by the assigned second process. The first proxy and second proxy are configured to form a communication link with the other.

Claims

1. A method of communicating, the method comprising:

maintaining a connection, via a network, between a first proxy on a first server and a second proxy on a second server;

while maintaining the connection;

a plurality of first processes on the first server communicating with a plurality of second processes on the second server via the connection by;

the plurality of first processes exchanging data with the first proxy via shared memory, wherein each of the plurality of first processes is assigned a unique region of the shared memory, and wherein each unique region of the shared memory has associated therewith a process virtual device driver and a proxy virtual device driver, and wherein each process virtual device driver is configured to cooperate with one of the proxy virtual device drivers to regulate data flow being inputted to and outputted from one of the unique regions of the shared memory; and

wherein the plurality of first processes exchanging the data with the first proxy includes

a given process of the plurality of first processes reading from and writing to, under regulation of the process virtual device driver that is associated with the unique region assigned to the given process, the unique region assigned to the given process; and

the first proxy reading from and writing to, under regulation of the proxy virtual device driver that is associated with the unique region assigned to the given process, the unique region assigned to the given process;

the first proxy exchanging the data via the connection with the second proxy; and

the second proxy exchanging the data with the plurality of second processes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first processes exchanging data with the first proxy via shared memory comprises:

a first process of the plurality of first processes writing data to a region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process; and

the first process causing the state of a process virtual device driver that is associated with the region that is assigned to the first process to change to a first state to indicate that the region is not writeable by the first process, wherein the process virtual device driver has the first state and a second state that indicates that the region is writeable by the first process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first processes exchanging data with the first proxy via shared memory further comprises:

prior to the first process writing data to the region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process, the first process determining whether the region of the shared memory is currently writeable by the first process.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first process determining whether the region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process is currently writeable comprises the first process checking the state of the process virtual device driver.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the first process causing the state of a proxy virtual device driver to change to a first state to indicate that the region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process is readable by the first proxy, wherein the proxy virtual device driver has the first state and a second state that indicates that the region that is assigned to the first process is not readable by the first proxy.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first process causing the state of the proxy virtual device driver to change to the first state comprises the first process writing to the process virtual device driver.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of first processes exchanging data with the first proxy via shared memory further comprises:

in response to the proxy virtual device driver changing to the first state, the first proxy determining that there is data to be read from the region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of first processes exchanging data with the first proxy via shared memory further comprises:

the first proxy reading data from the region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process; and

the first proxy causing the proxy virtual device driver to change to the second state.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the process virtual device driver changing to the second state in response to the proxy virtual device driver changing to the second state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first processes exchanging data with the first proxy via shared memory comprises:

a first process of the plurality of first processes reading data from a region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process; and

the first process causing the state of a process virtual device driver to change to a first state to indicate that the region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process is not readable by the first process, wherein the process virtual device driver has the first state and a second state that indicates that the region of the shared memory that is assigned to the first process is readable by the first process.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the second proxy exchanging data with the plurality of second processes includes the second proxy exchanging data with the plurality of second processes via shared memory.

11. A communication system, comprising:

a first server comprising;

a plurality of first processes;

a first proxy; and

a first shared memory having a plurality of first slots to store first data to be exchanged between the first processes and the first proxy;

each first slot being assigned to one of the first processes;

a plurality of process virtual device drivers, wherein each first slot of the shared memory has associated therewith one of the process virtual device drivers;

a plurality of proxy virtual device drivers, wherein each first slot of the shared memory has associated therewith one of the proxy virtual device drivers;

wherein each process virtual device driver is configured to cooperate with one of the proxy virtual device drivers to regulate data flow being inputted to and outputted from one of the first slots of the shared memory

a second server comprising;

a plurality of second processes;

a second proxy; and

a second shared memory having a plurality of second slots to store second data to be exchanged between the second processes and the second proxy;

each second slot being assigned to a particular one of the second processes;

wherein the first proxy is configured to maintain a connection, via a network, with the second proxy;

wherein the first proxy and the second proxy are configured to exchange the first data and the second data via the connection to allow the plurality of first processes to communicate with the plurality of second processes; and

wherein the first proxy and the plurality of first processes exchange data by;

a given process of the first processes reading from and writing to, under regulation of the process virtual device driver that is associated with the first slot assigned to the given process, the first slot assigned to the given process; and

the first proxy reading from and writing to, under regulation of the proxy virtual device driver that is associated with the first slot assigned to the given process, the first slot assigned to the given process.