Multi-use application proxy

• US 8,849,944 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, James Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): BARQADLE, YASIN M
• Application Number:
  US11/998,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-203, 709217-226
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Some embodiments of a multi-use application proxy have been presented. In one embodiment, an application proxy is executed as an intermediary a set of applications. The application proxy performs multiple functions between the set of applications. For example, the application proxy aggregates interactions between the applications and a client in one embodiment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing, by a processing device, an application proxy as an intermediary between a plurality of applications separate from the application proxy;

performing, by the application proxy, a plurality of functions between the plurality of applications and a client separate from the application proxy, the plurality of functions producing a corresponding plurality of responses received from the plurality of applications, a first function of the plurality of functions comprising executing a value-add-on application in view of the plurality of responses to produce a value-add-on response, a second function of the plurality of functions comprising prioritizing conflicts in sets of data within the responses received from the plurality of applications, wherein corresponding responses to the plurality of functions and the value-add-on response are presented to the client as a single combined response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

emulating at least one of a request and a response to a first one of the plurality of applications as if the at least one of the request and the response is from a second one of the plurality of applications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

processing data received from one of the plurality of applications; and

sending the processed data to a client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

injecting faults into the interactions between the plurality of applications and a client to test a communication protocol adopted by the plurality of applications and the client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

providing a firewall between an internal network and an external network, wherein a first one of the plurality of applications is over the internal network and a second one of the plurality of applications is over the external network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application proxy is executed on a proxy server communicatively coupled to a plurality of application servers, and the plurality of applications are executed on the plurality of application servers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application proxy is executed on an application server, and at least one of the plurality of applications is executed on the application server.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device coupled to the memory to;

execute an application proxy as an intermediary between a plurality of applications separate from the application proxy;

perform a plurality of functions between the plurality of applications and a client separate from the application proxy, the plurality of functions producing a corresponding plurality of responses received from the plurality of applications, a first function of the plurality of functions comprising executing a value-add-on application in view of the plurality of responses to produce a value-add-on response, a second function of the plurality of functions comprising prioritizing conflicts in sets of data within the responses received from the plurality of applications, wherein corresponding responses to the plurality of functions and the value-add-on response are presented to the client as a single combined response.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

emulating at least one of a request and a response to a first one of the plurality of applications as if the at least one of the request and the response is from a second one of the plurality of applications.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

injecting faults into the interactions between the plurality of applications and the client to test a communication protocol adopted by the plurality of applications and the client.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

providing a firewall between an internal network and an external network, wherein a first one of the plurality of applications is over the internal network and a second one of the plurality of applications is over the external network.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the application proxy is executed on a proxy server communicatively coupled to a plurality of application servers, and the plurality of applications are executed on the plurality of application servers.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the application proxy is executed on an application server, and at least one of the plurality of applications is executed on the application server.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

executing, by the processing device, an application proxy as an intermediary between a plurality of applications separate from the application proxy;

performing, by the application proxy, a plurality of functions between the plurality of applications and a client separate from the application proxy, the plurality of functions producing a corresponding plurality of responses received from the plurality of applications, a first function of the plurality of functions comprising executing a value-add-on application in view of the plurality of responses to produce a value-add-on response, a second function of the plurality of functions comprising prioritizing conflicts in sets of data within the responses received from the plurality of applications, wherein corresponding responses to the plurality of functions and the value-add-on response are presented to the client as a single combined response.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

emulating at least one of a request and a response to a first one of the plurality of applications as if the at least one of the request and the response is from a second one of the plurality of applications.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, performing the plurality of functions comprises:

processing data received from one of the plurality of applications; and

sending the processed data to a client.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

injecting faults into the interactions between the plurality of applications and a client to test a communication protocol adopted by the plurality of applications and the client.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein performing the plurality of functions comprises:

providing a firewall between an internal network and an external network, wherein a first one of the plurality of applications is over the internal network and a second one of the plurality of applications is over the external network.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the application proxy is executed on a proxy server communicatively coupled to a plurality of application servers, and the plurality of applications are executed on the plurality of application servers.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the application proxy is executed on an application server, and at least one of the plurality of applications is executed on the application server.