Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-12
2001-05-08
Maung, Zarni (Department: 2756)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
C709S218000, C709S246000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230196
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to client-server computing over a computer network such as the Internet and, in particular, to a method for dynamically generating Web pages at a Web server in response to received HTTP requests.
2. Description of the Related Art
The World Wide Web is the Internet's multimedia information retrieval system. In the Web environment, client machines effect transactions to Web servers using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is a known application protocol providing users access to files (e.g., text, graphics, images, sound, video, etc.) using a standard page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML provides basic document formatting and allows the developer to specify “links” to other servers and files. In the Internet paradigm, a network path to a server is identified by a so-called Uniform Resource Locator (URL) having a special syntax for defining a network connection. Use of an HTML-compatible browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) at a client machine involves specification of a link via the URL.
When the user of the browser specifies a link, the client issues a request to a naming service to map a hostname (in the URL) to a particular network IP address at which the server is located. The naming service returns a list of one or more IP addresses that can respond to the request. Using one of the IP addresses, the browser establishes a connection to a server. If the server is available, it returns a Web page.
To facilitate further navigation, a Web page typically includes one or more hypertext references known as “anchors” or “links”. In HTML, each anchor is commonly delineated by a markup language “tag” set “<A href “pathname”></a>”, where “pathname” is the path information identifying the location of the linked page or object. A <href> tag, however, may identify a server that no longer supports the object content or is otherwise performing poorly against a given metric. If the user later activates the link, he or she may not be able to navigate to the desired location, or such navigation may be unacceptably slow.
It would be highly desirable to be able to assure a user that, when a given Web page is returned from a Web server, the anchor references are valid at that time. The present invention provides a solution to this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of this invention to dynamically generate a Web page at a Web server in response to a client request so that links in the generated page are as up-to-date as possible.
It is another primary object of this invention to generate a Web page at the Web server in a manner that attempts to ensure that subsequent navigation from the page is optimized.
It is still another object of this invention to provide “intelligent” Web page generation from a Web server wherein the Web server receives and maintains information about the availability of other servers in the network that support resources required by the Web page.
Still another object of this invention is to enhance a Web server HTML page generator by having the Web server cache and use third party server availability information during page generation.
Yet another more general object of this invention is to enhance Web page creation at a Web site.
Another more general object of this invention is to ensure optimal access to Web-based information from a client machine that retrieves a Web page created by the intelligent HTML page generator.
These land other objects are provided in a method of dynamically generating a Web page at a Web server in response to an HTTP (or other such) request from a Web client in a computer network. The Web page has a hypertext reference identifying a linked page or other required resource supported on each of a set of other servers in the computer net work. In response to the HTTP request, a given one of the set of other servers is identified based on some given criteria, e.g., shortest access time, lightest current load, or the like. Information identifying a path to the identified other server is then inserted into the hypertext reference as the Web page (including the hypertext reference) is returned to the Web client in response to the request. Thus, if the hypertext reference is later activated by the user browsing the returned Web page, the linked page is preferentially served from the identified other server.
According to an embodiment of the invention, an “intelligent” Web server comprises a processor, an operating system, and a means for dynamically generating a Web page in response to a Web client request, the Web page having a hypertext reference identifying a linked page supported on each of a set of other servers in the computer network. The generating means may be a computer program. Preferably, the generating means comprises means responsive to the Web client request for identifying one of the set of other servers that satisfies a given criteria. The generating means also includes means responsive to the identifying means for inserting into the hypertext reference information identifying a path to the identified other server. The server further includes means for returning the Web page including the hypertext reference (and the path information) to the Web client in response to the request. Thus, in the event the hypertext reference is later activated by a user browsing the retrieved page, an attempt is first made (by the client machine browser) to retrieve the linked page from the identified other server.
According to still another aspect of the invention, an “intelligent” Web page is generated according to a given HTML page generation method. The Web page includes a hypertext reference identifying a linked page or other required resource supported on each of a set of other servers in the computer network. The method begins in response to a request from a client for the Web page. In response to the request, one of the other servers supporting the linked page is selected based on a given criteria. Information identifying a path to the selected other server is then inserted into the hypertext reference.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects and features of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention as will be described. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment.
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Guenthner Timothy John
Lawlor Francis Daniel
Lin Dah-Haur
Schmitt Charles Rudolph
Cardone Jason D.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Judson David H.
LaBaw Jeffrey S.
Maung Zarni
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