System and apparatus for accelerating content delivery throughout networks

• US 20030237016A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Surgient Networks, Inc. (Quest Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Surgient Networks, Inc. (Quest Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Olkkola, Edward E., Beale, Richard, Johnson, Scott C.
• Application Number:
  US09/797,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20030237016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a content router for delivering content throughout networks. The content router preferably includes a packet switching component, at least a first network component coupled to the packet switching component and a storage component coupled to the packet switching component. The packet switching component, the first network component and the storage component preferably cooperate to create an accelerated data path operable to deliver static content from one or more storage devices coupled to the content router to one or more clients coupled to a network.

Claims

1. A system for delivering content throughout a network, the system comprising:

a content transport component operably coupled to the network;

a storage management component;

at least one accelerated data path operably coupling the content transport component and the storage management component; and

the content transport component operable to process requests for static content received from the network and to switch requests for dynamic content received from the network to the storage management component.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one storage device; and

at least one server operably coupled to the storage device.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one content router operably coupled to the network and the storage management component.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first accelerated data path operably coupled to the content transport component and operable to deliver content from a storage device operably coupled thereto; and

a second accelerated data path operably coupled to the content transport component and operable to deliver requests for dynamic content to a server operably coupled thereto.

4. The system of claim further comprising the accelerated data path operable to deliver content available from the storage management component to at least one client operably coupled to the network.

6. A system for delivering content from a storage device comprising:

at least one storage device;

at least one content router operably coupled to the storage device;

the content router including at least one network processor;

a memory operably coupled to the at least one network processor;

at least one routing switch operably coupled to the network processor;

a LAN interface operably coupled to the routing switch and operable to communicate with a local area network;

a WAN interface operably coupled to the routing switch and operable to communicate packets of content with a wide area network;

a SAN interface operably coupled to the routing switch and operable to communicate with the storage device via a storage area network; and

a program of instructions storable in the memory and executable in the processor operable to interrogate the packets received through the WAN interface and to instruct the routing switch to switch the packets between the LAN, WAN and SAN interfaces based upon the results of the interrogation.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one server operably coupled to the LAN interface.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

the program of instructions operable to process interrogated packets containing a request for static content; and

the program of instructions further operable to instruct the routing switch to maintain an accelerated data path between the SAN interface and the WAN interface such that the static content may be delivered from the at least one storage device to one or more clients operably coupled to the WAN interface.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising the LAN interface operable to establish and maintain a generally constant communication connection with at least one server.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprising the program of instructions operable to instruct the routing switch to switch unsupported traffic received through the WAN interface to at least one server.

11. The system of claim 6 further comprising at least one load balancing switch operably coupled to the WAN interface.

12. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a serial interface operably coupled to the network processor; and

the serial interface operable to couple to a computing device and to transmit control signals from the device to the network processor such that the content router may be controlled by the device.

13. The system of claim 6 further comprising the content router operable to provide read-only access to the at least one storage device via the SAN interface.

14. The system of claim 6 further comprising the program of instructions operable to configure one or more content routers operably coupled to the LAN interface with at least hot-spot content available on the at least one storage device.

15. The system of claim 6 further comprising the program of instructions operable to provide failover services to one or more content routers operably coupled in a cluster.

16. The system of claim 6 further comprising the content router operable to maintain at least one communication connection with one or more clients operably coupled to the WAN interface.

17. A content router comprising:

a packet switching component;

a first network component operably coupled to the packet switching component;

a storage component operably coupled to the packet switching component; and

the packet switching component, the first network component and the storage component cooperating with each other to create an accelerated data path operable to deliver static content from at least one storage device operably coupled to the storage component to at least one client operably coupled to the first network component.

18. The content router of claim 17 further comprising:

a second network component operably coupled to the packet switching component; and

the second network component and the packet switching component cooperating with each other to switch unsupported network traffic received via the first network component to one or more servers operably coupled thereto.

19. The content router of claim 17 further comprising the packet switching component operable to interrogate traffic received through the first network component and to make a switching decision based upon results of the interrogation.

20. The content router of claim 17 further comprising:

a systems management component operably coupled to the packet switching component; and

the systems management component operable to perform one or more content router management functions.

21. The content router of claim 20 further comprising the systems management component operable to configure one or more content routers operably coupled thereto.

22. The content router of claim 17 further comprising the packet switching component operable to process file transfer protocol gets and to switch file transfer protocol puts received from one or more clients operably coupled to the first network component to at least one server.

23. The content router of claim 17 further comprising:

a second network component operably coupled to the packet switching component; and

the second network component operable to couple to one or more content routers such that a content router cluster may be formed.

24. The content router of claim 17 further comprising the first network component operable to set up and tear down one or more communication connections with one or more clients operably coupled thereto.

25. The content router of claim 17 further comprising:

at least one communications port operable coupled to the packet switching component; and

the communications port operable to allow a device coupled thereto to control one or more functions of the content router.

26. The content router of claim 17 further comprising the accelerated data path operable to allow read-only access to the content available from the at least one storage device operably coupled to the storage component.

27. A content router comprising:

at least one power supply;

a motherboard operably coupled to the power supply including at least one processor and memory operably coupled to the processor;

a printed circuit board operably coupled to the motherboard;

the printed circuit board including at least one network processor, memory operably coupled to the at least one network processor, a routing switch operably coupled to the network processor, a storage area network transceiver operably coupled to the routing switch and a first network transceiver operably coupled to the routing switch; and

the printed circuit board operable to read packet headers received from one or more clients operably coupled to the first network transceiver and to process those packets containing requests for content accessible via the storage area network transceiver.

28. The content router of claim 27 further comprising the printed circuit board operable to switch those packets not processed to one or more servers operably coupled thereto.

29. The content router of claim 27 wherein the printed circuit board further includes:

a second network transceiver; and

the second network transceiver operable to couple to one or more content routers such that a content router cluster may be formed.

30. The content router of claim 27 further comprising the printed circuit board operable to configure one or more content routers operably coupled thereto.

31. The content router of claim 27 wherein the circuit board further includes:

an accelerated data path; and

the accelerated data path operable to provide access to content available from one or more storage devices operably coupled to the storage area network transceiver to one or more clients operably coupled to the first network transceiver.

32. The content router of claim 27 further comprising the printed circuit board operable to set up and to tear down TCP/IP connections with one or more clients operably coupled to the first network interface.

33. The content router of claim 27 further comprising the printed circuit board operable to maintain a generally constant TCP/IP connection with one or more servers operably coupled thereto.

34. The content router of claim 27 further comprising:

the printed circuit board operable to detect one or more content routers operably coupled thereto; and

to configure the one or more content routers with at least hot-spot content available from one or more storage devices operably coupled thereto.

35. The content router of claim 27 further comprising the printed circuit board operable to provide read-only access to one or more storage devices operably coupled to the storage area network transceiver such that one or more clients operably coupled to the first network interface may not alter content contained thereon.

36. A system for delivering content throughout a world wide computer network comprising:

at least one server operably coupled to a local area network;

at least one storage device operably coupled to a storage area network;

at least one network appliance operably coupled to the local area network, the storage area network and a wide area network; and

the network appliance operable to interrogate network traffic received from the wide area network, to process any network traffic requesting static content available from the storage device and to switch any network traffic not processed by the network appliance to the server via the local area network for validation.

37. The system of claim 36 further comprising:

the network appliance operable to receive validated network traffic from the server; and

the network appliance further operable to process the validated network traffic received from the server.

38. The system of claim 36 further comprising the network appliance operable to receive and interrogate all network traffic at a site.

39. The system of claim 36 further comprising:

a plurality of network appliances operably coupled to the local area network, the storage area network and the wide area network; and

at least one of the plurality of network appliances operable to load balance network traffic received via the wide area network among the remaining network appliances.

40. The system of claim 36 further comprising the network appliance operable to configure one or more network appliances operably coupled to the local area network with at least hot-spot content available from the storage device.

41. The system of claim 36 further comprising the network appliance operable to provide failover services to one or more network appliances operably coupled to the local area network.

42. The system of claim 36 further comprising the network appliance operable to:

access content requested by the network traffic stored on the storage device via the storage area network; and

deliver to one or more addresses on the wide area network the content requested by the network traffic and stored on the storage device.

43. The system of claim 36 further comprising the network appliance operable to deliver all content requested by the network traffic received at a site.

44. The system of claim 36 further comprising the network appliance operable to provide one or more clients operably coupled to the wide area network read-only access to content available from the storage device.