Callback API URL Redirection for Real-Time Long URL Updates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in efficiently updating long URLs associated with shortened URLs, particularly in large-scale scenarios, due to limited on-the-fly update capabilities and the need to maintain extensive storage for Long URL associations, which can become invalid or inappropriate over time.
Innovation Solution
A Callback API is employed to dynamically update Long URLs in real-time by determining when and how to redirect client computers to updated Long URLs based on contextual information such as timestamps and update events, without requiring updates to all associated Short URLs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional URL shortening systems store all Short URL to Long URL associations in a database, then URL redirection functionality is provided, but storage space requirements become excessive and update operations become inefficient at large scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the Long URL from the database storage model and replaces it with a cryptographic hash function that generates a fixed-size identifier. Instead of storing entire Long URLs in the database alongside Short URLs, the system stores only the hash of the Long URL, dramatically reducing storage requirements while maintaining the ability to verify and update URL associations efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation from storing variable-length Long URLs to storing fixed-length cryptographic hash values. This parameter transformation enables efficient storage and comparison operations, as hash values have consistent size and can be quickly computed and compared without storing the actual URL content
2Reliability
If the system updates Long URLs by tracking all associated Short URLs, then all Short URLs can be updated, but the update process becomes prohibitively slow and resource-intensive at large scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-computing and storing cryptographic hashes of Long URLs at the time of Short URL creation. When updates are needed, the system only needs to re-hash the new Long URL and update the hash value in the database, rather than retrieving and updating multiple Short URL records. This preliminary hashing action dramatically reduces update time and improves reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses cryptographic hashing as a form of copying where the essential information (Long URL) is transformed into a compact representation (hash value) that can be stored and updated efficiently. The hash acts as a surrogate that preserves the uniqueness and verifiability of the original Long URL while enabling fast update operations
3Loss of information
If the system maintains a history of changes for each Long URL, then change tracking and reversal capabilities are provided, but system resources are significantly consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through cryptographic hash verification where the system can verify the integrity of Long URL associations by comparing hash values. When a Long URL needs to be updated, the system computes the new hash and verifies it against the stored hash, providing a reliable mechanism for tracking and validating changes without requiring complex history storage. The hash itself serves as a feedback mechanism to detect and verify URL changes
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a system and method for updating URL redirection. A server implementing a Short URL service receives a Short URL for redirecting a client computer system to a destination network location and obtains a first Long URL corresponding to the Short URL. Responsive to the retrieving the first Long URL, the server passes the first Long URL to a Callback API and receives an Updated Long URL from the Callback API. The Updated Long URL is generated by the Callback API responsive to receiving the first Long URL. The first Long URL corresponds to a first destination network location and the Updated Long URL corresponds to a second destination network location. The server then responds to the client computer system by causing the client computer to be redirected to the Updated Long URL returned by the Callback API.