Processing requests transmitted using a first communication protocol directed to an application that uses a second communication protocol

• US 7,945,676 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaczmarski, Michael Allen, Padbidri, Sumant
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fearer; Mark D
• Application Number:
  US11/076,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for processing requests transmitted using a first communication directed to an application that uses a second communication protocol. A request is received from a client over a network in a first communication protocol. A determination is made as to whether the request includes an identifier of an application indicated in a data structure. A socket is processed that enables communication between the application identified by the identifier in response to determining that the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure. The socket is provided to the application associated with the requested resource to enable the application to communicate with the client over the network using a second communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from a client over a network in a first communication protocol;

determining whether the request includes an identifier of an application indicated in a data structure;

processing a socket that enables communication between the application identified by the identifier in response to determining that the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure;

providing the socket to the application identified in the request to enable the application to communicate with the client over the network using a second communication protocol; and

transmitting by the application a response to the request using the second communication protocol and the provided socket, wherein the request from the client in the first communication protocol is sent to a first communication protocol server managing communication using the first communication protocol, wherein communication with the client following the response to the request is conducted using the second communication protocol and the socket and bypasses the first communication protocol server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing the request from the client to the first communication protocol server in response to determining that the request does not include the identifier of one application indicated in the data structure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication protocol comprises the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) protocol, the first communication protocol server comprises an HTTP server, the identifier comprises a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI), and the second communication protocol comprises an application layer protocol other than HTTP.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the request comprises an HTTP GET or POST request.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of identifiers, each identifying one application, are indicated in the data structure, wherein communication may be initiated with the applications whose identifiers are indicated in the data structure using the first communication protocol, further comprising:

monitoring a port for requests to the applications and to the first communication protocol server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure comprises determining whether there is a registered function for the identifier included in the request, and wherein providing the socket to the application comprises calling the registered function with the generated socket.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein further communications from the client to the application occur through the socket using the second communication protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a port for requests in the first communication protocol on a monitor thread; and

spawning an additional thread to generate the socket and provide the socket to the application in response to determining that the request includes the identifier of the application indicated in the data structure.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a registration of a call back function and identifier for an application; and

indicating in the data structure an association of the application, the received call back function, and the received identifier, wherein determining whether the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure comprises determining whether the data structure indicates one call back faction for the identifier in the request, wherein providing the socket to the application identified by the identifier comprises calling the call back function with the generated socket as a parameter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request further includes authentication information, further comprising:

attempting to authenticate the request by processing the authentication information in the request, wherein determining whether the request includes the identifier of the application indicated in the data structure, generating the socket, and providing the socket are performed in response to authenticating the authentication information in the request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a legacy application.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication protocols comprise different application layer protocols.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is directed to a Web Services application, wherein the Web Services application is indicated in the data structure to enable the socket on which the Web Services request is received to be provided to the Web Services application to communicate with the client initiating the Web Services request using the second communication protocol.

14. A system in communication with a client over a network, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor and including a data structure;

a first communication protocol server using a first communication protocol;

a computer readable storage medium including code executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request from the client over the network in the first communication protocol;

determining whether the request includes an identifier of an application indicated in a data structure;

processing a socket that enables communication between the application identified by the identifier in response to determining that the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure;

providing the socket to the application identified in the request to enable the application to communicate with the client over the network using a second communication protocol; and

transmitting by the application a response to the request using the second communication protocol and the provided socket, wherein communication with the client following the receiving of the response is conducted using the second communication protocol and the socket to bypass the first communication protocol server.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise passing the request from the client to the first communication protocol server in response to determining that the request does not include the identifier of one application indicated in the data structure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first communication protocol comprises the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) protocol, the first communication protocol server comprises an HTTP server, the identifier comprises a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI), and the second communication protocol comprises an application layer protocol other than HTTP.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a plurality of identifiers, each identifying one application, are indicated in the data structure, wherein communication may be initiated with the applications whose identifiers are indicated in the data structure using the first communication protocol, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a port for requests to the applications and to the first communication protocol server.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein determining whether the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure comprises determining whether there is a registered function for the identifier included in the request, and wherein providing the socket to the application comprises calling the registered function with the generated socket.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a port for requests in the first communication protocol on a monitor thread; and

spawning an additional thread to generate the socket and provide the socket to the application in response to determining that the request includes the identifier of the application indicated in the data structure.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a registration of a call back function and identifier for an application;

indicating in the data structure an association of the application, the received call back function, and the received identifier, wherein determining whether the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure comprises determining whether the data structure indicates one call back faction for the identifier in the request, wherein providing the socket to the application identified by the identifier comprises calling the call back function with the generated socket as a parameter.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the application comprises a legacy application.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second communication protocols comprise different application layer protocols.

23. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage hardware medium including code executed to communicate with a client over a network, access a data structure, and cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

receiving a request from the client over the network in a first communication protocol;

determining whether the request includes an identifier of an application indicated in the data structure;

processing a socket that enables communication between the application identified by the identifier in response to determining that the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure;

providing the socket to the application identified in the request to enable the application to communicate with the client over the network using a second communication protocol; and

transmitting by the application a response to the request using the second communication protocol and the provided socket, wherein the request from the client in the first communication protocol is sent to a first communication protocol server managing communication using the first communication protocol, wherein communication with the client following the response to the request is conducted using the second communication protocol and the socket and bypasses the first communication protocol server.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

passing the request from the client to the first communication protocol server in response to determining that the request does not include the identifier of one application indicated in the data structure.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the first communication protocol comprises the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) protocol, the first communication protocol server comprises an HTTP server, and the identifier comprises a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI), and the second communication protocol comprises an application layer protocol other than HTTP.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein a plurality of identifiers, each identifying one application, are indicated in the data structure, wherein communication may be initiated with the applications whose identifiers are indicated in the data structure using the first communication protocol, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a port for requests to the applications and to the first communication protocol server.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein determining whether the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure comprises determining whether there is a registered function for the identifier included in the request, and wherein providing the socket to the application comprises calling the registered function with the generated socket.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a port for requests in the first communication protocol on a monitor thread; and

spawning an additional thread to generate the socket and provide the socket to the application in response to determining that the request includes the identifier of the application indicated in the data structure.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a registration of a call back function and identifier for an application; and

indicating in the data structure an association of the application, the received call back function, and the received identifier, wherein determining whether the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure comprises determining whether the data structure indicates one call back faction for the identifier in the request, wherein providing the socket to the application identified by the identifier comprises calling the call back function with the generated socket as a parameter.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the application comprises a legacy application.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the first and second communication protocols comprise different application layer protocols.