Re-establishing a connection for an application layer via a service layer

Abstract

A method and system for establishing a connection with a server after a connection has been broken is provided. A connection system in a service layer of a client detects that a connection between the client and the server has been broken. Upon detecting the broken connection, the connection system of the service layer automatically attempts to re-establish an application-level connection to the server. If the connection system can re-establish an application-level connection to the server, then it need not notify the application layer of the broken connection.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . A method in a client for establishing a connection with a server, the client having an application layer and a service layer, the application layer using an application-level communication protocol and the service layer using a service-level communication protocol, the client and the server being computing devices, the method comprising:
 under control of the application layer executing at the client, providing to the service layer a request to establish an application-level connection with a server using the application-level communication protocol; and   under control of the service layer executing at the client,
 providing to the application layer services for accessing the server including a service for, upon being provided request to establish an application-level connection, establishing an application-level connection between the client and the server by communicating the provided request to the server using the service-level communication protocol; 
 detecting that the client is no longer connected to the server via the application-level connection; 
 after detecting that the client is no longer connected to the server via the application-level connection,
 attempting to re-establish an application-level connection between the client and a server without notifying the application layer that the client is no longer connected to the server via the application-level connection; and 
 when an application-level connection is re-established with a server, resuming the providing of services to the application layer. 
 
   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the server is in a pool of servers that each provide services to clients and the re-established connection is with a server other than the server to which the client was last connected. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein when the service layer receives a request from the application layer to perform a service while the client is no longer connected to the server via the application-level connection, delaying the performing of the requested service until the application-level connection is re-established. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein when the service layer receives a request from the application layer to perform a service while the client is no longer connected to the server via the application-level connection, notifying the application layer that the service is temporarily unavailable. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the server is a presence server. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the server is an instant messaging server. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the application-level connection is established by the client logging on to the server. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the server is in a pool of servers that each provide services to clients and wherein the application-level connection is established by the client logging on to the server. 
   
   
       29 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a service layer of a client to log the client onto a server, the client having an application layer and a service layer, the client and the server being computing devices, by a method comprising:
 receiving from an application layer a request to log the client onto a server, the request being specified using an application-level communication protocol;   logging the client onto a server by sending the received request to the server using a service-level communication protocol;   detecting that the client is no longer logged onto the server; and   after detecting that the client is no longer logged onto the server, re-logging the client on to a server without notifying the application layer that the client was no longer logged onto the server.   
   
   
       30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29  wherein when the client cannot be re-logged onto a server, notifying the application layer that the client is no longer logged onto the server. 
   
   
       31 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29  wherein the client is no longer logged on to the server when a connection between the client and the server is broken. 
   
   
       32 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 31  wherein the connection is a TCP connection. 
   
   
       33 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 29  wherein the server is in a pool of servers that each provide services to clients. 
   
   
       34 . A server for re-establishing connections with clients after the connections are broken, the server being a computing device comprising:
 a component that receives from a service layer of a client a first message sent via a service-level communication protocol, the first message including a request to establish an application-level connection between the client and the server, the request conforming to a application-level communication protocol and being sent from an application layer of the client to the service layer of the client;   a component that establishes an application-level connection between the client and the server in accordance with the request included in the first message;   a component that, after the established connection between the client and the server is broken, receives from the service layer of the client a second message sent via the service-level communication protocol, the second message including the same request that was included in the first message so that the application layer of the client does not need to be notified that the connection is broken and does not need to re-send the request to the service layer of the client after the connection is broken; and   a component that re-establishes an application-level connection between the client and the server in accordance with the request included in the second message.   
   
   
       35 . The server of  claim 34  wherein the application-level communication protocol is a session initiation protocol. 
   
   
       36 . The server of  claim 35  wherein the request is a session initiation protocol invite request. 
   
   
       37 . The server of  claim 35  wherein the service-level communication protocol is a transmission control protocol. 
   
   
       38 . The server of  claim 34  wherein the server is a presence server. 
   
   
       39 . The server of  claim 34  wherein the server is an instant messaging server. 
   
   
       40 . The server of  claim 34  wherein the application-level connection is established when the client logs on to the server.