Distribution of binary executables and content from peer locations/machines

• US 20050198296A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Teodosiu, Dan, Boyen, Xavier
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Binary executables are distributed in a distributed manner by equipping a server with a bootstrap program. The server provides the bootstrap program to a client computer in response to the client'"'"'s request for the binary executables. The bootstrap program is designed to enable the client computer to obtain the binary executables in one or more portions from one or more peer locations that have already downloaded the said binary executables. In one embodiment, the bootstrap program also monitors the performance associated with obtaining the portions of the binary executables, and reports the performance data to a resource naming service that tracks peer locations that cache the binary executables. In one embodiment, the binary executables also includes a component that registers the client computer as a peer location that caches the binary executables, and provides the binary executables to other client computers responsive to their requests. In various embodiments, content is distributed in like manner.

Claims

1. In a resource naming service server, a method of operation comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer for a client identifier to register the client computer as a peer location that caches a resource, the resource including a component to service requests of other client computers for the resource;

in response, providing the client identifier in an encrypted plain and hashed pair form to said client computer; and

receiving back from the client computer the plain and hashed pair to authenticate said component of the resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving request for a plurality of peer locations of said resource from a second client computer, identifying one or more peer locations of said resource for said second client, and receiving corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises providing a timestamp along with said identification of one or more peer locations of said resource, and receiving said provided timestamp back along with said reporting of corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises generating a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by said second client computer, and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature to facilitate determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises conditionally blacklisting one or more of said peer locations based on the result of said determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.

6. An apparatus comprising:

storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to implement a resource naming service, including a scheduler designed to

receive a request from a client computer for a client identifier to register the client computer as a peer location that cache a resource, the resource including a component to service requests of other client computers for the resource,

in response, provide the client identifier in an encrypted plain and hashed pair form to said client computer, and

receive back from the client computer the plain and hashed pair to authenticate said component of the resource; and

one or more processors coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the scheduler is further designed to receive a request for a plurality of peer locations of said resource from a second client computer, in response, identify one or more peer locations of said resource for said second client, and the programming instructions further implement a reporter to receive corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the scheduler further provides a timestamp along with said identification of one or more peer locations of said resource, and the reporter receives said provided timestamp back along with said reporting of corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the reporter further generates a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by said second client computer, and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature to facilitate determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the scheduler further conditionally blacklist one or more of said peer locations based on the result of said determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.