Apparatus, method and computer program product for guaranteed content delivery incorporating putting a client on-hold based on response time
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a server, coupled to the Internet, that has stored thereon information, wherein a client requests said information from said server;
means for estimating a response time to said clients request;
an on-hold server, coupled to the Internet, said server, and said means for determining, that has stored therein further information; and
means for placing said client on-hold if said response time is more than a threshold value, whereby a connection is established between said client and said on-hold server when said client is placed on-hold.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, method and computer program product for guaranteeing network client-server response time while providing a way of putting the client on-hold when the response time temporarily prohibits access to the requested server. The apparatus is implemented within an interface unit connecting a plurality of servers and an on-hold server to the Internet, which is connected to a plurality of clients. According to one aspect of the invention, the method includes the steps of opening a connection between a client and the interface unit; determining which server the client desires a page from; determining the current response time of the requested server; if the response time is acceptable then opening a connection between the interface unit and the requested server if no free connection is open between the interface unit and the requested server; allowing the client to access information on the requested server via the connections; and closing the connection between the client and the interface unit while keeping open the connection between the interface unit and the requested server. Alternatively, if the response time is not acceptable, then putting the client on-hold by redirecting the client to an on-hold server until the response time of the requested server becomes acceptable. According to a “on-hold distribution” aspect of the invention, the interface unit determines the on-hold preference of the client and selects the server hosting that on-hold preference. According to another aspect of the invention, instead of utilizing the interface unit, each server has the intelligence to put the client on-hold when applicable.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a server, coupled to the Internet, that has stored thereon information, wherein a client requests said information from said server;
means for estimating a response time to said clients request;
an on-hold server, coupled to the Internet, said server, and said means for determining, that has stored therein further information; and
means for placing said client on-hold if said response time is more than a threshold value, whereby a connection is established between said client and said on-hold server when said client is placed on-hold.
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2. An apparatus, comprising:
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means for opening a connection between a client and an interface unit;
means for opening a connection between said interface unit and a requested server if no free connection is open between said interface unit and said requested server;
means for estimating a response time of said requested server;
means for putting said client on-hold if said response time is more than a threshold value;
means for determining when said client should be taken off on-hold;
means for allowing said client to access information on said requested server via said connections once said client is taken off on-hold; and
means for closing said connection between said client and said interface unit while keeping open said connection between said interface unit and said requested server. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for guaranteeing network performance, comprising the steps of:
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opening a connection between a client and an interface unit;
opening a connection between said interface unit and a requested server if no free connection is open between said interface unit and said requested server;
estimating a response time of said requested server;
putting said client on-hold if said response time is more than a threshold value;
determining when said client should be taken off on-hold;
allowing said client to access information on said requested server via said connections once said client is taken off on-hold; and
closing said connection between said client and said interface unit while keeping open said connection between said interface unit and said requested server. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification