Systems and methods for reducing server load with HTTPS cache

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12101385-B2
Application number	US-202318345258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2023
Priority date	Apr 20, 2021
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

Techniques for processing web probes for monitoring user experience including use of caching to prevent a surge of web probes on destination servers and for detecting web probe traffic. A method implemented by a connector includes intercepting a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) web probe request to a server, identifying a cache hit associated with the request in a cache, generating a synthetic Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response based on information from the identified cache hit, wherein the generated synthetic HTTP response includes an extension header containing collected statistics, and sending the synthetic HTTP response. The method can further include simulating a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) handshake to estimate SSL cost.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising steps of:
intercepting a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) web probe request to a server;
identifying a cache hit associated with the request in a cache;
generating a synthetic Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response based on information from the identified cache hit, wherein the generated synthetic HTTP response includes an extension header containing collected statistics;
sending the synthetic HTTP response;
simulating a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) handshake to estimate SSL cost, wherein SSL handshake simulation messages are only accepted after sending the synthetic HTTP response.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HTTPS web probe request is added to a queue associated with the server prior to the generating.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the synthetic HTTP response includes creating an HTTP response header, creating the extension header, and creating an HTTP response body.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to no cache hit being identified, the steps comprise:
initializing a Transport Layer Security (TLS) handshake with the server;
forwarding the HTTPS web probe request to the server;
receiving a response to the HTTPS web probe request from the server; and
storing the response in the cache.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the steps further include collecting and storing any of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) statistics and a server certificate.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein an HTTPS response is received from the server, and wherein HTTP is decrypted from the received HTTPS response.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein responsive to no response being received within a predetermined timeout, the steps include forwarding a new request to the server.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the new request is regenerated from stored information.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming a processor to perform steps of:
intercepting a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) web probe request to a server;
identifying a cache hit associated with the request in a cache;
generating a synthetic Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) response based on information from the identified cache hit, wherein the generated synthetic HTTP response includes an extension header containing collected statistics;
sending the synthetic HTTP response; and
simulating a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) handshake to estimate SSL cost, wherein SSL handshake simulation messages are only accepted after sending the synthetic HTTP response.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the HTTPS web probe request is added to a queue associated with the server prior to the generating.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein generating the synthetic HTTP response includes creating an HTTP response header, creating the extension header, and creating an HTTP response body.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein responsive to no cache hit being identified, the steps comprise:
initializing a Transport Layer Security (TLS) handshake with the server;
forwarding the HTTPS web probe request to the server;
receiving a response to the HTTPS web probe request from the server; and
storing the response in the cache.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the steps further include collecting and storing any of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) statistics and a server certificate.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein an HTTPS response is received from the server, and wherein HTTP is decrypted from the received HTTPS response.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein responsive to no response being received within a predetermined timeout, the steps include forwarding a new request to the server.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the new request is regenerated from stored information.

Assignees

• Zscaler Inc

Inventors

• Chanak John A
• Balaiah Chakkaravarthy Periyasamy
• Kamath Sandeep
• Mahajan Vikas
• Hostetter-Lewis Barrett
• Rybinski Gregory
• Gupta Rishabh
• Chhabra Pankaj

Classifications

• H04L63/0823

  using certificates (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263) · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04L67/568 Primary

  Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching · CPC title