Server contacting browser...technical thread...
 

Is there any way that the server is able to send an unsolicted message to a specific client?

For example, I am working on this dating site, and when I make changes in the admin panel, the test browser almost immediatly reboots and asks for my login again - this is normal action.

There are only 2 ways I can think of that this can happen:

1) The browser is contacting the main website every second to know if anything has changed.

2) The server, is somehow able to send a message to the browser...

I understand how to do method 1. The browser pings the website for some sort of session or update data or whatever.

But! Is method 2 even possible? Is there any way that the server is able to send an unsolicted message to a specific client?

I would never make a wesite "ping the server every second to find updates", since with 10,000 online visitors, that would be a huge load. So if there is some way to do method 2 that would be awesome.

Does anyone know if this is possible? Ideas?

If the browser that's updating the admin section opened the "test browser" window it could be instructing it to reload the updated site.

If the "test browser" is entirely separate then it must be periodically checking with the site for changes. There's really no way the site could be reaching out to the browser.

Yes, the test browser is a seperate window.

I didn't think there was a way for the server to reach out to the browser...I just wanted to confirm that there wasn't any new trick I wasn't aware of.

Hmmm, wouldn't there be privacy issues involved?

bump bump

Sure, you check the Modified headers sent by the browser, or the Cache-Control headers..