International Business Machines Corporation

Maxim Avery Moldenhauer

Todd Eric Kaplinger

Curtiss James Howard

Stephen Joseph Kenna

Erinn Elizabeth Koonce

Erik John Burckart

Seth R Peterson

Michael E Concini

Andrew J Ivory

Paul William Bennett

Rohit Dilip Kelapure

Madhu K Chetuparambil

William J O'Donnell

Michael C Thompson

Elisa Ferracane

Scott Dilworth Johnson

Ajay Reddy Karkala

Robert E Goff

Ut Van Le

Madhu Chetuparambil

The present invention provides a solution for sharing server generated output to satisfy requests for content originated by different clients. More specifically, a server side resource can analyze a content request and compare this request to a set of active request handling operations. When one of the active operations is capable of satisfying a discrete portion of the content request, an association can be established between the active operation and the content request. When the active operation produces results, these results are returned to satisfy a request of an original client as well as to satisfy a request of a client that issued the content request. The solution can be implemented in a variety of environments, including one where asynchronous server-side operations are conducted by different server-side resources for a single request context.

Re-using asynchronous server-side results generated for a request context of one client to satisfy a request context of a different client

The present invention discloses a solution for handling HTTP requests for content produced asynchronously by multiple servers, where a requesting client aggregates content. In the solution, a client can issue a content request to a request receiving server. The content request can define a request context. The request receiving server can deliver initial content including placeholders to the client, can issue asynchronous requests to multiple placeholder content servers, and can thereafter terminate threads/processes and can free resources involved in handling the request context. Each of the placeholder content servers can process one of the asynchronous requests and can convey placeholder content results to a result distribution service. The result distribution service can provide the client with the placeholder content. The client can aggregate the content from all sources.

Client-side aggregation of context-sensitive request results where results for aggregation are asynchronously produced by multiple servers

A request dispatcher can automatically switch between processing request dispatches in a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode. Each dispatch can be associated with a unique identification value such as a process ID or Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), historic metrics, and a ruleset. With each execution of the request dispatch, historic metrics can be collected. Metrics can include, but is not limited to, execution duration and/or execution frequency, processor load, memory usage, network input/output, number of dependent dispatches, and the like. Utilizing historic metrics, rules can be constructed for determining which mode to execute the subsequent execution of the dispatch. As such, runtime optimization of Web applications can be further improved.

Programmatically determining an execution mode for a request dispatch utilizing historic metrics

A method is described for merging security constraints associated with an application when using security annotations. The application comprises one or more servlets, such as a Java servlet. During application deployment, a list of role names is generated by merging static security constraints, for example, identified in a deployment descriptor, and in a static security annotation that defines a list containing the names of authorized roles for a servlet. Later, during application runtime in an application server, security constraints are retrieved from a plurality of sources, including both dynamic and static security annotations. Using the list of role names and the security constraints retrieved, a set of merged security constraints having a defined and proper order of precedence is generated. In particular, preferably one or more dynamic security annotations are first merged with one or more static security annotations to generate a set of runtime constraints. The security constraints from the deployment descriptor are then merged with the set of runtime constraints and the list of roles to generate the set of merged security constraints. These merged security constraints are then applied to process a request being handled by the application server.

System and method for merging security constraints when using security annotations

A local server requests a resource from a remote server by using a remote request dispatcher (RRD) request that has been extended to utilize a javascript object notation (JSON).

Lightweight RRD extension framework

A request dispatcher can automatically switch between processing request dispatches (e.g., include( )) in a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode. Each dispatch can be associated with a unique identification value such as a process ID or Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), historic metrics, and a ruleset. With each execution of the request dispatch, historic metrics can be collected. Metrics can include, but is not limited to, execution duration and/or execution frequency, processor load, memory usage, network input/output, number of dependent dispatches, and the like. Utilizing historic metrics, rules can be constructed for determining which mode to execute the subsequent execution of the dispatch. As such, runtime optimization of Web applications can be further improved.

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 &#x201c;async:include&#x201d; 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.

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

The present invention provides client and server identity validation in an asynchronous request dispatching environment with client-side aggregation. An application server receives an asynchronous include request from a client. A first unique identifier associating the client with the asynchronous include is generated and sent to a results server. A second unique identifier identifying the results server is generated and sent to the application server. Results of the asynchronous include are stored in the results server. The application server sends the first and second unique identifiers to the client, which polls the results server and sends the second unique identifier to the results server. The results server uses the second unique identifier to verify the identity of the client. The results server sends the first unique identifier to the client. The client uses the first unique identifier to validate the identity of the results server.

Client identification and authorization in an asynchronous request dispatching environment

The Asynchronous Aggregator shifts the burden of retrieving and aggregating asynchronous responses by replacing asynchronous requests in an original request thread with placcholders with a unique identifier, creating new threads for each asynchronous request, writing a script to request the asynchronous request output, and returning the original request and the script to the client. Each of the new threads run independently and when completed, place the output in the server store. The script then requests each output from the server store as the output becomes available to fill the placeholders.

Method and apparatus for client-side aggregation of asynchronous fragmented requests

A process for facilitating distribution of asynchronous content by a result server includes subscribing at least one client in response to subscription requests for the asynchronous content received at the result server from the at least one client. The process further includes publishing the asynchronous content. The publishing leads to dissemination of the asynchronous content from the result server to the subscribed clients, and removal of the asynchronous content from the result server. The process further includes receiving a subscription request from additional client(s). The process further includes polling the subscribed clients for the asynchronous content and sending the asynchronous content to the additional client(s) upon receipt of the asynchronous content from any client belonging to the subscribed clients.

Client-side storage and distribution of asynchronous includes in an application server environment

The present invention discloses a solution of a server-side result distribution service software program. The program can receive and store results related to a request context from different content providing servers. Asynchronous requests can be received from a client, which initiated a content request that defines the request context. A level of completeness for the request results that satisfies the received client request can be determined. The level of completeness can be compared against a previously established threshold. Either dynamically processed results or previously cached results can be delivered to the client depending upon an outcome of the comparing step. Server-side operations that produce the dynamically processed results can be operations initiated after the content request is sent by the client. Previously cached results can be generated from processes initiated before the content request is sent by the client.

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

Maxim Avery Moldenhauer