Session Domain Hierarchy for Enterprise Application Server Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional two-tiered client-server architectures are inefficient for large enterprises due to the tight coupling of business logic, presentation logic, and user interface, making it difficult to maintain and scale, especially in dynamic environments where frequent changes are required.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a multi-tiered architecture with separate logical layers for presentation, business, and database, and organizing session objects within a structured hierarchy called 'session domains' to manage session data efficiently across multiple containers, allowing for flexible and scalable management of session data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a two-tiered architecture is used, then the system structure is simple, but the tight coupling of business logic, presentation logic and user interface makes the system difficult to maintain and scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monolithic application into separate logical layers: presentation layer, business logic layer, and data access layer. Each layer is independent and can be developed, deployed, and maintained separately. The session management system implements this by creating separate session objects for each layer (presentation session, business session, data session) that can be managed independently across multiple containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to session management by organizing sessions into a tree structure with root sessions and child sessions at different levels. This allows session data to be distributed across multiple containers in a structured manner, enabling scalability while maintaining logical organization. The hierarchy adds a new dimension to how sessions are organized and managed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If business logic is changed frequently in response to changing business rules, then the system adapts to dynamic environments, but the tight coupling in two-tiered architecture makes client-side code brittle and difficult to update
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts business logic from the client-side application and places it in a dedicated server-based business logic layer. This allows business rules to be changed and updated on the server without affecting client-side code. The session management system supports this by maintaining business sessions on the server that can be updated independently of client presentations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal business logic layer that serves all clients through a standardized interface. The business sessions can be accessed by multiple presentation sessions, allowing a single business logic implementation to serve diverse client needs. This universal layer can be updated once and propagated to all clients without individual updates required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If session data is managed across multiple containers in a multi-tiered architecture, then the system becomes more scalable and flexible, but the complexity of managing session objects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested session hierarchy where child sessions are contained within parent sessions. This nesting structure allows session data to be organized in a tree format that naturally accommodates multiple containers. The nested structure provides automatic containment and inheritance, reducing the need for complex manual session management across containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a session management system as an intermediary layer that handles the complexity of distributing session objects across multiple containers. This intermediary manages the creation, mapping, and synchronization of sessions between containers, abstracting the complexity from the application code. The session management system acts as a mediator that coordinates session data across the distributed architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are described in which session objects are organized and managed within a structured hierarchy of session object storage units, referred to herein as “session domains.” The session domains store session objects sharing one or more related characteristics. In one embodiment, a separate hierarchy of session domains is implemented within each layer of an enterprise application server. For example, in a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (“J2EE”) environment, a separate set of hierarchically-arranged session domains are generated for the EJB container, the Web container and the portal container. In addition, in one embodiment of the invention, the lifecycles of each of the session objects are managed based on the relationships between each of the session objects. The relationships may either be explicit or implicit. In the latter case, one embodiment of the invention detects the relationship, automatically declares the relationship, and uses the relationship to manage the lifecycle of the related sessions.