Method for transferring data over a network

• US 20050068892A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reus, Edward F., Roberts, Jeffrey S., Zoran, Michael D., Evans, Stephen Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/233
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5093 wherein the managed service relates to messaging or chat services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• 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 is provided for transferring a set of data over a network by monitoring the level of actual network bandwidth utilization. The method identifies a maximum monitored level of actual utilization and calculates a size for data blocks to be transferred as a function of the maximum monitored level of utilization. The data blocks represent a segment of a set of data, such as a software update that may be transferred or downloaded over the network without interfering with other network activity.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a set of data over a network, the method comprising:

monitoring the level of actual network bandwidth utilization;

identifying a maximum monitored level of actual utilization;

calculating a block size to transfer as a function of the maximum monitored level of utilization; and

receiving said block size portion of the set of data over the network at one or more intervals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said maximum level of actual utilization comprises:

calculating an average of network bandwidth utilization;

calculating an average transfer rate; and

calculating a bandwidth availability percentage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a client receives the data over the network from a server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said monitoring occurs at the interface between the client and the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of data includes a software update.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating at least said monitoring each time a portion of the set of data is received.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said maximum level derivation includes calculating an average level of utilization by repeating said monitoring a predetermined number of times during the receipt of said portion of the set of data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating said maximum level of actual utilization identification each time a portion of the set of data is received.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a client sends the data over the network to a server.

11. One or more computer-readable media having computer-usable instructions embodied thereon for performing the method recited in claim 1.

12. A computer system having a memory, an operating system and a central processor, said processor being operable to use the instructions embodied on the computer-readable media of claim 11.

13. One or more computer-readable media having computer-usable components for managing the transfer of data over a network, comprising:

a bandwidth monitoring component which monitors the level of actual bandwidth utilization for a network connection;

a network speed calculating component which calculates a network transfer speed as a function of the monitored level of utilization observed by said bandwidth monitoring component; and

a transfer management component which manages the transfer of data over the network.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the network connection is an interface between a client machine and the network.

15. A method of refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network comprising:

obtaining a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals;

determining an average of said network utilization rates; and

computing a block size of data to transfer during said intervals as a function of said average.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining said network utilization rate occurs at specific points in time during each of said intervals.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising transferring a minimum block of the set of data over the network to allow the refining of variables associated with the network utilization determination.

18. One or more computer-readable media having computer-usable instructions embodied thereon for performing the method recited in claim 15.

19. A computer system having a memory, an operating system and a central processor, said processor being operable to execute the instructions stored on the computer-readable media of claim 18.