In-server redirection of HTTP requests

• US 9,065,865 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Mo, Jianxiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): TURRIATE GASTULO, JUAN CARLOS
• Application Number:
  US12/602,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/228, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A method and system for HTTP request service identify a true URL content regardless of whether the target URL is redirected, and send the true URL content to a client. The requesting and sending of the redirected URL content is done internally in the HTTP server system and do not require the client to have the ability to receive and execute a URL redirection command. The server system receives a URL request from the client and generates within the server a response to the URL request. If the response does not contain any redirection information, the true URL content includes the target URL content; and if the response contains redirection information indicating a redirected URL, the true URL content includes a redirected URL content associated with the redirected URL. The client receives the true URL content in either case by submitting a request for the target URL once.

Claims

1. A server system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing a plurality of components executable by the one or more processors, the plurality of components comprising;

an HTTP server end configured to;

receive, from a mobile device, a URL request for a target content associated with a target URL,

submit the URL request using the target URL,

receive, from a content provider associated with the target content, a response indicating redirection information,

generate a processing result based on the received response; and

a redirection analysis module configured to;

determine whether a redirection is included in the generated processing result,

obtain the target content using the target URL when the redirection is not included in the generated processing result,

obtain the target content using a redirected URL indicated by the generated processing result when the redirection is included in the generated processing result, and

send the target content to the mobile device.

2. The server system as recited in claim 1, wherein the redirection analysis module is configured to determine whether the redirection is included in the generated processing result by identifying a redirection command in an HTTP header of the response.

3. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, a URL request for a target content associated with a target URL,

submitting the URL request using the target URL,

receiving, from a content provider associated with the target content, a response indicating redirection information,

generating a processing result based on the received response;

determining whether a redirection is included in the generated processing result,

obtaining the target content using the target URL when the redirection is not included in the generated processing result,

obtaining the target content using a redirected URL indicated by the generated processing result when the redirection is included in the generated processing result, and

sending the target content to the mobile device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

submitting a redirected URL request to the redirected URL after determining that the redirection is included in the generated processing result; and

receiving the redirected URL content from the redirected URL.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

forwarding the response to a redirection analysis module in a server after receiving the response indicating redirection information;

determining by the redirection analysis module that redirection is to be performed.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein, in response to determining that the redirection to the redirected URL is to be performed, the method further comprises submitting a request to the redirected URL.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the response includes an HTTP header, and the redirected URL is associated with a 3xx redirection command in the HTTP header.

8. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the target URL and the redirected URL are hosted by different servers.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, a URL request for a target content associated with a target URL,

submitting the URL request using the target URL,

receiving, from a content provider associated with the target content, a response indicating redirection information,

generating a processing result based on the received response;

determining whether a redirection is included in the generated processing result,

obtaining the target content using the target URL when the redirection is not included in the generated processing result,

obtaining the target content using a redirected URL indicated by the generated processing result when the redirection is included in the generated processing result, and

sending the target content to the mobile device.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, the acts further comprising:

submitting a redirected URL request to the redirected URL after determining that a redirection is included in the generated processing result; and

receiving redirected URL content from the redirected URL.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, the acts further comprising:

forwarding the response to a redirection analysis module in the server after receiving the response indicating redirection information;

determining by the redirection analysis module that redirection is to be performed.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein, in response to determining that the redirection to a redirected URL is to be performed, the acts further comprise submitting a request to the redirected URL.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the response includes an HTTP header, and the redirected URL is associated with a 3xx redirection command in the HTTP header.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the target URL and the redirected URL are hosted by different servers.