Method and apparatus for transferring context information on web server

• US 8,356,095 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cao, Bao Hua, Li, Jing, Wang, Jian, Wang, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US12/749,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/202, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method for transferring context information on a web server that contains a context pool. The method includes: in response to the web server receiving a message, obtaining context information from the message, generating a unique identifier according to a thread for processing the message, associating the context information with the generated unique identifier, and storing the context information and the associated unique identifier in context pool of web server correlatively. In response to a web server obtaining the context information, generating an identifier according to a thread that is executed currently in the web server, and extracting context information for which an associated unique identifier is matched with the generated identifier from the context pool.

Claims

1. A method of transferring context information from a message to a web server containing a context pool, the method comprising:

receiving a message by the web server, wherein the web server is a SOAP server and the message is a SOAP request, and the web server further comprises a response component for receiving a SOAP request and a request component for sending a SOAP request;

obtaining context information from said message;

generating a unique identifier according to a thread for processing the message;

associating the context information with the generated unique identifier, wherein it is judged whether the context information is valid after obtaining context information and in response to the context information being valid, storing the context information and the associated unique identifier;

storing the context information and the associated unique identifier in the context pool of the web server correlatively, wherein the storing the context information and the associated unique identifier is performed in the response component;

generating an identifier according to a thread that is executed currently in the web server if the web server is required to obtain the context information;

extracting the context information for which the associated unique identifier is matched with the generated identifier from the context pool, wherein the extracting the context information for which the associated unique identifier is matched with the generated identifier is performed in the request component;

checking the context pool periodically for inactive threads by determining whether each thread associated with each piece of stored context information in the context pool exists; and

removing from the context pool each piece of the stored context information where no associated threads exist.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the web server further comprises:

the request component building a SOAP request that contains context information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the context information is information in an envelope of the SOAP request.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is a thread ID of the current thread, and the step of extracting comprises:

in response to there being no context information that is matched with the thread ID of current thread in the context pool, extracting context information for which the associated unique identifier is matched with the parent thread ID of the current thread through the thread tree from the context pool.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

storing a thread tree in the context pool, the thread tree used to record parent-child relationship among respective threads.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the web server supports a thread pool, and the unique identifier and identifier are a combination of the thread ID with a borrow ID of the current thread.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether each thread associated with each piece of stored context information in the context pool exists further comprises:

checking a thread ID associated with each piece of stored context information in the context pool; and

determining whether an associated thread is represented by the thread ID and whether the thread ID is a parent thread ID of the associated thread.

8. An apparatus for transferring context information on a web server that contains a context pool, said apparatus comprising:

a module for obtaining context information from a message received at a web server, wherein the web server is SOAP server and the message is SOAP request, and the web server further comprises;

a response component for receiving SOAP request and a request component for sending SOAP request;

a module for generating a unique identifier according to a thread for processing the message;

a module for associating the context information with the generated unique identifier;

a module for judging whether the context information is valid;

a module for storing the context information and the associated unique identifier in context pool of web server correlatively, wherein the module for storing the context information and the associated unique identifier in the context pool is located in the response component;

a module for generating an identifier according to a thread that is executed currently in web server;

a module for extracting context information for which the associated unique identifier is matched with the generated identifier from the context pool, wherein the module for extracting context information for which the associated unique identifier is matched with the generated identifier is located in the request component; and

a module for checking the context pool periodically and for removing, from the context pool, stored context information for inactive threads based on a determination that each thread associated with a piece of stored context information in the context pool does not exist.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a condition of the web server obtaining the context information comprises:

the request component building a SOAP request containing context information.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the context information is information in an envelope of the SOAP request.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the unique identifier and identifier are the thread ID of the current thread.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a thread tree used to record a parent-child relationship among respective threads is stored in the context pool;

and the module for extracting context information for which an associated unique identifier is matched with the generated unique identifier from the context pool is adapted to extract context information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the web server supports a thread pool, and the unique identifier and identifier are a combination of the thread ID and borrowed ID of the current thread.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination that each thread associated with a piece of stored context information in the context pool does not exist further comprises:

a check of a thread ID associated with each piece of stored context information in the context pool; and

a determination as to whether an associated thread is represented by the thread ID and whether the thread ID is a parent thread ID of the associated thread.