System and method for dynamic compression of data

• US 20040064588A1
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookingglass Cyber Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: CloudShield Technologies, Inc. (ZeroFox Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jungck, Peder J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A method of transferring a compressed web page over a computer network without affecting the existing web server applications and processes. The compressor intercepts a request from a workstation for the web page. A second request is transmitted to the server from the compressor for the original, uncompressed web page. The web page is selectively compressed in the compressor. Then the compressed web page is transmitted to the workstation. Optionally, some of the files associated web page, such as image files, are also compressed and the references to the compressed associated files is changed to reflect any change in the name of the compressed associated files.

Claims

1. A method of transferring data, comprising:

(a) dynamically compressing a web page based on a first request from a workstation, wherein the first request indicates the web page; and

(b) transmitting a first response that comprises the dynamically compressed web page from a compressor toward the workstation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) further comprises:

determining if the first request comprises an indication that the workstation is capable of decompressing the web page; and

selectively compressing the web page based on the workstation'"'"'s capability to decompress the web page.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein (a) further comprises:

receiving the first request from a browser on the workstation over a computer network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitting further comprises:

transmitting the first response that comprises a web page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein (a) further comprises:

dynamically compressing the web page based on a compression indicator in the first request.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein (b) further comprises:

transmitting a compression indicator in the first response that indicates the web page is in a compressed format.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein (a) further comprises:

compressing the web page into a deflate compressed data format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein (a) further comprises:

retrieving the web page from a web server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(c) receiving a second request from the workstation indicating an associated file; and

(d) transmitting a second response from the compressor to the workstation in response to a second request;

wherein the second response comprises at least the associated file.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein (d) further comprises:

transmitting a plurality of files associated with the web page.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein (d) comprises:

transmitting a set of graphic, audio, and video files associated with the web page.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein (d) further comprises:

transmitting the associated file in a compressed format.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein (d) further comprises:

selectively transmitting the associated file in a compressed format based on an indication in the second request that the workstation is capable of processing the associated file in a compressed format.

14. The method of claim 14, wherein (d) comprises:

selectively transmitting the associated file in a PNG format.

15. A method of transferring data over a computer network, comprising:

(a) receiving a first request from a workstation, the first request indicating a web page and a web server associated with the web page;

(b) transmitting a second request to the web server, the second request requesting the web page;

(c) receiving the web page in a first format from the web server;

(d) selectively compressing the web page to a second format, after the receiving of the web page; and

(e) transmitting the web page to the workstation in the second format.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein (a) comprises:

receiving the first request over the computer network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein (a) comprises:

receiving the first request at a reverse proxy server.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein (d) comprises:

selectively compressing the web page at the web server.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein (b) comprises:

transmitting the second request over a computer network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein (a) comprises:

receiving the first request at a forward proxy server.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein (d) comprises:

selectively compressing the web page at a point of presence of the computer network.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein (d) comprises:

selectively compressing the web page using a deflate process.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein (d) comprises:

modifying a reference in the web page, wherein the reference refers to an associated file.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprises:

(f) receiving a second request from the workstation, the second request indicating at least the associated file;

(g) transmitting a third request to the web server for the associated file;

(h) receiving the associated file in a third format from the web server;

(i) selectively compressing the associated file; and

(j) transmitting the associated file to the workstation in a fourth format, the fourth format being more compressed than the third format.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein (i) comprises:

selectively compressing the associated file using the deflate format.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprises:

(f) transmitting a third request to the web server for the associated file before receiving a second request from the workstation indicating the file;

(g) receiving the associated file in a third format from the web server;

(h) selectively compressing the associated file; and

(i) transmitting the file to the workstation in a fourth format, the fourth format being more compressed than the third format.

27. A system for transferring data over a computer network, the system comprising:

a workstation coupled with the computer network and operative to request a web page from a web server coupled with the computer network;

a proxy server coupled with the computer network and operative to receive the request, transmit a proxied request to the web server and receive the web page from the web server in a first format; and

a compressor coupled with the proxy server and operative to selectively compress the web page to a second format; and

wherein the proxy server is further operative to transmit the web page to the workstation in the second format.

28. An apparatus for transferring data over a computer network, the apparatus comprising:

a request receiver coupled with the computer network and operative to receive a first request from a workstation coupled with the computer network, the request indicating a web page and a web server associated with the web page;

a request transmitter coupled with the request receiver and operative to transmit a second request to the web server;

the second request comprising a request for the web page;

a web page receiver coupled with the computer network and operative to receive the web page in a first format from the web server;

a compressor coupled with the web page receiver and operative to selectively compress the received web page to a second format; and

a web page transmitter coupled with the compressor and operative to transmit the web page to the workstation in the second format.