Maintaining and caching server connections

• US 10,356,173 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chang, MingChieh (Jackie), Shih, Sheng-Yao (George), Hu, Shu-Yu (Steve), Tsai, Ta-Chung (Terry), Huang, Hsin Hui (Ellen)
• Primary Examiner(s): Elfervig, Taylor A
• Application Number:
  US15/080,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20160337466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 709226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session

Abstract

A set of runspaces with active connections are maintained in a pool. A set of timers are set and, based upon the timers, simple commands are submitted through the runspaces, to maintain the connections in an active state. The runspaces with the active connections can then be used from the cache, without having to open a new connection.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a processor and

memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the computing system to provide;

a set of computing system functionality components configured to;

control a user interface component to generate functionality user interface displays with functionality user input mechanisms that are actuated to perform functionality on a remote endpoint computing, system, over a plurality of connections to the remote endpoint computing system;

a remote connection system that includes;

a plurality of runspace components, each runspace component being associated with one of the connections, in the plurality of connections, and configured to submit a request using the associated connection;

a data store component configured to store runspace order information identifying an order in which the plurality of runspace components were last used to submit requests using the connections; and

a first timer component configured to;

identify the number of runspace components in the plurality of runspace components; and

define a first timeout period that is based cm both;

 

a session timeout period in which connections, in the plurality of connections to the remote endpoint computing system, are disabled by the remote endpoint computing system for lack of use, and

 

the identified number of runspace components; and

a request component configured to;

submit a series of requests through the plurality of runspace components, over each of the connections in the plurality of connections, based on the runspace order information,

wherein the series of requests is submitted intermittently based on the first timeout period.

2. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide:

a set of cache pool systems, each cache pool system

corresponding to a different one of a plurality of endpoint computing systems, and

having an opened runspace cache pool configured to store runspace components that have active connections to the corresponding endpoint computing system.

3. The computing system of claim 2 wherein the first timer component is configured to dynamically vary the first timeout period based on changes to a number of runspace components in the opened runspace cache pools.

4. The computing system of claim 3 wherein the first timer component is configured to define the first timeout period by dividing the session timeout period by the number of runspace components in the opened runspace cache pools.

5. The computing system of claim 3 wherein the data store comprises:

a last known good queue configured to identify the runspace components in the opened runspace cache pools in an order in which they were last used.

6. The computing system of claim 5 wherein the request component is configured to intermittently submit the series of requests by iteratively:

receiving an indication from the first timer component indicative of expiration of the first timeout period; and

in response to the indication,

selecting a runspace component based on the last known good queue; and

submitting a request to the selected runspace component;

wherein, based on the submission of the request to the selected runspace component, the last known good queue is updated.

7. The computing system of claim 6 wherein each cache pool system comprises:

a closed runspace cache pool configured to store runspace components that have closed connections to the corresponding endpoint computing system.

8. The computing system of claim 7 wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide:

a second tinier component configured to generate a second timer output indicative of a second timeout period;

an open component configured to select a runspace component from the closed runspace cache pool and attempt to open a connection corresponding to the selected runspace component; and

a move component configured to, if the open component successfully opens the selected runspace component, move the selected sunspace component to the opened runspace cache pool and enter the selected runspace component in the last known good queue.

9. The computing system of claim 7 wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide:

a third timer component configured to generate a third timer output indicative of a third timeout period; and

a boundary checking component configured to, based on the third timeout period, determine whether a total number of runspace components meets a size change boundary.

10. The computing system of claim 9 wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide:

a size change system configured to change the total number of runspace components in response to the boundary checking component indicating that the total number of runspace components meets the size change boundary.

11. A computer implemented method, comprising;

generating functionality user interface displays with functionality user input mechanisms;

detecting actuation of the functionality user input mechanisms to perform functionality on a remote endpoint computing system, by submitting a functionality request to a runspace component, in a plurality of runspace components having a plurality of connections to the remote endpoint computing system,

each runspace component being associated with one of the connections, in the plurality of connections, and configured to submit a request using the associated connection;

storing runspace order information identifying an order in which the plurality of runspace components were last used to submit requests using the connections;

identifying the number of runspace components in the plurality of runspace components;

generating a keep alive timer output indicative of a keep alive timeout period that is based on both;

a session timeout period in which connections, in the plurality of connections to the remote endpoint computing system, are disabled by the remote endpoint computing system for lack of use, and

the identified number of runspace components; and

submitting a series of requests through the runspace components, over each of the connections in the plurality of connections, based on the runspace order information,

wherein the series of requests is submitted intermittently based on the keep alive timeout period.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 wherein each of a set of cache pool systems corresponds to a different one of a plurality of endpoint computing systems and has an opened runspace cache pool that stores runspace components that have active connections to the corresponding endpoint computing system, and wherein generating the keep alive timer output comprises:

varying the keep alive timeout period dynamically based on a number of runspace components in the opened runspace cache pools.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12 and further comprising:

identifying the space components in the opened runspace cache pools in a last known good queue in an order in which they were last successfully used.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a submit input indicative of the request; and

selecting the runspace component to receive the request based on contents of the last known good queue.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14 and further comprising:

storing runspace components that have closed connections to the corresponding endpoint computing system in a closed runspace cache pool;

generating an open runspace timer output indicative of an open runspace timeout period;

selecting a runspace component from the closed runspace cache pool;

attempting to open a connection corresponding to the selected runspace component; and

if the open component successfully opens the selected runspace component, moving the selected runspace component to the opened sunspace cache pool.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 and further comprising:

generating a check pool size timer output indicative of a check pool size timeout period;

determining, based on the check pool size timeout period, whether a total number of runspace components meets a size change boundary; and

if so, changing the total number of runspace components in the given cache pool system.

17. A computing system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the computing system to provide;

a set of cache pool systems, each cache pool system

corresponding to a different one of a plurality of endpoint computing systems, and

having an opened runspace cache pool that stores a plurality of runspace components that have active connections to the corresponding endpoint computing system;

a first timer component configured to;

identify the number of runspace components in the plurality of runspace components;

generate a first timer output indicative of a first timeout period that is based on both;

a session timeout period in which connections, in the plurality of connections to the corresponding remote endpoint computing system, are disabled by the corresponding remote endpoint computing system for lack of use, and

the identified number of runspace components,

wherein the first timeout period is varied dynamically based on changes to the number of runspace components; and

a remote connection system configured to;

access runspace order information identifying an order in which the plurality of runspace components were last used to submit requests using the connections; and

submit a series of requests through the plurality of runspace components, over each of the connections in the plurality of connections, based on the space order information,

wherein the series of requests is submitted intermittently based on the first timeout period.

18. The computing system of claim 17 wherein each cache pool system comprises a closed runspace cache pool that stores runspace components that have closed connections to the corresponding endpoint computing system, and wherein the remote connection system comprises:

a second timer component configured to generate a second timer output indicative of a second timeout period;

an open component configured to select a runspace component from the closed runspace cache pool and attempt to open a connection corresponding to the selected runspace component; and

a move component configured to, if the open component successfully opens the selected runspace component, move the selected runspace component to the opened runspace cache pool and enter it in the last known good queue.

19. The computing system of claim 18 and further comprising:

a third timer component configured to generate a third timer output indicative of a third timeout period;

a boundary checking component configured to, based on the third timeout period, determine whether a total number of runspace components meets a size change boundary; and

a size change system configured to change the total number of runspace components in response to the boundary checking component indicating that the total number of runspace components meets the size change boundary.