Managing resources for information delivery in a large network

• US 20040018844A1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Ting D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method of managing network resources in a terminating node of an information delivery network can include receiving an inbound data container comprising a data item. The data container can specify a size of the data item and global positioning information for an originating node in the information delivery network. Global positioning information can be determined for the terminating node. Accordingly, the inbound data container can be analyzed by comparing the global positioning information for the originating node and the terminating node.

Claims

1. A method of managing network resources in a terminating node of an information delivery network, said method comprising:

receiving an inbound data container comprising a data item, said data container specifying a size of said data item and global positioning information for an originating node in said information delivery network;

determining global positioning information for said terminating node; and

analyzing said inbound data container by comparing said global positioning information for said originating node and said terminating node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said inbound data container specifies at least one of a type of said data item and a grade of delivery service.

3. The method of claim 2, said analyzing step further comprising:

associating a monetary value with said inbound data container according to at least one of said size of said data item, said type of said data item, and said grade of delivery service.

4. The method of claim 1, said analyzing step comprising:

calculating a distance between said originating node and said terminating node.

5. The method of claim 4, said analyzing step comprising:

associating a monetary value with said inbound data container according to said determined distance.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining which one of a plurality of originating nodes having duplicate items of information is closest to said terminating node; and

requesting at least one of said duplicate items of information from said closest one of said plurality of originating nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, said analyzing step comprising:

determining bandwidth usage according to said received inbound data container.

8. The method of claim 1, said analyzing step comprising:

calculating a measure of time between said data container being sent from said originating node and said data container being received by said terminating node.

9. The method of claim 8, said analyzing step further comprising:

associating a monetary value with said inbound data container according to said measure of time.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining one of a plurality of originating nodes having duplicate items of information which provides at least one of said items of duplicate information in a smallest measure of time; and

requesting at least one of said duplicate items of information from said one of said plurality of originating nodes.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

consulting a delivery profile specifying data container attributes of allowable data containers;

comparing said received data container with said delivery profile; and

determining whether to accept delivery of said inbound data container.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said delivery profile specifies regions from which allowable data containers can originate.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a data request with an outbound data container, said outbound data container specifying a size of said data request;

determining a second set of global positioning information for said terminating node;

including said second set of global positioning information within said outbound data container; and

sending said outbound data container through said information delivery network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining bandwidth usage according to said sent outbound data container.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

allocating a predetermined number of said inbound and outbound data containers to accounts; and

tracking consumption of said allocated inbound and outbound data containers to determine bandwidth usage.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

allocating a predetermined number of data containers to accounts, said data containers to be used as said inbound and said outbound data containers; and

tracking consumption of said allocated data containers to determine bandwidth usage.

17. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving an inbound data container comprising a data item, said data container specifying a size of said data item and global positioning information for an originating node in said information delivery network;

determining global positioning information for said terminating node; and

analyzing said inbound data container by comparing said global positioning information for said originating node and said terminating node.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, wherein said inbound data container specifies at least one of a type of said data item and a grade of delivery service.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 18, said analyzing step further comprising:

associating a monetary value with said inbound data container according to at least one of said size of said data item, said type of said data item, and said grade of delivery service.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, said analyzing step comprising:

calculating a distance between said originating node and said terminating node.

21. The machine-readable storage of claim 20, said analyzing step comprising:

associating a monetary value with said inbound data container according to said determined distance.

22. The machine-readable storage of claim 20, further comprising:

determining which one of a plurality of originating nodes having duplicate items of information is closest to said terminating node; and

requesting at least one of said duplicate items of information from said closest one of said plurality of originating nodes.

23. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, said analyzing step comprising:

determining bandwidth usage according to said received inbound data container.

24. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, said analyzing step comprising:

calculating a measure of time between said data container being sent from said originating node and said data container being received by said terminating node.

25. The machine-readable storage of claim 24, said analyzing step further comprising:

associating a monetary value with said inbound data container according to said measure of time.

26. The machine-readable storage of claim 24, further comprising:

determining one of a plurality of originating nodes having duplicate items of information which provides at least one of said items of duplicate information in a smallest measure of time; and

requesting at least one of said duplicate items of information from said one of said plurality of originating nodes.

27. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising:

consulting a delivery profile specifying data container attributes of allowable data containers;

comparing said received data container with said delivery profile; and

determining whether to accept delivery of said inbound data container.

28. The machine-readable storage of claim 27, wherein said delivery profile specifies regions from which allowable data containers can originate.

29. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising:

associating a data request with an outbound data container, said outbound data container specifying a size of said data request;

determining a second set of global positioning information for said terminating node;

including said second set of global positioning information within said outbound data container; and

sending said outbound data container through said information delivery network.

30. The machine-readable storage of claim 29, further comprising:

determining bandwidth usage according to said sent outbound data container.

31. The machine-readable storage of claim 29, further comprising:

allocating a predetermined number of said inbound and outbound data containers to accounts; and

tracking consumption of said allocated inbound and outbound data containers to determine bandwidth usage.

32. The machine-readable storage of claim 29, further comprising:

allocating a predetermined number of data containers to accounts, said data containers to be used as said inbound and said outbound data containers; and

tracking consumption of said allocated data containers to determine bandwidth usage.