Modifying service provider context information to facilitate locating interceptor context information

Abstract

A method and system for tracking context information of a service provider and interceptors of service provider requests is provided. An interceptor modifies a portion of service provider context information to reference interceptor context information associated with a client. When the client requests a service of the service provider, the client provides the modified service provider context information along with the request. The interceptor uses the reference of the modified portion of the service provider context information to retrieve its context information. The interceptor then restores the modified portion of the service provider context information to the original unmodified portion, which the interceptor retained as part of its context information. The interceptor then forwards the request along with the original service provider context information to the service provider.

1 . A method performed a computing device for tracking context of a service provider by an interceptor of requests from a client to the service provider, the method comprising:
 receiving, from the service provider, service provider context information;   generating interceptor context information representing state information of the interceptor maintained for communication between the client and the service provider;   generating a copy of a portion of the service provider context information, the copy representing a retained portion of the service provider context information;   modifying the service provider context information to replace the copied portion with a reference to the interceptor context information, the replaced portion representing a modified portion of the service provider context information;   providing the modified service provider context information to the client; and   upon receiving from the client a request for a service of the service provider, the request including the modified service provider context information,
 retrieving, from the modified portion of the modified service provider context information included in the request, the reference to the interceptor context information representing the state information for communication between the client and the service provider; 
 replacing the modified portion of the modified service provider context information included in the request with the retained portion to restore the service provider context information; and 
 forwarding the request to the service provider, the forwarded request including the restored service provider context information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the retained portion of the service provider context information is stored in association with the interceptor context information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  including, upon receiving from the client a request for a service of the service provider, retrieving the retained portion stored in association with the interceptor context information identified by the retrieved reference. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  including upon receiving from the client a request for a service of the service provider while a request for a service of that service provider is still outstanding, not modifying the service provider context information that was previously modified. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  including upon receiving from the client a request for a service of the service provider while a request for a service of that service provider is still outstanding, using a reference to the service provider context information to locate interceptor context information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  including:
 upon receiving from the client a request for a service of the service provider while a 
 request for a service of that service provider is still outstanding,
 using a reference to the service provider context information to locate interceptor context information; and 
 not modifying the modified service provider context information. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for controlling a computing device to track context to an interceptor of requests from a client to a service provider, by a method comprising:
 receiving by the interceptor service provider context information;   generating interceptor context information representing state information of the interceptor for communication between the client and the service provider;   generating a copy of a portion of the service provider context information, the copy representing a retained portion of the service context information as received;   modifying the service provider context information to replace the copied portion with a reference to the interceptor context information, the replaced portion representing a modified portion of the service provider context information;   forwarding the modified service provider context information on to the client; and   upon receiving a request for a service of the service provider, the request including the modified service provider context information,
 retrieving, from the modified portion of the modified service provider context information included in the request, the reference to the interceptor context information representing the state information of the interceptor; 
 replacing the modified portion of the modified service provider context information included in the request with the retained portion to restore the service provider context information; and 
 forwarding the request on to the service provider, the forwarded request including the restored service provider context information. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 7  wherein the interceptor receives the service provider context information from a next lower-level interceptor and forwards the request on to the service provider via the next lower-level interceptor. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8  wherein the interceptor forwards the modified service provider information on to the client via a next higher-level interceptor and receives the request for service from the next higher-level interceptor. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 7  wherein the interceptor forwards the modified service provider information on to the client via a next higher-level interceptor and receives the request for service from the next higher-level interceptor. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 7  wherein the retained portion of the service provider context information is stored in association with the interceptor context information. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11  including, upon receiving a request for a service of the service provider, retrieving the retained portion stored in association with the interceptor context information identified by the retrieved reference. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 7  including upon receiving a request for a service of the service provider while a request for a service of that service provider is still outstanding, not modifying the service provider context information that was previously modified. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 7  including upon receiving from the client a request for a service of the service provider while a request for a service of that service provider is still outstanding, using a reference to the service provider context information to locate interceptor context information. 
     
     
         15 . A computing device for tracking context of provided to an interceptor of requests from a client to a service provider, comprising:
 a memory storing computer-executable instructions of an interceptor that:
 receives service provider context information; 
 generates interceptor context information representing state information of the interceptor for communication between the client and the service provider; 
 generates a copy of a portion of the service provider context information, the copy representing a retained portion of the service context information as received; 
 modifies the service provider context information to replace the copied portion with a reference to the interceptor context information, the replaced portion representing a modified portion of the service provider context information; 
 forwards the modified service provider context information on to the client; and 
 upon receiving a request for a service of the service provider, the request including the modified service provider context information,
 retrieves, from the modified portion of the modified service provider context information included in the request, the reference to the interceptor context information representing the state information of the interceptor; 
 replaces the modified portion of the modified service provider context information included in the request with the retained portion to restore the service provider context information; and 
 forwards the request on to the service provider, the forwarded request including the restored service provider context information; and 
 
   a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.   
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 15  wherein the interceptor receives the service provider context information from a next lower-level interceptor and forwards the request on to the service provider via the next lower-level interceptor. 
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 16  wherein the interceptor forwards the modified service provider information on to the client via a next higher-level interceptor and receives the request for service from the next higher-level interceptor. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 15  wherein the interceptor forwards the modified service provider information on to the client via a next higher-level interceptor and receives the request for service from the next higher-level interceptor. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 15  wherein the retained portion of the service provider context information is stored in association with the interceptor context information. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 16  wherein the interceptor, upon receiving a request for a service of the service provider, retrieves the retained portion stored in association with the interceptor context information identified by the retrieved reference.