ServerSession Abstraction for Stateless HTTP Session Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

In client/server networks, stateless protocols like HTTP make it difficult for servers to maintain context or scope across multiple connections, leading to isolated transactions and inefficient resource management, especially in e-commerce applications where session tracking is crucial.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a ServerSession that abstracts HTTP sessions, allowing multiple ClientSessions to share a single session, enabling a server to manage requests from different applications and platforms consistently, independent of client platforms, and facilitating stateless communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If stateless protocols like HTTP are used, then client-server communication simplicity is improved, but session tracking capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication simplicityVSAvoidsession tracking capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the session management into two distinct levels: ClientSession (per-request, stateless) and ServerSession (per-user, persistent). This allows the system to maintain simplicity at the protocol level while achieving reliable session tracking at the application level through the ServerSession abstraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ServerSession acts as an intermediary layer between multiple ClientSessions and the server application. It mediates the relationship by maintaining user context across different HTTP requests without requiring stateful protocol support, thus resolving the contradiction between protocol simplicity and session tracking reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple ClientSessions are created for different applications, then application independence is improved, but resource management efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication independenceVSAvoidresource management efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple ClientSessions into a single ServerSession when they belong to the same user. This consolidation allows different applications to share common resources (user context, authentication state, preferences) while maintaining application independence through separate ClientSession boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The ServerSession serves multiple functions simultaneously: it tracks user identity, maintains authentication state, stores user preferences, and enables resource sharing across different applications and platforms. This multi-functionality improves resource management efficiency while preserving application independence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Stability of the object's composition

If session context is maintained for each request, then user experience consistency is improved, but server processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser experience consistencyVSAvoidserver processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a simplified copy of the session context in the ServerSession object, which contains only the essential user information needed for consistent experience. This copy approach maintains user experience consistency without requiring the server to process full request history or maintain complex stateful connections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The ServerSession is established and populated with user context in advance, before multiple requests are processed. This preliminary action ensures that subsequent requests automatically have the necessary context available, simplifying server processing by eliminating the need to reconstruct session state for each request.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If platform-specific session handling is implemented, then client platform compatibility is improved, but cross-platform resource sharing deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient platform compatibilityVSAvoidcross-platform resource sharing

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The ServerSession is designed as a universal abstraction that works across different client platforms (web browsers, mobile devices, desktop applications). It provides a common interface for resource sharing that is independent of the underlying platform, enabling seamless cross-platform resource access while maintaining platform-specific client implementations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7664860B2Session handling

Publication Date: 2010.02.16 SAP SE

AI summary

A method includes, in a network, representing a first request from a first user as a first ClientUser, assigning the first ClientUser to a ServerSession, the ServerSession having one or more ClientSessions, each of the ClientSessions allowing a server to have a single session for all first user requests from the server. The method includes, in a client/server network, providing a session that can be common to all connections to a web server by a user.