Session handling based on shared session information

Abstract

A connection manager and worker nodes of an application server are both capable to access and control a shared memory session table.

1 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a shared memory to store a session table;    a plurality of worker nodes coupled in communication with the shared memory, each worker node capable to access and update an entry in the session table with information about a session; and    a connection manager coupled in communication with the shared memory, the connection manager to receive a request for the session, access and update the entry in the session table with information about the session, and to deposit the request in the shared memory where a worker node can retrieve and process the request.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the session comprises a reference to a worker node selected to process requests for the session.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the selected worker node to retrieve the request from the shared memory and process the request.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of worker nodes is capable to allocate the entry in the session table.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the worker node to allocate the entry in the session table capable to initialize the entry.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of worker nodes is capable to update the entry in the session table.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of worker nodes is capable to free the entry in the session table.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the worker node to free the entry if no requests are pending for the session.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the connection manager to drop the freed entry in the session table.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of worker nodes capable to clean-up the entry in the session table.  
   
   
       11 . A method comprising: 
 storing a session table in a shared memory;    accessing and updating an entry in the session table with information about a session by one of a plurality of worker nodes coupled in communication with the shared memory; and    receiving at a connection manager coupled in communication with the shared memory a request for the session, accessing and updating the entry in the session table with information about the session;    depositing the request in the shared memory; and    retreiveing and processing the request at a worker node.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising selecting a worker node to process requests for the session, wherein the information about the session comprises a reference to the selected worker node.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising retrieving at the selected worker node the request from the shared memory and processing the request.  
   
   
       14 . An article of manufacture, comprising: 
 an electronically accessible medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:    store a session table in a shared memory;    access and update an entry in the session table with information about a session by one of a plurality of worker nodes coupled in communication with the shared memory; and    receive at a connection manager coupled in communication with the shared memory a request for the session, access and update the entry in the session table with information about the session;    deposit the request in the shared memory; and    retreive and process the request at a worker node.    
   
   
       15 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to select a worker node to process requests for the session, wherein the information about the session comprises a reference to the selected worker node.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to retrieve at the selected worker node the request from the shared memory and process the request.