Systems and methods for managing cookies via HTTP content layer

• US 7,925,694 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Harris, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/875,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

The cookie management system and methods of the present solution address issues with rewriting cookie headers by handling cookies in the content layer of HTTP instead of the HTTP transaction layer. The present solution maintains cookie information for a browser via an intermediary and installs the correct cookie parameters in the browser via the HTTP content layer. Instead of using the headers of the HTTP transaction layer which may cause issues due to rewriting, the present solution manages the cookies outside of this layer. This avoids the browser managing the cookies incorrectly. Set cookies headers served from a server in response to client HTTP requests are removed by the intermediary. Cookie information from the headers are stored in a cookie jar on the intermediary. The intermediary delivers instructions and scripts via the content layer of the HTTP response to set the cookie in the browser. The scripts detect browser changes to the cookie and communicates the changes to the intermediary to update the cookie jar. With the present solution, the domain and path names of a cookie are set correctly on the browser when delivering content via a reverse proxy.

Claims

1. A method for managing browser cookies by an intermediary between a client and server via content of an Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by an intermediary between a client and server, a response of the server to a request of the client, the response comprising a message body and a header, the header comprising cookie information specifying a domain and a path;

(b) removing, by the intermediary, the cookie information from the header of the response;

(c) modifying, by the intermediary, the message body of the response to include script instructions for execution by a browser of the client to set a value of the domain and the path of the cookie based on cookie information stored in a storage element, to include an identification of a Uniform Resource Locator of a script for execution by the browser to detect a change to the cookie by the browser; and

(d) forwarding, by the intermediary, the modified response to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying a Uniform Resource Locator of a location in storage of the intermediary.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the intermediary, a request to update the cookie information of the intermediary from the script detecting the change to the cookie, and in response to the message, making the change to the cookie information stored in the storage element.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the intermediary, a request from the browser including a second cookie having encoded values representing changes to the cookie, and in response to receiving the second cookie, updating the cookie information in the storage element based on the second cookie.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising modifying, by the intermediary, the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to detect an event of the browser to one of an add, delete or modify the cookie.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising modifying, by the intermediary, the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to remove the cookie upon detection of an unload event of the browser.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising rewriting, by the intermediary providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server, a Uniform Resource Locator in the modified response to translate the Uniform Resource Locator between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising rewriting, by the intermediary providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server, the domain and the path of the cookie information in the modified response to translate between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the intermediary, from the browser a second request, modifying the header of the request to include cookie information stored in the storage element, and forwarding the modified request to the server.

10. A method for managing browser cookies by an intermediary between a client and server via content of an Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by an intermediary between a client and server, a response of the server to a request of the client, the response comprising a message body and a header, the header comprising cookie information specifying a domain and a path;

(b) removing, by the intermediary, the cookie information from the header of the response;

(c) modifying, by the intermediary, the message body of the response to include script instructions for execution by a browser of the client to set a value of the domain and the path of the cookie based on cookie information stored in a storage element and to insert instructions of a script for execution by the browser to detect a change to the cookie by the browser; and

(d) forwarding, by the intermediary, the modified response to the client.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising identifying a Uniform Resource Locator of a location in storage of the intermediary.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising receiving, by the intermediary, a request to update the cookie information of the intermediary from the script detecting the change to the cookie, and in response to the message, making the change to the cookie information stored in the storage element.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving, by the intermediary, a request from the browser including a second cookie having encoded values representing changes to the cookie, and in response to receiving the second cookie, updating the cookie information in the storage element based on the second cookie.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising modifying, by the intermediary, the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to detect an event of the browser to one of an add, delete or modify the cookie.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising modifying, by the intermediary, the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to remove the cookie upon detection of an unload event of the browser.

16. The method of claim 10, comprising rewriting, by the intermediary providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server, a Uniform Resource Locator in the modified response to translate the Uniform Resource Locator between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising rewriting, by the intermediary providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server, the domain and the path of the cookie information in the modified response to translate between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

18. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving, by the intermediary, from the browser a second request, modifying the header of the request to include cookie information stored in the storage element, and forwarding the modified request to the server.

19. A system for managing browser cookies by an intermediary between a client and server via content of an Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message, the system comprising:

a device intermediary to a client and a server;

an engine executing on the device receiving a response of the server to a request of the client, the response comprising a message body and a header, the header comprising cookie information specifying a domain and a path;

wherein the engine removes the cookie information from the header of the response; and

modifies the message body of the response to include script instructions for execution by a browser of the client to set a value of the domain and the path of the cookie based on cookie information stored in a storage element, to include an identification of a Uniform Resource Locator of a script for execution by the browser to detect a change to the cookie by the browser; and

wherein the device forwards the modified response to the client.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the device identifies a Uniform Resource Locator of a location in storage of the intermediary.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the device receives a request to update the cookie information of the intermediary from the script detecting the change to the cookie, and in response to the message, makes the change to the cookie information stored in the storage element.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the device receives a request from the browser including a second cookie having encoded values representing changes to the cookie, and in response to receiving the second cookie, updates the cookie information in the storage element based on the second cookie.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the device modifies the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to detect an event of the browser to one of an add, delete or modify the cookie.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the device modifies the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to remove the cookie upon detection of an unload event of the browser.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the device providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server rewrites a Uniform Resource Locator in the modified response to translate the Uniform Resource Locator between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the device providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server rewrites the domain and the path of the cookie information in the modified response to translate between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the device receives from the browser a second request, modifying the header of the request to include cookie information stored in the storage element, and forwarding the modified request to the server.

28. A system for managing browser cookies by an intermediary between a client and server via content of an Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message, the system comprising:

a device intermediary to a client and a server;

an engine executing on the device receiving a response of the server to a request of the client, the response comprising a message body and a header, the header comprising cookie information specifying a domain and a path;

wherein the engine removes the cookie information from the header of the response; and

modifies the message body of the response to include script instructions for execution by a browser of the client to set a value of the domain and the path of the cookie based on cookie information stored in a storage element and to insert instructions of a script for execution by the browser to detect a change to the cookie by the browser; and

wherein the device forwards the modified response to the client.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the device identifies a Uniform Resource Locator of a location in storage of the intermediary.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the device receives a request to update the cookie information of the intermediary from the script detecting the change to the cookie, and in response to the message, makes the change to the cookie information stored in the storage element.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the device receives a request from the browser including a second cookie having encoded values representing changes to the cookie, and in response to receiving the second cookie, updates the cookie information in the storage element based on the second cookie.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the device modifies the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to detect an event of the browser to one of an add, delete or modify the cookie.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the device modifies the message body of the response to include one or more scripts to remove the cookie upon detection of an unload event of the browser.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the device providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server rewrites a Uniform Resource Locator in the modified response to translate the Uniform Resource Locator between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the device providing a virtual private network connection between the client and the server rewrites the domain and the path of the cookie information in the modified response to translate between a first network of the client and a second network of the server.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the device receives from the browser a second request, modifying the header of the request to include cookie information stored in the storage element, and forwarding the modified request to the server.