Resuming applications using pass-through servers and trace data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018246786-A1
Application number	US-201715444756-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 30, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects include receiving, at a pass-through server executing in a replay mode, a request directed to a backend resource. The request is received from an application that is connected to the pass-through server. The pass-through server executing in the replay mode identifies a response that corresponds to the request by: forming a key that includes an identifier of the current execution phase of the application and at least a subset of the request; accessing trace data that includes a plurality of keys and corresponding responses that were previously recorded in the trace data by the pass-through server executing in a recording mode; and using the key to locate, in the trace data, the response corresponding to the request. The identified response is relayed, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, to the application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-based method comprising:
receiving, at a pass-through server executing in a replay mode, a request directed to a backend resource, the receiving from an application that is communicatively coupled to the pass-through server; determining, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, a current execution phase of the application; identifying, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, a response that corresponds to the request, the identifying including:
forming a key that includes an identifier of the current execution phase of the application and at least a subset of the request;
accessing trace data, the trace data including a plurality of keys and corresponding responses, the corresponding responses previously recorded in the trace data by the pass-through server executing in a recording mode based at least in part on responses by the backend resource to requests from the application at specified execution phases; and
using the key to locate, in the trace data, the response corresponding to the request; and
relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, the identified response to the application.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, a request directed to the backend resource, the receiving from the application; relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the request to the backend resource, the backend resource communicatively coupled to the pass-through server; receiving, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, from the backend resource, the response to the request; relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the response to the application; determining, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the current execution phase of the application; and storing in the trace data, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the identifier of the current execution phase of the application and at least a subset of the request as the key, and the response as the corresponding response.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a current execution phase of the application includes receiving the identifier of the current execution phase from the application.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is communicatively coupled to a plurality of pass-through servers to communicate with a plurality of backend resources.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the key is a unique key.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to the receiving, the application is started at an intermediate state.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is an application programming interface (API) call.

8 . A system, comprising:
a memory having computer readable instructions; and a processor for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions including instructions for: receiving, at a pass-through server executing in a replay mode, a request directed to a backend resource, the receiving from an application that is communicatively coupled to the pass-through server; determining, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, a current execution phase of the application; identifying, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, a response that corresponds to the request, the identifying including: forming a key that includes an identifier of the current execution phase of the application and at least a subset of the request; accessing trace data, the trace data including a plurality of keys and corresponding responses, the corresponding responses previously recorded in the trace by the pass-through server executing in a recording mode based at least in part on responses by the backend resource to requests from the application at specified execution phases; and using the key to locate, in the trace data, the response corresponding to the request; and relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, the identified response to the application.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable instructions further include instructions for:
receiving, at the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, a request directed to the backend resource, the receiving from the application; relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the request to the backend resource, the backend resource communicatively coupled to the pass-through server; receiving, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, from the backend resource, the response to the request; relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the response to the application; determining, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the current execution phase of the application; and storing in the trace data, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the identifier of the current execution phase of the application and at least a subset of the request as the key, and the response as the corresponding response.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the determining a current execution phase of the application includes receiving the identifier of the current execution phase from the application.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the application is communicatively coupled to a plurality of pass-through servers to communicate with a plurality of backend resources.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the key is a unique key.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein prior to the receiving, the application is started at an intermediate state.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the request is an application programming interface (API) call.

15 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform:
receiving, at a pass-through server executing in a replay mode, a request directed to a backend resource, the receiving from an application that is communicatively coupled to the pass-through server; determining, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, a current execution phase of the application; identifying, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, a response that corresponds to the request, the identifying including:
forming a key that includes an identifier of the current execution phase of the application and at least a subset of the request;
accessing trace data, the trace data including a plurality of keys and corresponding responses, the corresponding responses previously recorded in the trace by the pass-through server executing in a recording mode based at least in part on responses by the backend resource to requests from the application at specified execution phases; and
using the key to locate, in the trace data, the response corresponding to the request; and
relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the replay mode, the identified response to the application.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform:
receiving, at the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, a request directed to the backend resource, the receiving from the application; relaying, by the pass-through server executing in the recording mode, the request to the back

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Armitage Joshua H
• Clarke Michael P
• Kaputin John A
• Kwan King-Yan
• Wright Andrew

Classifications

• G06F11/3636 Primary

  by tracing the execution of the program · CPC title

• G06F11/1438 Primary

  Restarting or rejuvenating · CPC title

• G06F9/485

  Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution (G06F9/4881 takes precedence) · CPC title