System for refining network utilization and data block sizes in the transfer of data over a network

• US 20050068893A1
• 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 7,436,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/234
• 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 system and computer-readable media are provided for refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the system includes a monitoring component, which obtains a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals. The system also determines an average of the network utilization rates and calculates a block size of data to transfer during the intervals as a function of the average. The average may be weighted by allocating a higher ratio to the more recently obtained network utilization rate. The calculated block size may be directly proportional to the product of the average, the size of the interval, and network availability. Alternatively, the size of the intervals may be adjusted based on the calculated block size.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network, the method comprising:

obtaining a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals;

determining an average of said network utilization rates, wherein said average is weighted by allocating a higher ratio to the more recently obtained network utilization rate; and

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

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein obtaining said network utilization rate occurs at specific points in time during each of said intervals.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transferring a minimum block of the set of data over the network to allow the refining of variables associated with the network utilization determination.

4. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network, the method comprising:

obtaining a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals;

determining an average of said network utilization rates; and

calculating a block size of data to transfer during said intervals as a function of said average, wherein said block size is directly proportional to the product of said average, the size of said interval, and network availability.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein obtaining said network utilization rate occurs at specific points in time during each of said intervals.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises transferring a minimum block of the set of data over the network to allow the refining of variables associated with the network utilization determination.

7. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network, the method comprising:

obtaining a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals;

determining an average of said network utilization rates; and

calculating a block size of data to transfer during said intervals as a function of said average, wherein said intervals have a size that is adjusted based on said block size.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein obtaining said network utilization rate occurs at specific points in time during each of said intervals.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises transferring a minimum block of the set of data over the network to allow the refining of variables associated with the network utilization determination.

10. A system for refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network, the system comprising:

a monitoring component operative to obtain a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals;

means for determining an average of said network utilization rates, wherein said average is weighted by allocating a higher ratio to the more recently obtained network utilization rate; and

means for calculating a block size of data to transfer during said intervals as a function of said average.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein obtaining said network utilization rate occurs at specific points in time during each of said intervals.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises transferring a minimum block of the set of data over the network to allow the refining of variables associated with the network utilization determination.

13. A system for refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network, the system comprising:

a monitoring component operative to obtain a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals;

means for determining an average of said network utilization rates; and

means for calculating a block size of data to transfer during said intervals as a function of said average, wherein said block size is directly proportional to the product of said average, the size of said interval, and network availability.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein obtaining said network utilization rate occurs at specific points in time during each of said intervals.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises transferring a minimum block of the set of data over the network to allow the refining of variables associated with the network utilization determination.

16. A system for refining network utilization determination and download data block sizes in the transfer of a set of data over a network, the system comprising:

a monitoring component operative to obtain a network utilization rate at a plurality of intervals;

means for determining an average of said network utilization rates; and

means for calculating a block size of data to transfer during said intervals as a function of said average, wherein said intervals have a size that is adjusted based on said block size.

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

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises transferring a minimum block of the set of data over the network to allow the refining of variables associated with the network utilization determination.