Automatically reconnecting a client across reliable and persistent communication sessions

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and systems for reconnecting a client and providing user authentication across a reliable and persistent communication session. A first protocol that encapsulates a plurality of secondary protocols is used to communicate over a network. A first protocol service, using the first protocol, provides session persistence and a reliable connection between a client and a host service. When there is a disruption in the network connection between a client and a host service, the connection is reestablished and the user re-authenticated to the host service without the user re-entering his or her authentication credentials or without the user re-establishing the user session with the host service

1 . A method for reconnecting a client to a host service, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a first connection between a client and a first protocol service, and a second connection between the first protocol service and a host service;    (b) detecting a disruption in the first connection;    (c) re-establishing the first connection between the client and the first protocol service while maintaining the second connection between the first protocol service and the host service;    (d) receiving at the first protocol service a ticket associated with the client;    (e) validating the ticket; and    (f) linking, after the ticket is validated, the re-established first connection to the maintained second connection.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) further comprises authenticating the client with the host service during a first communication session between the client and the host service.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (e) further comprises obtaining, from the ticket, a key and session id.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein step (e) further comprises using the session id from the ticket to retrieve encrypted authentication credentials.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein step (e) further comprises using the key from the ticket to decrypt the retrieved authentication credentials.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein step (e) further comprises re-authenticating the client with the host service using the decrypted authentication credentials.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (f) further comprises deleting, after the ticket is validated, the ticket.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein step (f) further comprises generating, after the ticket is deleted, a replacement ticket.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) further comprises generating a ticket at the first protocol service.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein step (a) further comprises saving, at the first protocol service, a copy of the ticket.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 4  wherein step (a) further comprises transmitting the ticket from the first protocol service to the client.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) further comprises deleting the ticket automatically after a pre-determined period of time.  
   
   
       13 . A system for reconnecting a client to a host service, the system comprising: 
 a client configured to maintain a first connection with a first protocol service; and    the first protocol service configured to maintain the first connection with the client and a second connection with the host service, wherein:    a disruption is detected in the first connection;    the first connection is re-established between the client and the first protocol service while the second connection between the first protocol service and the host service is maintained;    a ticket associated with the client is transmitted from the client to the first protocol service;    the ticket is validated; and    after the ticket is validated, the re-established first connection is linked to the maintained second connection.    
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the client is authenticated with the host service during a first communication session between the client and the host service.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the ticket comprises a key and session id.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the ticket is validated by the first protocol service using the session id to retrieve encrypted authentication credentials.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the ticket is further validated by decrypting the retrieved authentication credentials with the key from the ticket.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the client is re-authenticated with the host service using the decrypted authentication credentials.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the first protocol service is further configured to delete, after the ticket is validated, the ticket.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the first protocol service is further configured to generate, after the ticket is deleted, a replacement ticket.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the first protocol service is further configured to generate the ticket.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the first protocol service is further configured to save a copy of the ticket.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the first protocol service is further configured to transmit the ticket to the client.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the first protocol service is further configured to automatically delete the ticket after a pre-determined period of time.