Portal Session Cache Mediator for Multi-Domain Collision Avoidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in managing multiple sessions on portals, particularly when backend applications are located in different domains, leading to session identifier collisions and requiring significant modifications to existing applications.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing sessions on a portal that involves a session information cache to store and consolidate application session data, inserting it into user requests and removing it from content transmissions, thereby avoiding collisions and minimizing network traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If session identifiers are passed directly to backend applications in different domains, then application functionality is maintained, but session identifier collisions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a portal server as an intermediary between the user and backend applications. The portal server receives session identifiers from backend applications, stores them in a session information cache, and manages them centrally. This mediator prevents direct collision between session identifiers from different backend applications while maintaining the ability to pass appropriate session information to each application.
2Reliability
If session information is stored at the web server, then user state information is maintained, but network traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential session identifier from the full session information and passes it to the user via cookies or URL rewriting. The complete session information remains stored at the portal server in the session information cache. This extraction approach maintains user state information while minimizing the amount of data transmitted over the network.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sessions are established for different backend applications, then application-specific functionality is preserved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the session management functionality into a centralized portal server that handles multiple backend applications. Instead of each application managing its own sessions independently, the portal server consolidates session management for all applications in a single session information cache. This combining approach maintains application-specific functionality while reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Mechanisms are provided for managing multiple sessions for a user on a portal are disclosed. More particularly, mechanisms are provided for managing multiple user sessions with backend applications of a portal are disclosed. Embodiments include a portal having a client interaction module for interacting with a user and a portlet application module for interacting with a backend application on an application server. A further embodiment provides a session manager for retrieving application session data from an application session data cache and inserting it into a user request, and for removing application session data from a content transmission from a backend application. in some embodiments, a session data cache for storing portal session data and application session data is provided. The session data cache may store application session data for each session established by a user with backend applications.