Session management in a stateless network system

A method of managing sessions in a stateless network system that includes a plurality of protected servers each controlling access by one of a plurality of clients to resources of a plurality of second servers, comprising the steps of:

• creating a session manager that is bound to at least one of the protected servers;
• receiving, at one of the protected servers, a request of the client to obtain one of the resources of one of the second servers;
• determining, at the session manager from information stored therein, whether the client is part of an authenticated session with any of the protected servers;
• when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is not part of an authenticated session, requesting and receiving session authentication information from an authentication mechanism that is coupled to the session manager;
• granting the client access to the resource only when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is part of the authenticated session.

A method of managing sessions in a stateless network system that includes a plurality of protected servers each controlling access by one of a plurality of clients to resources of a plurality of second servers, comprising the steps of:

• creating a session manager that is bound to at least one of the protected servers;
• creating and storing a topology management element that communicates with all of the protected servers and each of one or more session managers and determines whether each protected server is bound to an associated session manager;
• receiving, at one of the protected servers, a request of the client to obtain one of the resources of one of the second servers;
• determining, at the session manager from information stored therein, whether the client is part of an authenticated session with any of the protected servers;
• when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is not part of an authenticated session, requesting and receiving session authentication information from an authentication mechanism that is coupled to the session manager;
• granting the client access to the resource only when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is part of the authenticated session;
• using the topology management element, detecting a failure of a first session manager;
• at the one of the protected servers, binding the at least one of the protected servers to a second session manager;
• monitoring, with the topology management element, whether the at least one of the protected servers is bound to the second session manager.

An apparatus for managing sessions in a stateless network that includes a plurality of first servers each controlling access by one of a plurality of clients to resources of a plurality of second servers, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one session manager coupled to and associated with each one of the first servers and accessible over the network;
• and
• machine executable instructions stored in association with and executed by each of the session managers, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the session managers to carry out the steps of:
• receiving, at one of the first servers, a request of the client to obtain one of the resources of one of the second servers;
• determining, at the session manager from information stored therein, whether the client is part of an authenticated session with any of the first servers;
• granting the client access to the resource only when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is part of the authenticated session.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing sessions in a stateless network system that includes a plurality of first servers each controlling access by one of a plurality of clients to resources of a plurality of second servers, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• creating a session manager that is bound to at least one of the first servers;
• receiving, at one of the first servers, a request of the client to obtain one of the resources of one of the second servers;
• determining, at the session manager from information stored therein, whether the client is part of an authenticated session with any of the first servers;
• granting the client access to the resource only when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is part of the authenticated session.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing sessions in a stateless network system that includes a plurality of first servers each controlling access by one of a plurality of clients to resources of a plurality of second servers, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• creating a session manager that is bound to at least one of the first servers;
• receiving, at one of the first servers, a request of the client to obtain one of the resources of one of the second servers;
• determining, at the session manager from information stored therein, whether the client is part of an authenticated session with any of the first servers;
• when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is not part of an authenticated session, requesting and receiving session authentication information from an authentication mechanism that is coupled to the session manager;
• granting the client access to the resource only when the information in the session manager indicates that the client is part of the authenticated session.