Managing multiple sessions for a user of a portal

• US 9,313,277 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yan, Shunguo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US12/054,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,940 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/227, 707/3, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for managing multiple sessions for a user on a portal are disclosed. More particularly, mechanisms are provided for managing multiple user sessions with backend applications of a portal are disclosed. Embodiments include a portal having a client interaction module for interacting with a user and a portlet application module for interacting with a backend application on an application server. A further embodiment provides a session manager for retrieving application session data from an application session data cache and inserting it into a user request, and for removing application session data from a content transmission from a backend application. in some embodiments, a session data cache for storing portal session data and application session data is provided. The session data cache may store application session data for each session established by a user with backend applications.

Claims

1. A method for managing sessions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor on a portal server, a request from a user for content from a backend application running on a backend server;

determining, by the processor, whether an application session has already been established by the portal server with the backend application, wherein the determination is performed by searching a session information cache for existing application session data related to the backend application;

responsive to the application session data existing in the session information cache indicating that the application session with the backend application has already been established, inserting, by the processor, the application session data from the session information cache into the request; and

forwarding, by the processor, the request with the application session data to the backend application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the processor, a portal session for the user on the portal server, wherein the port session comprises a portal session identifier; and

saving, by the processor, the portal session identifier to the session information cache as portal session data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a content transmission having application session data and content from the backend application;

determining, by the processor, whether the application session data is new application session data;

responsive to the application session data being the new application session data, consolidating, by the processor, the new application session data into the session information cache;

removing, by the processor, the new application session data from the content transmission; and

forwarding, by the processor, the content to the user along with the portal session data retrieved from the session information cache.

4. The method of claim. 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor;

a content transmission from the backend application;

determining, by the processor, whether the content transmission comprises application session data that includes a cookie; and

responsive to the content transmission comprising application session data that includes a cookie, forwarding, by the processor, the content transmission as is to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request from the user comprises receiving portal session data from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the session information cache comprises portal session data and application session data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application session data comprises an application session identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application session data comprises an indication of an application session format.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application session data comprises an application session string.

10. A computer readable storage device containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system on a portal server, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a user for content from a backend application running on a backend server;

determining whether an application session has already been established by the data processing system with the backend application, wherein the determination is performed by searching a session information cache for existing application session data related to the backend application;

responsive to the application session data existing in the session information cache indicating that the application session with the backend application has already been established, inserting the application session data from the session information cache into the request; and

forwarding the request With the application session data to the backend application.

11. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising:

establishing a portal session for the user on the portal server, wherein the port session comprises a portal session identifier; and

saving the portal session identifier to the session information cache as portal session data.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a content transmission having application session data and content from the backend application;

determining whether the application session data is new application session data;

responsive to the application session data being the new application session data, consolidating the new application session data into the session information cache;

removing the new application session data from the content transmission; and

forwarding the content to the user along with the portal session data retrieved from the session information cache.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a content transmission from the backend application;

determining whether the content transmission comprises application session data that includes a cookie; and

responsive to the content transmission comprising application session data that includes a cookie, forward the content transmission as is to the user.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein receiving the request from the user comprises receiving portal session data from the user.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the session information cache comprises portal session data and application session data.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the application session data comprises an application session identifier.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the application session data comprises an indication of an application session format.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the application session data comprises an application session string.

19. A data processing system for managing sessions on a portal server, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable memory coupled to the processor, wherein the computer readable memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a request from a user for content from a backend application running on a backend server of a portal;

determine whether an application session has already been established by the portal server with the backend application, wherein the determination is performed by searching a session data cache for existing application session data related to the backend application;

responsive to the application session data existing in the session data cache indicating that the application session with the backend application has already been established, insert the application session data from the session data cache into the request; and

forward the request with the application session data to the backend application.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

establish a portal session for the user on the portal server, wherein the portal session comprises a portal session identifier; and

save the portal session identifier to the session data cache as portal session data.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a content transmission having application session data and content from the backend application;

determine whether the application session data is new application session data;

responsive to the application session data being the new application session data, consolidate the new application session data into the session data cache;

remove the new application session data from the content transmission; and

forward the content to the user along with the portal session data retrieved from the session data cache.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a content transmission from the backend application;

determine whether the content transmission comprises application session data that includes a cookie; and

responsive to the content transmission comprising application session data that includes a cookie, forward the content transmission as is to the user.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein receiving the request from the user comprises receiving portal session data from the user.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the session data cache comprises portal session data and application session data.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the application session data comprises an application session identifier.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the application session data comprises an indication of an application session format.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the application session data comprises an application session string.