Client Server Request Handling with Dynamic Idempotency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing client/server systems lack dynamic determination of operation idempotency, which is crucial for handling communication failures and timeouts, as they often require static definitions that do not account for varying client capabilities and requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that intercept client requests, add a client type identifier, and obtain behavior characteristics from responses, allowing clients to determine if multiple invocations of operations yield the same result, enabling dynamic behavior adjustment based on client type and handling timeouts or communication failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If static definition of idempotency is used, then client can know operation behavior in advance, but system cannot adapt to different client types and requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic determination of idempotency behavior by having the server evaluate operation characteristics at runtime based on client type, replacing static pre-defined classifications. The server process dynamically adds behavior characteristics to responses based on the specific client making the request, allowing the same operation to have different idempotency properties for different client types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different behavior characteristics to different client types for the same operation. Instead of a uniform static definition, each client type can receive tailored behavior information appropriate to its capabilities and requirements, allowing localized adaptation of idempotency semantics across different client segments.
2Reliability
If client re-issues failed requests, then service availability improves, but permanent updates may be duplicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the server evaluate and return behavior characteristics (idempotency information) with each response. The client uses this feedback to determine whether safe retry is possible after a failure, preventing duplicate permanent updates while maintaining service availability through intelligent retry logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary determination of operation behavior characteristics before the client attempts the operation. By knowing in advance whether an operation is idempotent for a given client type, the client can make informed decisions about retry strategies, avoiding harmful duplicate updates before they occur.
3Adaptability or versatility
If operation behavior is determined at runtime, then system adapts to client capabilities, but additional processing overhead is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by having the server automatically evaluate and attach behavior characteristics to responses based on client type and operation properties. This eliminates the need for manual static configuration while keeping the automation lightweight through rule-based evaluation rather than complex runtime computation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method, apparatus and computer program product which enables a target service to provide operations which behave, on a per operation basis, in a way appropriate to the type of client that requested the operation to be performed. As a result the target service can provide operations which behave differently for different clients. Further the client can obtain details of the behavior characteristics of the operations, according to its type, at runtime and act appropriately in the event of the request being timed out or resulting in a communication failure. For example, the client middleware can take action to re-issue a timed out request if the behavior characteristic for that operation indicates that multiple invocations of the operation will yield the same result.