Method for client-side aggregation of asynchronous, context-sensitive request operations for java server pages (JSP)

• US 8,185,610 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goff, Robert E., Johnson, Scott D., Koonce, Erinn E., Kaplinger, Todd E., Kenna, Stephen J., Moldenhauer, Maxim A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOTHAGER, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US11/950,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for efficiently fulfilling java server page (JSP) requests for dynamic web content, in a computer network system. An asynchronous processing (AP) utility pre-defines a number of custom classes to enable the asynchronous processing of requests. A JSP which contains a custom “async:include” tag indicates an asynchronous request for dynamic content. When a set of asynchronous requests are received by an application server, an “AsyncRequestDispatcher” is called to handle the asynchronous processing of each associated request dispatcher include fragment. For each fragment, a separate request thread is initiated. A placeholder corresponding to each “async:include” request is written to a servlet response buffer. HyperText Markup Language (HTML) content, which includes the placeholders, and a number of javascripts are then written to the client browser. The original thread is closed. The Javascripts enable the retrieval of all response fragments which replace the corresponding placeholders.

Claims

1. In an application server receiving a request for dynamic web content, a method comprising:

defining a number of custom Java classes within a class library, wherein said classes allow an asynchronous processing of a number of requests for dynamic web content;

receiving at the application server, from a client, one or more asynchronous requests for a dynamic web content;

said application server calling a dispatcher function to handle the asynchronous processing of each associated request dispatcher include fragment;

initiating a separate request thread for each fragment following receipt of the one or more asynchronous requests;

generating a Java Server Page (JSP) comprising one or more “

async include”

tags that indicate that the JSP represents an asynchronous request for the dynamic web content;

writing, to a servlet response buffer, a placeholder corresponding to each JSP having an “

async include”

tag;

creating JavaScript for each placeholder;

sending an initial response containing the JavaScript to the client;

terminating an original execution thread;

triggering a number of further processing actions to facilitate the generation of one or more response fragments; and

transferring the one or more response fragments to the client in response to receipt from the client of one or more poll requests that are facilitated by the JavaScript contained in each placeholder, wherein the JavaScript enables the client to retrieve include fragments which replace corresponding placeholders.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said triggering a number of further processing actions further comprises:

invoking an “

async;

include”

action, corresponding to the “

async;

include”

tag, which provides an “

async request dispatcher”

(ARD) JSP response wrapper;

in response to implementing the ARD JSP response wrapper, creating a “

PrintWriter”

response object, wherein said “

PrintWriter”

response object allows a number of response fragments to be written directly to the ARD JSP response wrapper;

initiating a response thread for the one or more “

async include”

requests corresponding to each one of a plurality of “

async include”

tags of the JSP, with an aid of one or more asynchronous beans, wherein said asynchronous beans facilitate the propagation of a number of request contexts, which contexts include one or more of, but is not exclusively limited to;

(1) a security context;

(2) a naming context; and

(3) connection context;

registering a content of each one of a plurality of “

async include”

requests with an application server storage system;

activating a translation of the JSP to a Java servlet;

prompting the execution of the generated Java servlet; and

writing HTML content to the JSP buffer, including a number of placeholders containing JavaScript respectively corresponding to a number of “

async include”

, wherein said JSP buffer writes to a servlet response buffer; and

wherein terminating an original execution thread comprises closing the request thread.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring one or more response fragments to the client further comprises:

receiving one or more poll requests from the client, wherein said one or more poll requests indicate that the client is ready to receive one or more of a plurality of response fragments returned by the response thread, wherein said one or more poll requests are based on one of the following;

(1) a poll request to a controller of a server storage service, wherein said poll request is received, at a regular interval, until a response fragment is available; and

(2) an asynchronous input-output (AIO) mechanism, wherein said AIO mechanism facilitates the transmission of a single poll request for a corresponding response fragment, wherein said AIO mechanism keeps said single poll request open until the corresponding response fragment is available;

in response to each one of a plurality of response fragments being available, submitting each one of the plurality of response fragments to the client, following a reception of the one or more of the plurality of poll requests; and

in response to receipt by the client of a transmitted response fragment, removing the response fragment from the server storage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said code that causes the processor to transfer one or more response fragments to the client further comprises code that causes the processor to:

receive one or more poll requests from the client, wherein said one or more poll requests indicate that the client is ready to receive one or more of a plurality of response fragments returned by the response thread, wherein said one or more poll requests are based on one of the following;

(1) a poll request to a controller of a server storage service, wherein said poll request is received, at a regular interval, until a response fragment is available; and

(2) an asynchronous input-output (AIO) mechanism, wherein said AIO mechanism facilitates the transmission of a single poll request for a corresponding response fragment, wherein said AIO mechanism keeps said single poll request open until the corresponding response fragment is available;

in response to each one of a plurality of response fragments being available, submitting each one of the plurality of response fragments to the client, following a reception of the one or more of the plurality of poll requests; and

in response to receipt by the client of a transmitted response fragment, removing the response fragment from the server storage.

4. A system comprising:

a processor which executes a JSP server application software;

a memory system which stores the JSP server application software;

a mechanism for connecting to a network having one or a more clients;

a utility having code that executes on the processor and causes the processor to;

define a number of custom java classes within a class library, wherein said classes allow an asynchronous processing of a number of requests for dynamic web content;

receive at the application server, from a client, one or more requests for a dynamic web content;

said application server calling a dispatcher function to handle the asynchronous processing of each associated request dispatcher include fragment;

initiate a separate request thread for each fragment following receipt of the one or more asynchronous requests;

generate a Java Server Page (JSP), comprising one or more “

async include”

tags that indicate that the JSP represents an asynchronous request for the dynamic web content;

write, to a servlet response buffer, a placeholder corresponding to each JSP having an “

async include”

tag;

create JavaScript for each placeholder;

send an initial response containing the JavaScript to the client;

terminate an original execution thread;

trigger a number of further processing actions to facilitate the generation of one or more response fragments; and

transfer the one or more response fragments to the client in response to receipt from the client of one or more poll requests that are facilitated by the one or more Javascript placeholders, wherein the JavaScript enables the client to retrieve include fragments which replace corresponding placeholders.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said code that causes the processor to trigger a number of further processing actions further comprises code that causes the processor to:

invoke an “

async;

include”

action, corresponding to the “

async;

include”

tag, which provides an “

async request dispatcher”

(ARD) JSP response wrapper;

in response to implementing the ARD JSP response wrapper, create a “

PrintWriter”

response object, wherein said “

PrintWriter”

response object allows a number of response fragments to be written directly to the ARD JSP response wrapper;

initiate a response thread for the one or more “

async include”

requests corresponding to each one of a plurality of “

async include”

tags of the JSP, with an aid of one or more asynchronous beans, which asynchronous beans facilitate the propagation of a number of request contexts, wherein said contexts include one or more of, but is not exclusively limited to;

(1) a security context;

(2) a naming context; and

(3) connection context;

register a content of each one of a plurality of “

async include”

requests with a application server storage system;

activate a translation of the JSP to a Java servlet;

prompt the execution of the generated Java servlet; and

write to the JSP buffer an HTML content, including a number of placeholders respectively corresponding to a number of “

async include”

requests, and a number of javascripts respectively corresponding to a number of “

async include”

requests, wherein said JSP buffer writes to a servlet response buffer; and

wherein the code that causes the processor to terminate includes an original execution thread comprises code that causes the processor to close the request thread.

7. A computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer readable storage medium; and

program code stored on said tangible computer readable storage medium that when executed within a server computer system, said program code provides the functionality of;

defining a number of custom java classes within a class library, wherein said classes allow an asynchronous processing of a number of requests for dynamic web content;

receiving at the application server, from a client, one or more requests for a dynamic web content;

said application server calling a dispatcher function to handle the asynchronous processing of each associated request dispatcher include fragment;

initiating a separate request thread for each fragment following receipt of the one or more asynchronous requests;

generating a Java Server Page (JSP) comprising one or more “

async include”

tags that indicate that the JSP represents an asynchronous request for the dynamic web content;

writing, to a servlet response buffer, a placeholder corresponding to each JSP having an “

async include”

tag;

creating JavaScript for each placeholder;

sending an initial response containing the JavaScript to the client;

terminating an original execution thread;

triggering a number of further processing actions to facilitate the generation of one or more response fragments; and

transferring the one or more response fragments to the client in response to receipt from the client of one or more poll requests that are facilitated by the one or more JavaScript placeholders, wherein the JavaScript enables the client to retrieve include fragments which replace corresponding placeholders.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein said code for triggering a number of further processing actions further comprises code for:

invoking an “

async;

include”

action, corresponding to the “

async;

include”

tag, which provides an “

async request dispatcher”

(ARD) JSP response wrapper;

in response to implementing the ARD JSP response wrapper, creating a “

PrintWriter”

response object, wherein said response object allows a number of response fragments to be written directly to the ARD JSP response wrapper;

initiating a response thread for the one or more “

async include”

requests corresponding to each one of a plurality of “

async include”

tags of the JSP, with an aid of one or more asynchronous beans, which asynchronous beans facilitate the propagation of a number of request contexts, wherein said contexts include one or more of, but is not exclusively limited to;

(1) a security context;

(2) a naming context; and

(3) connection context;

registering a content of each one of a plurality of “

async include”

requests with a application server storage system;

activating a translation of the JSP to a Java servlet;

prompting the execution of the generated Java servlet; and

writing to the JSP buffer HTML content, including a number of placeholders respectively corresponding to a number of “

async include”

requests, and a number of Javascript placeholders corresponding to a number of “

async include”

requests, wherein said JSP buffer writes to a servlet response buffer; and

wherein terminating an original execution thread comprises closing the request thread.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein said code for transferring one or more response fragments to the client further comprises code for:

receiving one or more poll requests from the client, wherein said one or more poll requests indicate that the client is ready to receive one or more of a plurality of response fragments returned by the response thread, wherein said one or more poll requests are based on one of the following;

(1) a poll request to a controller of a server storage service, wherein said poll request is received, at a regular interval, until a response fragment is available; and

(2) an asynchronous input-output (AIO) mechanism, wherein said AIO mechanism facilitates the transmission of a single poll request for a corresponding response fragment, wherein said AIO mechanism keeps said single poll request open until the corresponding response fragment is available;

in response to each one of a plurality of response fragments being available, submitting each one of the plurality of response fragments to the client, following a reception of the one or more of the plurality of poll requests; and

in response to receipt by the client of a transmitted response fragment, removing the response fragment from the server storage.