Patent ID: 7600230

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of managing access control meta-data in a reverse proxy located between an origin server and one or more clients, the method at the reverse proxy comprising: receiving a data request from a user; receiving access control meta-data associated with the requested data; caching said access control meta-data; using said access control meta-data to arbitrate the data request; examining communication between the user and the origin server; extracting user session meta-data from the communication by monitoring the pattern or content of the communication between the user and the origin server, and using the pattern or content of the communication to detect the creation and tearing down of a user session as well as any associated expiration, wherein the user session meta data associates the user with a user session established for the user on the origin server; and maintaining the user session meta-data on the reverse proxy wherein the reverse proxy is configured to notify the origin server of any expiration of the user session established for the user on the origin server.