Dye Injected Request Generation for Web Server Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Web server processes struggle to distinguish and correlate server execution data with client information due to the lack of detailed information in client requests, leading to indistinguishable records from multiple client machines and applications.
Innovation Solution
Injecting 'dye' information at the client machine into web server requests, which includes details about the client application and transaction, allowing the web server to record and analyze server execution data based on client-specific information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the web server process hosts multiple web applications and processes requests from multiple clients, then the server can handle diverse workloads and provide versatile services, but the server execution data becomes indistinguishable and cannot be correlated with specific client information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by injecting client identification information (dye) into requests before they reach the web server. This allows the server to correlate execution data with client information without modifying the server's core processing logic. The dye is injected at the client machine or intermediate layer, ensuring client-specific data is available when the server processes the request, thus resolving the information loss problem while maintaining multi-application hosting capability
2Measurement precision
If the web server records detailed server execution data for each request, then diagnostic information is improved, but the data cannot be organized or filtered by client application or transaction without additional information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a dye injection mechanism that bridges the client and server. The dye contains client identification information that acts as a mediator, allowing the server to record detailed execution data that can subsequently be organized and filtered by client application or transaction. This intermediary layer enables precise data recording while maintaining ease of data organization through the embedded client identifiers
3Device complexity
If only IP address information is used to identify clients, then the implementation is simple, but the diagnostic information is limited and cannot provide meaningful correlation between server execution data and client context
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by enhancing the client identification parameters beyond just IP address. Instead of relying solely on the simple IP address parameter, the system changes to include additional parameters such as client application identity, transaction context, and other identifying information embedded in the dye. This parameter enhancement provides meaningful correlation between server execution data and client context while maintaining implementation feasibility through standardized request modification
Data Source
AI summary
Web server processes can host multiple web applications that process multiple requests from multiple clients. Recorded diagnostic information may not provide a useful separation of server execution data (e.g., functionality executed to process a request) based on a client's use of the web server process. An effective method for separating server execution data by client information is provided herein. Dye is injected into a request from a client, the dye comprises information regarding the client application making the request and a transaction (e.g., client defined set of requests) that the request is comprised within. The dye injected request is sent to a web server process (e.g., on a web server) that extracts the dye and executes the request. During execution of the request, executed functionality is associated and stored with the extracted dye. The recorded server execution data may be organized based upon the request, client, application, and/or transaction.