Compressed URL Keys for Portable Portal Web Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing URL creation mechanisms for portal services, such as BEA WebLogic Portal, face challenges in creating portable URLs that remain functional across domain and server changes, and do not efficiently handle secure and non-secure URL transitions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for URL compression that generates a compression key for a Web request, allowing for the creation of portable URLs that can survive system restarts and failover, using a hex string generated from a database sequencer, and enabling compression on a template-by-template basis within an XML configuration file, with lossless data compression algorithms like Huffman encoding and Base64 encoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional URL creation mechanisms are used for portal services, then URLs can be created that work within a specific domain, but the URLs become long and are not portable across domain and server changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a compressed copy of the original URL by generating a hash key from the full URL string. This compressed representation stores only the essential identifying information needed to retrieve the original URL, significantly reducing length while maintaining the ability to reconstruct the complete URL when needed for portable access across domains and servers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential identifying components of the URL and stores them in a compressed format. By separating the URL into its core identifying elements and storing only those in the compressed form, the system achieves portability without requiring the full URL structure, thereby reducing length while preserving functionality across different domains and server configurations
2Length of stationary object
If URL compression is implemented to reduce URL length, then bookmarkability and portability improve, but system complexity increases due to database storage and hash generation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a database table as an intermediary layer between the compressed URL and the original URL. This intermediary stores the mapping relationship, allowing the system to handle compression and decompression operations without complex in-memory processing. The database acts as a mediator that manages the complexity of hash generation and URL reconstruction, simplifying the overall system architecture while achieving URL compression
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the system automatically generates hash keys from URLs and stores them in the database without requiring manual intervention. The compression and decompression processes are handled automatically by the system components, reducing the operational complexity for users while maintaining the benefits of URL compression
3Reliability
If portable URLs are created that survive system restarts and failover, then reliability across server changes improves, but the URL creation mechanism becomes more complex requiring template configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal URL compression mechanism that works across multiple domains and server configurations. The hash-based compression approach is domain-agnostic and can handle URLs from different portals and servers uniformly. This universal approach allows the same compression logic to serve multiple functions across different environments, improving reliability without requiring complex configuration for each specific case
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables flexible configuration of URL compression parameters through XML templates. By allowing parameters such as portal context, application name, and other URL components to be dynamically configured, the system can adapt to different server environments and portal configurations. This parameter-based configuration approach maintains reliability across server changes while providing a standardized method for handling configuration complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method can be used to support Uniform Resource Locator (URL) compression. Such a method can comprises the steps of receiving a Web request associated with an original URL from a client by a Web component; saving the original URL in a database; generating a compression key in a compressed URL; getting the original URL from the database using the compression key; and responding to the client.