WO2001024024A1

WO2001024024A1 - System for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol

Info

Publication number: WO2001024024A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/001067
Authority: WO
Inventors: Byung-Gyu Chang; Seung-Woo Shin; Se-Dong Nam; Sang-Jin Park
Original assignee: Neowiz Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1999-09-27
Filing date: 2000-09-25
Publication date: 2001-04-05
Also published as: AU7457200A; CN1289973A; KR20010028832A; JP2001142813A

Abstract

A system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol is provided. The system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol has a web client having a core component unit for carrying out services that rarely change after installation or those services which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, based on a connection-oriented protocol, and a web client for carrying out services, excluding those services carried out by the core component unit, which can be easily implemented by basic web technologies; and a server for communicating with the core component unit of the web client, based on a connection-oriented protocol, and for providing a response to a request from the web processing unit, based on a connectionless protocol. The system solves the problems of the polling method and the complete component method, and since the speed of downloading a core component from a web client is fast, smooth response to changes in a core component is enabled.

Description

SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING SERVICES BASED ON

A CONNECTION-ORIENTED PROTOCOL IN A WEB SERVICE

BASED ON A CONNECTIONLESS PROTOCOL

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a web service system, and more particularly, to a system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol. Background Art Generally, in communication between same layer modules in two systems, telecommunications systems can be divided into two categories, a connection-oriented system, in which a link is established before data is transmitted, and a connectionless system, in which a link is established only when data is transmitted. The connectionless system treats each transmission data separately, and thus, the order in which the data is transmitted is not guaranteed, but the system has an advantage in that it uses a simple protocol. A representative system is a web service system, in which a network is connected only when a request and a response are made using the hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP).

The connection-oriented system treats each data to be transmitted in a certain order so that the order of transmission is guaranteed. However, the protocol used for such a system is complicated. A representative system is the Internet relay chat (IRC) service system. As methods for implementing a service based on a connection-oriented protocol service, such as an IRC service, in a web service based on a connectionless protocol, methods such as polling and a method using a complete component method can be used.

In the polling method, a web client program periodically fetches the content of a web server so that it looks as if a connection-oriented protocol is used. In the complete component method, most client functions for using services based on a connection-oriented protocol are implemented in a component which operates on a web client such as a Java applet or ActiveX.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a polling method. In the polling method, requests from a web client 10 to a web server 12 are repeated with respect to a polling cycle, and the web server 12 sends the request from the web client 10 to a chat server 14, receives the response to the request, and then sends the response to the web client 10. That is, in the polling method, the link between the web server 12 and the web client 10 is only established when polling is carried out. Therefore, the method has a shortcoming in that changes in the web server 12 are not immediately transmitted to the web client 10 but transmitted with respect to a polling cycle, which debases user convenience. Also, if a polling cycle is shortened in order to solve the problem, the web server suffers a heavier load (the number of requests from the web client becomes greater in a polling cycle), which becomes a problem in systems requiring services to operate at high-capacity. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a complete component method. In the complete component method, a complete component such as a Java applet is downloaded from a web server 24 and installed in the web client 20, and then, a complete component 22 and a chat server 26 communicate with each other, the two being continuously connected to a network.

The complete component method has a shortcoming in that the download time may be long and execution require more time because the size of the component is large. Also, due to the characteristics of a web service, the service needs to be continuously developed and improved. However, when a component is modified in such a networked environment such as the Internet, a user needs to download the modified component. Therefore, in such a method, there is inconvenience to the user and management becomes more difficult.

Disclosure of the Invention

To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for carrying out services that rarely change after installation or those services which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, based on a connection-oriented protocol, and for carrying out services, which can be easily implemented by basic technologies of a web based on a connectionless protocol. It is another object to provide a web client system which is applied to the system.

It is still another object to provide a server system which is applied to the system.

To accomplish the above object of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol, the system having a web client having a core component unit for carrying out services that rarely change after installation or those services which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, based on a connection-oriented protocol, and a web processing unit for carrying out services, excluding those services carried out by the core component unit, which can be easily implemented by basic technologies of a web, based on a connectionless protocol ; and a server for communicating with the core component unit of the web client, based on a connection-oriented protocol, and for providing a response to a request from the web processing unit, based on a connectionless protocol.

To accomplish another object of the present invention, there is also provided a web client system for providing services based on a connection- oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol, in communicating with a server and processing data, the web client system having a core component unit for carrying out services that rarely change after installation, or those service which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, while communicating with the server based on a connection- oriented protocol; and a web processing unit for carrying out services, excluding those services carried out in the core component unit, which can be easily implemented by basic web technologies, while communicating with the server based on a connectionless protocol. To accomplish another object of the present invention, there is also provided a server system for providing services based on a connection- oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol, in communicating with a web client and providing a response to a first service request in which the first service request is a request for services that rarely change after installation, or a request for those services which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, based on a connection- oriented protocol; and providing a response to a second service request for services, excluding the above-mentioned services, which can be easily implemented by basic web technologies, based on a connectionless protocol.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above objectives and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a polling method; FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a complete component method;

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless service according to a desirable embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 illustrates the system of FIG. 3 applied to a chat service; FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a chat router; and FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a core component unit.

Best mode for carrying out the Invention

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The present invention is not restricted to the following embodiments, and many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention are provided in order to more completely explain the present invention to anyone skilled in the art.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on connectionless service according to a desirable embodiment of the present invention.

In the system of FIG. 3, a web client 30 includes a core component unit

32 and a web processing unit 34. The core component unit 32 carries out the services of immediately receiving at least data and information from a web server 36 or services that rarely change after installation in the web client 30 based on a connection-oriented protocol.

In addition to those services carried out by the core component unit 32, the web processing unit 34 carries out the services that can be implemented using basic web technologies, for example, the hyper text mark-up language (HTML), common gateway interface (CGI) and Java scripts, based on a connectionless protocol. Referring to FIG. 3, ©, ©, and ® refer to processes that are based on a connectionless protocol.

Generally, it is preferable that services which are carried out in the core component unit 32 account for less than 10% of all services, and do not require frequent modification. Also, it is preferable that the remaining services are carried out in the web processing unit 34 and continuously modified and updated.

The web server 36 receives a response to a request from the web processing unit 34 of the web client 30 from the chat server 38, and sends the request to the web processing unit 34 based on HTTP.

FIG. 4 illustrates the system of FIG. 3 applied to a chat service. The system of FIG. 4 includes a first web client 40 and a second web client 58, a first web server 46 and a second web server 56, and a chat server 64. The chat server 64 includes a first chat router 48 and a second chat router 54, and a first chat daemon 50 and a second chat daemon.

The first web client 40 has a web processing unit and a core component unit 42. A message sending screen 44 by the web processing unit is shown in the drawing. Here, the message sending screen 44 is an example of implementation of a web page. Message sending is immediate sending of a short message (kind of like a private message) to another chat participant. That is, a message is requested (transmitted) to the first web server 46 based on a connectionless protocol (©).

The message sent (©) to the first chat router 48 through the first web server 46 is sent to the first chat daemon 50 (©), and the first chat daemon 50 sends the message to the second chat daemon 52 through an interserver connection (©). That is, the chat daemons 50 and 52 allow interfacing between the first web server 46 and the second web server 56.

Meanwhile, the second chat router 54 provides the message, which is sent (®) by the second chat router 52, to the core component unit 60 of the second web client 58 based on a connection-oriented protocol ((D).

The core component unit 60 interprets the received message and then opens a message pop-up screen 62 (®). Here, the message pop up screen 62 is a screen indicating that the message sent by the first web client 40 has been received.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a chat router. A network with the core component unit is connected in step 502. That is, the first chat router 48 and the second chat router 54 are connected to the core component units 42 and 60 of the first web client and the second web client 40 and 58, respectively. In step 504, a request is waited for. When a request is sent from a chat daemon (the second chat daemon 52), the second chat router 54 interprets the request in step 506. After determining whether or not the interpreted request can be ignored, step 504, where a request is waited for, is carried out when the request can be ignored. Otherwise, the interpreted request is sent to a core component unit (the core component unit of the second web client 58) in step 510. When the request is from a web server (the first web server 46), the first chat router 48 sends the request to a chat daemon (the first chat daemon 50) in step 512. After determining whether or not a response from a chatting daemon (the first chat daemon 50) exists in step 514, the response is sent to a web server (the second web server 56) when the response exists, in step 516. After determining whether or not there is another request from the web server in step 518, the step 512 is carried out if another request exists, or otherwise, the step 504, where a request is waited for, is carried out. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a core component unit. A network with a chat router is connected in step 602. That is, the first chat router and the second chat router are connected to core components units 42 and 60, respectively, through a network. A request is waited for in step 604. When a request is from the second chat router 54, the request is interpreted in step 606, and an appropriate web page is opened in step 608. When the request indicates a message sending function, a message pop-up screen is opened. When the request is from a web page, the core component 58 receives the request from the second web server 56 and sends it to the second chat router in step 610. The present invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments, and many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In FIG. 4, for example, a chat server is shown. However, the present invention is not restricted to the server. It includes other servers having additional functions appropriate to the object of the present invention. In addition, a web server and additional functions can be implemented in one server. Referring to FIG. 6, it is described that the core component unit of the second web client interprets a request and then the web processing unit opens a message pop-up screen based on the interpreted request. The reverse process is also possible. Also, either a core component unit or a web processing unit can be designed to perform both interpretation of the request and opening of a pop-up screen. Therefore, the scope of rights the present invention claims is not determined by the description but by the accompanying claims.

Industrial Applicability

According to the present invention, providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol results in the following effects. That is, by providing those services which can be easily implemented by basic technologies of a web, such as HTML, CGI and Javascript, based on a connectionless protocol, and providing those services which are for immediately sending at least data and information from servers to clients or services that rarely change after installation, based on a connection-oriented protocol, the problems of the polling method and the complete component method can be resolved. Therefore, since the speed of downloading a core component from a web client is fast, smooth response to changes in a core component is enabled. The present invention can also be used.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol, the system comprising: a web client having a core component unit for carrying out services that rarely change after installation or those services which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, based on a connection-oriented protocol, and a web processing unit for carrying out services, excluding those services carried out by the core component unit, which can be easily implemented by basic technologies of a web, based on a connectionless protocol ; and a server for communicating with the core component unit of the web client, based on a connection-oriented protocol, and for providing a response to a request from the web processing unit, based on a connectionless protocol.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server further comprises: a web server for providing a response to a request from the web processing unit of the web client based on a connectionless protocol; and a server having additional functions for interpreting a request from the core component of the web client and providing a response to the request, based on a connection-oriented protocol.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the web server asks for a response to the request from the web processing unit of the web client, to the server having additional functions, and when the web server receives a response from the server having additional functions, the web server provides the response to the web processing unit of the web client.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the server having additional functions is a chat server and the web client includes a first web client and a second web client, when the first web client sends a message to be displayed on the screen of the second web client, through a message sending screen or a 1 -on-1 chat screen, to the chat server, the chat server provides the message to the core component of the second web client based on a connection- oriented protocol; and the second web client interprets the received message and opens a message pop- up screen or a 1-on-1 chat pop-up screen.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the core component of the second web client interprets the message provided by the chat server and based on the interpreted message, the web processing unit of the second web client opens a message pop-up screen or a 1-on-1 chat pop-up screen.

6. A web client system for providing services based on a connection-oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol, in communicating with a server and processing data, the web client system comprising: a core component unit for carrying out services that rarely change after installation, or those service which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, while communicating with the server based on a connection- oriented protocol; and a web processing unit for carrying out services, excluding those services carried out in the core component unit, which can be easily implemented by basic web technologies, while communicating with the server based on a connectionless protocol.

7. A server system for providing services based on a connection- oriented protocol in a web service based on a connectionless protocol, in communicating with a web client and providing a response to a first service request wherein the first service request is a request for services that rarely change after installation, or a request for those services which are for immediately receiving at least data and information, based on a connection- oriented protocol; and providing a response to a second service request for services, excluding the above-mentioned services, which can be easily implemented by basic web technologies, based on a connectionless protocol.

8. The server system of claim 7, wherein the server system further comprising: a web server for providing a response to the second service request from the web client, based on connectionless protocol; and a server having additional functions for interpreting the first service request from the web client and providing a response to the request, based on a connection-oriented protocol.

9. The server system of claim 8, wherein the web server asks a response to the second service request from the web client, to the server having additional functions, and when the web server receives a response from the server having additional functions, the web server provides the response to the web client.