In-server redirection of HTTP requests

• US 9,986,056 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• 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): Nguyen, Dustin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Turriate Gastulo, Juan C
• Application Number:
  US15/099,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20160294968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• 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 comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

an HTTP server end and a redirection analysis module stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors, wherein;

the HTTP server end receives a URL request from a client, submits the URL request to a target URL, receives a response returned from the target URL, and sends an HTTP header of the response without other content of the response to a redirection analysis module for a determination of whether a redirection is needed; and

the redirection analysis module receives the HTTP header of the response from the HTTP server end, determines that the redirection is needed based on the HTTP header of the response, and instructs the HTTP server end to submit a new request to a redirected URL to obtain a redirected URL content after determining that the redirection is needed, wherein the HTTP server end sends the redirected URL content to the client without the client supporting a redirection function.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the response includes redirection information indicating the redirected URL.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein the HTTP server end obtains the redirected URL content for the client without the client being aware of whether an activity of the redirection takes place in the server.

3. One or more memories storing executable instructions that, when executed by an HTTP end of a server implemented by one or more computing devices, cause the server to perform acts comprising:

receiving a URL request from a client;

submitting the URL request to a target URL;

receiving a response returned from the target URL;

sending an HTTP header of the response without other content of the response to a redirection analysis module for a determination of whether a redirection is needed to cause the redirection analysis module to receive the HTTP header of the response and determine that the redirection is needed based on the HTTP header of the response;

submitting a new request to a redirected URL to obtain a redirected URL content after determining that the redirection information is needed; and

sending the redirected URL content to the client without the client supporting a redirection function.

4. The one or more memories of claim 3, wherein the response includes redirection information indicating the redirected URL.

9. The one or more memories of claim 3, wherein obtaining the redirected URL content for the client occurs without the client being aware of whether an activity of the redirection takes place.

10. The one or more memories of claim 3, wherein obtaining the redirected URL content for the client occurs when the URL request has been redirected by a provider to a new URL.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, by a HTTP server end of a server, a URL request from a client;

submitting, by the HTTP server end, the URL request from the client to a target URL;

receiving, by the HTTP server end, a response returned from the target URL;

sending, by the HTTP server end, an HTTP header of the response without other content of the response to a redirection analysis module of the server for a determination of whether a redirection is needed;

receiving, by the redirection analysis module, the HTTP header of the response from the HTTP server end;

determining, by the redirection analysis module, that the redirection is needed based on the HTTP header of the response;

instructing, by the redirection analysis module, the HTTP server end to submit a new request to a redirected URL to obtain a redirected URL content after determining that the redirection is needed; and

sending, by the HTTP server end, the redirected URL content to the client without the client supporting a redirection function.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the response includes redirection information indicating the redirected URL.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the redirected URL content for the client occurs without the client being aware of whether an activity of the redirection takes place.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the redirected URL content for the client further occurs when the URL request has been redirected by a provider to a new URL.