Processing data requests using multiple request timers

• US 8,516,084 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Grieve, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/645,162
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to techniques for processing data requests using multiple request timers. An example method includes sending a request for data to an external device and starting a first request timer using a first request timeout value, the first request timeout value specifying a first amount of time to wait for receiving data that is responsive to the request. When first data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, the method includes starting a second request timer using a second request timeout value, the second request timeout value specifying a second amount of time to wait for receiving additional data that is further responsive to the request. The method further includes determining whether the request is unsuccessful based upon expiration of the first request timer or the second request timer.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

upon sending a request for data to an external device, start a first request timer using a first request timeout value, the first request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the request;

when the data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, start a second request timer using a second request timeout value, the second request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving additional data sent from the external device that is further responsive to the request;

when the additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, update the first request timeout value based upon an amount of time between sending of the request and receiving of the data that is responsive to the request, wherein updating the first request timeout value generates a first updated request timeout value; and

upon sending a subsequent request for data to the external device, start the first request timer using the first updated request timeout value, the first updated request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the subsequent request.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

when the additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, update the second request timeout value based upon an amount of time between receiving the data that is responsive to the request and receiving the additional data that is further responsive to the request, wherein updating the second request timeout value generates a second updated request timeout value.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

when the data responsive to the subsequent request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, start the second request timer using the second updated request timeout value, the second updated request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving additional data sent from the external device that is further responsive to the subsequent request.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

update the first updated request timeout value based upon an amount of time between sending the subsequent request and receiving the data that is responsive to the subsequent request; and

update the second updated request timeout value based upon an amount of time between receiving the data that is responsive to the subsequent request and receiving the additional data that is further responsive to the subsequent request.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

when there is any additional data to be received that is further responsive to the request, re-start the second request timer using the second request timeout value; and

when any additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, cancel the second request timer.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

iteratively repeat the re-starting of the second request timer if there is any additional data to be received that is further responsive to the request, and the cancelling of the second request timer if any additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

update the second request timeout value based upon a longest amount of time between receiving of any additional data that is further responsive to the request and receiving of any further additional data that is also responsive to the request.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

when the data responsive to the request is not received prior to expiration of the first request timer, or when the additional data further responsive to the request is not received prior to expiration of the second request timer, abort andre-send the request.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

receive an initial value of the first request timeout value from the external device prior to starting the first request timer; and

receive an initial value of the second request timeout value from the external device prior to starting the second request timer.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the request comprises an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) request, wherein a web application initiates the request via an Extensible Markup Language (XML) object, and wherein the external device comprises a web server.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

when the data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, cancel the first request timer; and

when the additional data further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, cancel the second request timer.

12. A method comprising:

upon sending a request for data to an external device, starting, by a computing device, a first request timer using a first request timeout value, the first request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the request;

when the data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, starting, by the computing device, a second request timer using a second request timeout value, the second request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving additional data sent from the external device that is further responsive to the request;

when the additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, updating, by the computing device, the first request timeout value based upon an amount of time between sending of the request and receiving of the data that is responsive to the request, wherein updating the first request timeout value generates a first updated request timeout value; and

upon sending a subsequent request for data to the external device, starting, by the computing device, the first request timer using the first updated request timeout value, the first updated request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the subsequent request.

13. A method comprising:

sending, from a computing device to an external device, a request for data initiated by a web application;

determining, by the computing device, a type of the request that is indicative of a type of action that is to be performed by the external device in responding to the request;

starting, by the computing device, a first request timer using a first request timeout value, the first request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the request, wherein the first request timeout value is adjusted based upon the type of the request prior to starting the first request timer;

when data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, starting, by the computing device, a second request timer using a second request timeout value, the second request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving additional data sent from the external device that is further responsive to the request; and

determining, by the computing device, whether the request is unsuccessful based upon expiration of the first request timer or the second request timer.

14. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more modules operable by the one or more processors to;

upon sending a request for data to an external device, start a first request timer using a first request timeout value, the first request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the request;

when the data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, start a second request timer using a second request timeout value, the second request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving additional data sent from the external device that is further responsive to the request;

when the additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, update the first request timeout value based upon an amount of time between sending of the request and receiving of the data that is responsive to the request, wherein updating the first request timeout value generates a first updated request timeout value; and

upon sending a subsequent request for data to the external device, start the first request timer using the first updated request timeout value, the first updated request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the subsequent request.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to:

when the additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, update the second request timeout value based upon an amount of time between receiving the data that is responsive to the request and receiving the additional data that is further responsive to the request, wherein updating the second request timeout value generates a second updated request timeout value.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to:

when the data responsive to the subsequent request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, start the second request timer using the second updated request timeout value, the second updated request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving additional data sent from the external device that is further responsive to the subsequent request.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to:

update the first updated request timeout value based upon an amount of time between sending the subsequent request and receiving the data that is responsive to the subsequent request; and

update the second updated request timeout value based upon an amount of time between receiving the data that is responsive to the subsequent request and receiving the additional data that is further responsive to the subsequent request.

18. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to:

when there is any additional data to be received that is further responsive to the request, re-start the second request timer using the second request timeout value; and

when any additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, cancel the second request timer.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to iteratively repeat the starting of the second request timer if there is any additional data to be received that is further responsive to the request, and the cancelling of the second request timer if any additional data that is further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to:

update the second request timeout value based upon a longest amount of time between receiving of any additional data that is further responsive to the request and receiving of any further additional data that is also responsive to the request.

21. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to abort the request when the data responsive to the request is not received prior to expiration of the first request timer or when the additional data further responsive to the request is not received prior to expiration of the second request timer.

22. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to:

receive an initial value of the first request timeout value from the external device prior to starting the first request timer; and

receive an initial value of the second request timeout value from the external device prior to starting the second request timer.

23. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the request comprises an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) request, wherein a web application initiates the request via an Extensible Markup Language (XML) object, and wherein the external device comprises a web server.

24. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more modules are further operable by the one or more processors to:

when the data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, cancel the first request timer; and

when the additional data further responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the second request timer, cancel the second request timer.

25. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more modules operable by the one or more processors to;

send, to an external device, a request for data initiated by a web application;

determine a type of the request that is indicative of a type of action that is to be performed by the external device in responding to the request;

start a first request timer using a first request timeout value, the first request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving data sent from the external device that is responsive to the request, wherein the first request timeout value is adjusted based upon the type of the request prior to starting the first request timer;

when data responsive to the request is received prior to expiration of the first request timer, start a second request timer using a second request timeout value, the second request timeout value specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for receiving additional data sent from the external device that is further responsive to the request; and

determine whether the request is unsuccessful based upon expiration of the first request timer or the second request timer.