Asynchronous real-time retrieval of data

• US 8,041,776 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Good Technology Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Marl, Coyle Brett, Friedman, Gregory S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US12/708,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/227, 709/201
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user'"'"'s remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server. The gateway server then relays the requested information back to the user'"'"'s remote communication device.

Claims

1. A gateway server, comprising:

a presentation service configured to a data request from a user'"'"'s remote communication device, the data request requesting to receive data from a data store; and

a real-time service configured to relay the data request from the presentation service to an access client associated with the data store,

wherein the presentation service establishes a communication session for conveying data between a requesting remote communication device and the real-time service, and associates the communication session established for an initial data request of the requesting remote communication device with subsequent data requests from the same requesting remote communication device, and

wherein the gateway server

sets a timer, and, when the timer reaches the threshold time, determines whether data requested in the data request has been received after having been retrieved from the data store,

forwards the requested data to the requesting remote communication device when the requested data has been received, and

forwards a message to the requesting remote communication device to continue the communication session when the requested data has not been received.

2. A gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the gateway server is configured to transmit communication session identification data to the user'"'"'s remote communication device before the requested data has been received by the presentation service.

3. A gateway server according to claim 2, wherein the presentation service is configured to associate a resubmitted data request with said initial data request using the communication session identification data transmitted to the user'"'"'s remote communication device, whereby to forward the received data thereto.

4. A gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the presentation service utilizes device characteristics corresponding to the requesting remote communication device to determine said threshold time.

5. The gateway server according to claim 4, wherein the device characteristics correspond to a specific characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

6. The gateway server according to claim 4, wherein the device characteristics correspond to a generic characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

7. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the presentation service includes a cache configured to store the received data.

8. The gateway server according to claim 1, further comprising a directory for use in identifying a connection between one or more access clients and the real-time service.

9. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the data store includes a server device that provides services to one or more client devices and the real-time service is arranged to relay the data requests from the presentation service to an access client associated with the server device.

10. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the gateway server is arranged to select a data store from the group consisting of:

a Microsoft Exchange server, a Lotus Domino server, an IMAP mail store, a POP3 mail store, and a NTFS file system.

11. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the presentation service is configured to receive the data requests from the remote communication device over a wireless network.

12. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein a timing of communications between the real-time service and the access client is independent of a timing of communications between the presentation service and the remote communication device.

13. The gateway server according to claim 1, further comprising a directory storing an entry corresponding to the remote communication device and a corresponding connection between the real-time service and the access client, the entry identifying both the remote communication device and real-time service connected to the access client.

14. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the gateway server provides access to email data, calendar data and directory data.

15. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the data store resides behind a corporate firewall, and the real-time service is configured to relay the data requests from the presentation service to the database through the corporate firewall.

16. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the access client associated with the data stored resides behind a corporate firewall, and the real-time service is configured to relay the data requests from the presentation service to the access client through the corporate firewall.

17. The gateway server according to claim 1, wherein the access client associated with the data store is a public email server, and the real-time service is configured to relay the data requests from the presentation service to the public email server.

18. A method of retrieving data from a data store, comprising:

receiving a data request from a user'"'"'s remote communication device at a presentation service, the data request requesting to receive data from a data store;

providing the received data requests to a real-time service;

relaying the data requests from the real-time service to an access client associated with the data store;

establishing a communication session corresponding to the data request for conveying data between a requesting remote communication device and the real-time service;

setting a timer in respect of the requesting remote communication device, and, when the timer reaches a threshold time, determining whether data requested in the data request has been received after having been retrieved from the data store;

forwarding the requested data to the requesting remote communication device when the requested data has been received;

forwarding a message to the requesting remote communication device to continue the communication session when the requested data has not been received; and

associating the communication session established for an initial data request of the requesting remote communication device with subsequent data requests from the same requesting remote communication device.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the message forwarded to the requesting remote communication device instructs the requesting remote communication device to resubmit the initial data request, the resubmitted initial data request becoming the subsequent data request.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the message causes the requesting remote communication device to automatically resubmit the initial data request.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the message prompts a user of the requesting remote communication device to resubmit the initial data request.

22. The method according to claim 18, comprising transmitting communication session identification data to the user'"'"'s remote communication device before the data has been received by the real-time service.

23. The method according to claim 18, comprising utilizing device characteristics corresponding to the requesting remote communication device to determine the threshold time.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the device characteristics correspond to a specific characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the device characteristics correspond to a generic characteristic type for the requesting remote communication device.

26. The method according to claim 18, further comprising relaying data retrieved from the data store by the access client in response to a data request and storing the retrieved data relayed from the real-time service in a cache provided by the presentation service before forwarding the retrieved data from the presentation service to the requesting remote communication device.

27. The method according to claim 18, further comprising receiving authentication information from the remote communication device at the presentation service.

28. The method according to claim 18, further comprising creating an entry in a directory corresponding to the remote communication device and a connection between the real-time service and the access client, the entry identifying both a user of the remote communication device and the real-time service connected to the access client.

29. The method according to claim 18, wherein the communication session is an entry in memory associating the remote communication device with a communication session value.

30. The method according to claim 18, wherein the communication session identifies a location in memory at which data retrieved from the data store in response to the data request will be stored.

31. The method according to claim 18, wherein the communication session identifies includes a flag indicating if data to be retrieved from the data store in response to the initial data request has been received and stored by the presentation service.

32. The method according to claim 18, wherein relaying the initial data request from the real-time service to an access client associated with the data store includes:

establishing a secure connection between the real-time service and the access client;

providing the access client with encryption information over the secure connection;

encrypting the initial data request with the encryption information; and

relaying the encrypted data request to the access client.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the secure connection is established using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the secure connection is established through a load balancer configured to receive communications for the presentation service.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein the encryption information includes a public encryption session identification and a private encryption key.

36. The method according to claim 32, further comprising receiving, at the real-time service, data retrieved from the data store by the access client in response to the initial data request.

37. The method according to claim 32, wherein receiving data retrieved from the data store by the access client in response to the initial data request includes:

receiving the retrieved data from the access client over an unsecure connection, wherein the retrieved data has been encrypted using the encryption information; and

decrypting the retrieved data using the encryption information.

38. A data retrieval system, comprising:

a data store;

an access client associated with the data store;

a remote communication device that issues a data request, the data request requesting to receive data from the data store;

a presentation service configured to receive the data request from the remote communication device; and

a real-time service configured to maintain a connection with the access client associated with the data store, and relay the data request to the access client via the connection,

wherein the presentation service is configured to establish a communication session for conveying data between a requesting remote communication device and the real-time service, and associate the communication session established for an initial data request of the requesting remote communication device with a subsequent data request from the same requesting remote communication device,

wherein the presentation service;

sets a timer, and, when the timer reaches a threshold time, determines whether data requested in the data request has been received after having been retrieved from the data store,

forwards the requested data to the requesting remote communication device when the requested data has been received, and

forwards a message to the requesting remote communication device to continue the communication session when the requested data has been received.

39. A data retrieval system according to claim 38, wherein the presentation service is configured to transmit communication session identification data to the user'"'"'s remote communication device before the requested data has been received by the presentation service.

40. A data retrieval system according to claim 39, wherein the presentation service is configured to associate a resubmitted data request with said initial data request using the communication session identification data transmitted to the user'"'"'s remote communication device, whereby to forward the received data thereto.