Broadcast capable file system

• US 20050220103A1
• Filed: 04/05/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore Sales Pte Ltd (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ixia (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wild, Aloysius Arthur III, Olderdissen, Jan RA
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

A broadcast capable file system is disclosed. In a method, a server may receive a file request from a requesting client and prepare a broadcast response to the file request. The broadcast response may be directed to a group of clients of which the requesting client is a member. In another method, at least one of the clients of the group of clients may submit a file request to the server. Each of the clients of the group may receive a broadcast response to the file request. The broadcast capable file system may be implemented between a server computing device and multiple client computing devices. The server computing device and multiple client computing devices may be included in a network testing system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a file request from a requesting client computing device

preparing a broadcast response to the file request, the broadcast response directed to a group of client computing devices of which the requesting client computing device is a member

issuing the broadcast response.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving and the issuing are performed over a backplane.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving and the issuing are performed over a network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast response includes at least one computer file.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast response includes meta data identifying a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or the group of client computing devices.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

checking to determine whether a computer file specified in the file request has recently been sent

performing the preparing and the issuing when the checking shows that the computer file specified in the file request has not recently been sent.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the checking is based on a system defined time period.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating a data structure containing pertinent data about the broadcast response.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the pertinent data includes one or more of a content identifier of what was sent in the broadcast response, a time when the broadcast response was sent, a group identifier of to whom the broadcast response was sent.

10. The method of claim 1 implemented in a server computing device included in a network testing system.

11. The method of claim 1 implemented in a server computing device coupled to a network.

12. A method comprising:

at least one group of client computing devices submitting a file request to a server computing device

each of the client computing devices of the group of client computing devices receiving a broadcast response to the file request.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

the at least one group of client computing devices registering with the server computing device

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

some of the client computing devices caching the broadcast response.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the caching comprises:

checking whether the broadcast response is appropriate for the client computing device such that the caching is performed when the broadcast response is appropriate for the client computing device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the checking comprises:

evaluating meta data included in the broadcast response.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the meta data identifies a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or the group of client computing devices.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

checking a cache to evaluate whether a needed file is located in the cache such that the submitting is not performed when the needed file is located in the cache.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the broadcast response includes meta data identifying a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or the group of client computing devices.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the server computing device and the client computing devices are included in a network testing system.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the server computing device and the client computing device are coupled to and communicate over a network.

22. A method for a broadcast capable file system comprising:

a client computing device of a group of client computing devices submitting a file request to a server computing device

the server computing device receiving a file request from a requesting client computing device

the server computing device preparing a broadcast response to the file request, the broadcast response directed to a group of client computing devices of which the requesting client computing device is a member

the server computing device issuing the broadcast response

each of the client computing devices of the group of client computing devices receiving the broadcast response.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

each client computing device of the client computing devices registering with the server computing device.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the receiving the file request, the issuing the broadcast response, and the receiving the broadcast response are performed over a backplane.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the receiving the file request, the issuing the broadcast response, and the receiving the broadcast response are performed over a network.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the broadcast response includes one or more of a computer file, a file block, or a file fragment.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein the broadcast response includes meta data identifying a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or identifying the group of client computing devices.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

the server computing device checking to determine whether a computer file specified in the file request has recently been sent

performing the preparing and the issuing when the checking shows that the computer file specified in the file request has not recently been sent.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the checking is based on a system defined time period.

30. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

the server computing device updating a data structure containing pertinent data about the broadcast response, the pertinent data including one or more of a content identifier of what was sent in the broadcast response, a time when the broadcast response was sent, or a group identifier of to whom the broadcast response was sent.

31. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

some of the client computing devices caching the broadcast response.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the caching comprises:

checking whether the broadcast response is appropriate for the client computing device such that the caching is performed when the broadcast response is appropriate for the client computing device.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the checking comprises:

evaluating meta data included in the broadcast response, wherein the meta data identifies a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or identifies the group of client computing devices.

34. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

the client computing devices checking a cache to evaluate whether a needed file is located in the cache such that the submitting is not performed when the needed file is located in the cache.

35. The method of claim 22 wherein the broadcast response includes meta data identifying a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or the group of client computing devices.

36. The method of claim 22 wherein the server computing device and the client computing devices are included in a network testing system.

37. A network testing system comprising a plurality of network cards coupled to a back plane, each of the network cards including a plurality of client computing devices, a server computing device coupled to a storage device and the back plane, the server computing device comprising:

a processor coupled to a bus

a memory coupled to the bus

the memory having instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor cause the server computing device to perform actions comprising;

receiving a file request from a requesting client computing device

preparing a broadcast response to the file request, the broadcast response directed to a group of client computing devices of which the requesting client computing device is a member

issuing the broadcast response.

38. The network testing system of claim 37 wherein the broadcast response includes at least one computer file.

39. The network testing system of claim 37 wherein the broadcast response includes meta data identifying a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or the group of client computing devices.

40. The network testing system of claim 37 wherein the memory has further instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor cause the server computing device to perform further actions comprising:

checking to determine whether a computer file specified in the file request has recently been sent

performing the preparing and the issuing when the checking shows that the computer file specified in the file request has not recently been sent.

41. The network testing system of claim 40 wherein the checking is based on a system defined time period.

42. The network testing system of claim 37 wherein the memory has further instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor cause the server computing device to perform further actions comprising:

updating a data structure containing pertinent data about the broadcast response, the pertinent data including one or more of a content identifier of what was sent in the broadcast response, a time when the broadcast response was sent, or a group identifier of to whom the broadcast response was sent.

43. A network testing system comprising a server computing device coupled to a storage device and a back plane, a plurality of network cards coupled to the back plane, each of the network cards including a plurality of client computing devices, each of the client computing devices comprising:

a processor coupled to a bus

a memory coupled to the bus

the memory having instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor cause the client computing device to perform actions comprising;

at least one of the client computing devices of the group of client computing devices submitting a file request to the server computing device

each of the client computing devices of the group of client computing devices receiving a broadcast response to the file request.

44. The network testing system of claim 43 wherein the memory has further instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor cause the client computing device to perform further actions comprising:

some of the client computing devices caching the broadcast response.

45. The network testing system of claim 44 wherein the caching comprises:

checking whether the broadcast response is appropriate for the client computing device such that the caching is performed when the broadcast response is appropriate for the client computing device.

46. The network testing system of claim 45 wherein the checking comprises:

evaluating meta data included in the broadcast response, wherein the meta data identifies a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or the group of client computing devices.

47. The network testing system of claim 43 wherein the memory has further instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor cause the client computing device to perform further actions comprising:

checking a cache to evaluate whether a needed file is located in the cache such that the submitting is not performed when the needed file is located in the cache.

48. The network testing system of claim 43 wherein the broadcast response includes meta data identifying a computer file included in the broadcast response and/or the group of client computing devices.