System and method for connection optimization

• US 20060059246A1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Grove, Adam J.
• Application Number:
  US10/937,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059246A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system for connection optimization includes a client, a server, and a domain assigner configured to assign referenced objects to additional domains to influence the number of connections used by the client for requesting and receiving the referenced objects. In one embodiment, the domain assigner dynamically assigns referenced objects to additional domains based on conditions in the network. In another embodiment, the domain assigner stores a plurality of versions of a referencing object wherein the referenced objects of each version are assigned to different numbers of domains. The domain assigner may be implemented at the server or at an intermediate device.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing connections, comprising:

establishing an initial connection between a server and a client;

receiving a request for an object at the server, the object referencing a plurality of referenced objects, wherein at least one of the plurality of referenced objects is capable of being assigned to one or more domains;

assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a plurality of domains to influence a number of connections used by the client to request the plurality of referenced objects;

modifying the object to include identifiers for the plurality of referenced objects assigned to the plurality of domains, producing a modified object; and

sending the modified object to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a plurality of domains includes assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a number of domains depending on the load at the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a plurality of domains includes assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a number of domains depending on available bandwidth in a network between the client and the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a plurality of domains includes assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a number of domains depending on available bandwidth at the client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a plurality of domains includes assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a number of domains depending on a priority of the client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a plurality of domains includes assigning the plurality of referenced objects to a predetermined number of domains.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined number of domains is selected to improve download performance under typical conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of domains are capable of being serviced by a single server for at least two of the plurality of referenced objects.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the single server uses an HTTP virtual host facility to service multiple domains.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the single server is identical to the server storing the object.

11. A method for optimizing connections, comprising:

establishing an initial connection between a server and a client;

receiving a request for an object at the server, the object referencing a plurality of referenced objects, wherein at least one of the plurality of referenced objects is capable of being assigned to one or more domains;

determining a desired number of connections for the client to use in requesting and receiving the plurality of referenced objects;

determining a domain assignment for each of the plurality of referenced objects to influence the client to use the desired number of connections;

assigning each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of a plurality of domains according to the domain assignment;

modifying the object to include identifiers for the plurality of referenced objects in accordance with the domain assignment of each of the plurality of referenced objects, producing a modified object; and

sending the modified object to the client.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a domain assignment for each of the plurality of referenced objects includes determining a number of domains depending on a load at the server.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a domain assignment for each of the plurality of referenced objects includes determining a number of domains depending on available bandwidth in a network between the client and the server.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a domain assignment for each of the plurality of referenced objects includes determining a number of domains depending on available bandwidth at the client.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a domain assignment for each of the plurality of referenced objects includes determining a number of domains depending on available bandwidth at the server.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a domain assignment for each of the plurality of referenced objects includes determining a number of domains depending on a priority of the client.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the domain assignment is predetermined.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the domain assignment is predetermined to improve download performance under typical conditions.

19. A system for optimizing connections, comprising:

a server storing an object, the object referencing a plurality of referenced objects, wherein at least one of the plurality of referenced objects is capable of being assigned to one or more domains; and

a domain assigner configured to determine a desired number of connections for a client to use in requesting and receiving the plurality of referenced objects and to assign each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of a plurality of domains to influence the client to establish the desired number of connections.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner is configured to assign each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of the plurality of domains depending on a load at the server.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner is configured to assign each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of the plurality of domains depending on available bandwidth in a network between the client and the server.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner is configured to assign each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of the plurality of domains depending on available bandwidth at the client.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner is configured to assign each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of the plurality of domains depending on available bandwidth at the server.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner is configured to assign each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of the plurality of domains depending on a priority of the client.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner is configured to assign each of the plurality of referenced objects to one of the plurality of domains according to a predetermined domain assignment.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the predetermined domain assignment is selected to improve download performance under typical conditions.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner resides at the server.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner resides at an intermediate device between the client and the server.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the domain assigner is configured to determine a desired number of connections between the client and the intermediate device based on a load at the intermediate device.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the domain assigner is configured to determine a desired number of connections between the client and the intermediate device based on available bandwidth at the intermediate device.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the domain assigner is configured to determine a desired number of connections between the client and the intermediate device based on available bandwidth in a network between the client and the intermediate device.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the domain assigner is further configured to instruct the intermediate device to respond to a request from the client using HTTP version 1.0 to influence the client to increase the number of connection between the client and the intermediate device.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the domain assigner is further configured to instruct the server to respond to a request from the client using HTTP version 1.0 to influence the client to increase the number of connections between the client and the server.

34. A system for optimizing connections, comprising:

a server storing an object, the object referencing a plurality of referenced objects; and

a domain assigner configured to determine a desired number of connections for a client to use in requesting and receiving the plurality of referenced objects, and further configured to select one of a plurality of versions of the object to influence the client to establish the desired number of connections, wherein each of the plurality of versions of the object includes a unique number of domains to which the plurality of referenced objects is assigned.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the domain assigner is configured to select one of the plurality of versions of the object depending on a load at the server.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the domain assigner is configured to select one of the plurality of versions of the object depending on available bandwidth in a network between the client and the server.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the domain assigner is configured to select one of the plurality of versions of the object depending on available bandwidth at the client.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the domain assigner is configured to select one of the plurality of versions of the object depending on available bandwidth at the server.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the domain assigner is configured to select one of the plurality of versions of the object depending on a priority of the client.