Optimized connection life cycle for an authenticated client-server relationship

摘要

The connection (20) between a client (12) and server (16) is more efficiently managed in such a way that the actual connection between client and server is provided when needed, reused as much as possible and destroyed when that actual connection is unused for an excessive amount of time. One disclosed mechanism utilizes a connection manager (18) that responds to client application requests to open and close a connection to a server by reusing an existing connection to the server if already in place to handle plural open requests (30-40) and waiting following receipt of corresponding close requests for a delay period before closing the connection to the server in order to efficiently accommodate subsequent requests to open (50-74). Another disclosed mechanism instantiates (172) a connection object (120) presenting a virtual connection to the server in response to the opening of the client application, and further instantiating an encapsulated real connection object (122) responsive to a client application request for access to the server. The real connection is then closed (198) if it remains idle for an excessive time period, and the virtual connection is thereafter closed (192) only when the application terminates.