Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing – Accessing a remote server
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-31
2001-11-06
Vu, Viet D. (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
Accessing a remote server
C709S203000, C709S223000, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314458
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computers and software, and more particularly, to the apparatus and method for providing flexible communication of data modification of Web resources between multiple client browsers, where the Web resources are on a server.
2. Description of Related Art
As known in the art, the Internet is a world-wide collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers consisting of thousands of commercial government educational and other computer systems that route data and messages.
World Wide Web (WWW) refers to the total set of interlinked hypertext documents residing on hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) servers all around the world. Documents on the WWW, called pages or Web pages, are written in hypertext mark-up language (HTML) identified by uniform resource locators (URL) that specify the particular machine and pathname by which a file can be accessed and transmitted from node to node to the end user under HTTP. A Web site is a related group of these documents and associated files, scripts, subprocedures, and databases that are served up by an HTTP server on the WWW.
Users need a browser program and an Internet connection to access a Web site. Browser programs, also called “Web browsers,” are client applications that enable a user to navigate the Internet and view HTML documents on the WWW, another network, or the user's computer. Web browsers also allow users to follow codes called “tags” imbedded in an HTML document, which associate particular words and images in the document with URLs so that a user can access another file that may be half way around the world, at the press of a key or the click of a mouse.
These files may contain text (in a variety of fonts and styles), graphic images, movie files, and sounds as well as java applets, perl applications, other scripted languages, active X-controls, or other small imbedded software programs that execute when the user activates them by, for example, clicking on a link. Scripts are applications that are executed by a HTTP server in response to a request by a client user. These scripts are invoked by the HTTP daemon to do a single job, and then they exit.
One type of script is a common gateway interface (CGI) script. Generally, a CGI script is invoked when a user clicks on an element in a Web page, such as a link or image. CGI scripts are used to provide interactivity in a Web page. CGI scripts can be written in many languages including C, C++, and Perl. A CGI-BIN is a library of CGI scripts applications that can be executed by a HTTP server.
A key difficulty with communication between client browsers is caused because the client browser will not create a network connection to any computer other than the one from which the client browser code itself was loaded. Therefore, if a client browser changes data in a Web resource that is being shared or accessible by other browsers, the ther browsers will not be made aware of the Web resource data change.
However, until now, applications running in browsers have lacked the ability to notify other browsers running the same application of changes to their underlying database.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Certain objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the advantages and novel features, the present invention is generally directed to an apparatus and method for providing flexible communications of data modification of Web resources between client browsers, where the Web resources are on a server.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a client user interface (browser) makes the call to a server application for service. The server application verifies authorization and then determines which CGI-BIN application program can perform the requested service. The server application invokes the CGI-BIN application program to execute the requested program. The CGI-BIN application program receives the program name and arguments, then executes the requested program and returns the output to the server application. The CGI-BIN application program then ascertains if database data, accessible to multiple browsers, was updated. If database data was updated, then the CGI-BIN application program establishes a connection to a security server and transmits a database change notice to the security server.
The security server receives the database change notice and checks its sign-on list of all the client browsers currently active. The security server requires all client browsers that request access to the database to sign-on (i.e. register with) to the security server before access to the database is granted. The security server then sends a database change notice to all client user interface browsers currently connected to the security server.
All client user browsers, upon receiving a database change notice, then display the database change notice and/or change data within the client user browser. This method of notification and/or data update avoids the utilization of stale database data in the client user browser.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5388196 (1995-02-01), Pajak et al.
patent: 5644768 (1997-07-01), Periwal et al.
patent: 5758355 (1998-05-01), Buchanan
patent: 6061692 (2000-05-01), Thomas et al.
patent: 6141759 (2000-10-01), Braddy
Bryant Craig W.
Goin Todd M.
Steele Douglas W.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Vu Viet D.
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