Directing a client computer to a least network latency server site

• US 20030217147A1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Malo, John A. Jr., Maynard, William P.
• Application Number:
  US10/143,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of determining network latency includes receiving a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) request at a first server site from a remote computer. The method further includes generating a timing Web page, which includes information regarding a plurality of server sites, at the first server site. The method further includes transmitting the timing Web page to the remote computer and determining a fastest site among the plurality of server sites.

Claims

1. A method of determining network latency comprising:

receiving a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) request at a first server site from a remote computer;

generating a timing Web page at the first server site, said timing Web page comprising information regarding a plurality of server sites;

transmitting the timing Web page to the remote computer; and

determining a fastest site with the lowest network latency to the remote computer among the plurality of server sites.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fastest site is determined at the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fastest site is determined at the first server site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a list of locations of the plurality of server sites.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a URL link to each of the plurality of server sites.

6. The method of claim 4, said timing Web page comprising a Java Applet.

7. The method of claim 4, said determining the fastest site comprises initiating a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection to each of the plurality of Web sites.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising dropping all of the TCP connections except the TCP connection to the fastest site.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending an identity of the fastest site to the first server site.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising redirecting the remote computer to the fastest site.

11. The method of claim 5, said determining the fastest site comprises requesting a file corresponding to each URL link.

12. The method of claim 11, said determining the fastest site comprises recording an amount of time between a server site SYN plus ACK and an ACK from the remote computer for each of the plurality of server sites.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a second Web page at each of the plurality of server sites and transmitting the Web page to the remote computer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising caching on a per network basis an identity of the fastest site at each of the plurality of server sites.

15. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) request from a remote computer;

generate a timing Web page, said timing Web page comprising information regarding a plurality of server sites;

transmit the timing Web page to the client computer; and

determine a fastest site among the plurality of server sites.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information comprises a list of locations of the plurality of server sites.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information comprises a URL link to each of the plurality of server sites.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, said timing Web page comprising a Java Applet.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, said determining the fastest site comprises initiating a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection to each of the plurality of Web sites.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, said instructions further causing said processor to receive an identity of the fastest site from the client computer.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, said instructions further causing said processor to redirect the client computer to the fastest site.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 15, said determining the fastest site comprises requesting a file corresponding to each URL link.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 15, said determining the fastest site comprises recording an amount of time between a server site SYN plus ACK and an ACK from the remote computer for each of the plurality of server sites.

24. A method of accessing data over a network comprising:

generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) request to a first server site among a plurality of server sites;

receiving a timing Web page from the first server site, said timing Web page comprising information regarding the plurality of server sites; and

determining a fastest site among the plurality of server sites based on the timing Web page.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the information comprises a list of locations of the plurality of server sites.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the information comprises a URL link to each of the plurality of server sites.

27. The method of claim 24, said determining the fastest site comprises initiating a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection to each of the plurality of Web sites.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising dropping all of the TCP connections except the TCP connection to the fastest site.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising sending an identity of the fastest site to the first server site.