Serving content from an off-line peer server in a photosharing peer-to-peer network in response to a guest request

• US 20060136551A1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Issa, Alfredo C., Amidon, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1048 Departure or maintenance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

A method and system for serving content from a peer server in a photosharing peer-to-peer network is disclosed, wherein the peer server stores a web album and at least one associated digital image. Aspects of the invention include prior to the peer server going off-line, the peer server initiates a synchronization with a proxy server and a guest content server in which the web page a web page descriptor defining the web album is copied from the peer server to the guest content server, and the image associated with the web album is copied from the peer server to the proxy server. In response to a request from a requesting computer to view content stored in the peer computer when the peer server is off-line, the request is fulfilled by forwarding the web page from the guest content server to the requesting computer, and forwarding the image associated with a web page from the proxy server to the requesting computer, thereby successfully serving content from the peer server even when the peer server is off-line.

Claims

1. A method for serving content from a peer server in a photosharing peer-to-peer network, wherein the peer server stores a web album and at least one associated digital image, the method comprising:

(a) prior to the peer server going off-line, synchronizing the peer server with a proxy server and a guest content server by,

(i) copying a web page descriptor defining the web album from the peer server to the guest content server, and

(ii) copying the image associated with the web album from the peer server to the proxy server; and

(b) in response to a request from a requesting computer to view content stored in the peer computer when the peer server is off-line, fulfilling the request by forwarding the web page from the guest content server to the requesting computer, and forwarding the image associated with a web page from the proxy server to the requesting computer, thereby successfully serving content from the peer server even when the peer server is off-line.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further includes:

wherein the request from the requesting computer is an HTTP request that resolves to the proxy server, and the proxy server determines how to process the request based on whether the peer server is online or off-line.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (b) further includes:

determining by the proxy server whether the peer server is also a subscriber to an off-line service, such that if the peer server is both off-line and an off-line subscriber, the proxy server routes the request to the guest content server.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b) further includes:

routing the request from the proxy server to the guest content server using a proprietary protocol.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (b) further includes:

if the peer server is off-line, but is not an off-line subscriber, then sending from the proxy server a peer off-line message to the requesting computer.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (b) further includes:

if the peer server is online, then fulfilling the request by forwarding the web page from the peer server to the requesting computer, and forwarding the image associated with a web page from the proxy server to the requesting computer.

7. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing the web album with one or more web pages and providing the descriptor with information about a state of the peer and the web pages.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein further including:

providing the descriptor with an identification of the peer server, a number and identity of the images included in the web pages, and access privileges for the web album and for each image therein.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further includes:

uploading peer state information to the guest content server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further includes:

uploading any new and modified images from the peer server to the proxy server.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein step (a) further includes:

sending a request from the proxy server to the peer server for any images identified as being modified or missing, thereby synchronizing the images cached on the proxy server with the images stored on the peer server.

12. A network photosharing system, comprising:

at least one peer computer that enables a user of the computer to share digital images stored thereon with others in the network through a web browser without having to upload their pictures to a web site, the peer computer having a database of web albums, images, and at least one descriptor that includes an identification of the peer server, a number and identity of at least one image included in a web page comprising a respective web album, and access privileges for the web album and for the image therein;

a proxy server coupled to the at least one peer computer that provides a path through which a visiting computer can accesses images from the peer server via a standard web browser, the proxy server including a cache for storing copies of the images from the peer computer; and

a guest content server coupled to the proxy server for storing copies of the web albums and descriptors from the peer server database;

wherein in response to a request from the visiting computer to view a web page in the peer computer when the peer server is off-line, the request is fulfilled by the guest content server forwarding its copy of the web page to the requesting computer, and by the proxy server forwarding its copy of the image associated with the web page to the requesting computer, thereby successfully serving content from the peer server even when the peer server is off-line.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the request from the visiting computer is an HTTP request that resolves to the proxy server, and the proxy server determines how to process the request based on whether the peer server is online or off-line.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the proxy server also determines whether the peer server is a subscriber to an off-line service, such that if the peer server is both off-line and an off-line subscriber, the proxy server routes the request to the guest content server.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the request is routed from the proxy server to the guest content server using a proprietary protocol.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein if the peer server is off-line, but is not an off-line subscriber, then the peer server sends a peer off-line message to the visiting computer.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein if the peer server is online, then the request is fulfilled by forwarding the web page from the peer server to the requesting computer, and forwarding the image associated with a web page from the proxy server to the requesting computer.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the peer computer performs a synchronization process whereby new and modified images are uploaded from the peer server to the proxy server.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the proxy server makes request to the peer server for any images identified as being modified or missing, thereby synchronizing the images cached on the proxy server with the images stored on the peer server.

20. A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for serving content from a peer server in a photosharing peer-to-peer network, wherein the peer server stores a web album and at least one associated digital image, the program instructions for:

(a) prior to the peer server going off-line, synchronizing the peer server with a proxy server and a guest content server by,

(i) copying the web page a web page descriptor defining the web album from the peer server to the guest content server, and

(ii) copying the image associated with the web album from the peer server to the proxy server; and

(b) in response to a request from a requesting computer to view content stored in the peer computer when the peer server is off-line, fulfilling the request by forwarding the web page from the guest content server to the requesting computer, and forwarding the image associated with a web page from the proxy server to the requesting computer, thereby successfully serving content from the peer server even when the peer server is off-line.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein instruction (b) further includes:

wherein the request from the requesting computer is an HTTP request that resolves to the proxy server, and the proxy server determines how to process the request based on whether the peer server is online or off-line.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein instruction (b) further includes:

determining by the proxy server whether the peer server is also a subscriber to an off-line service, such that if the peer server is both off-line and an off-line subscriber, the proxy server routes the request to the guest content server.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein instruction (b) further includes:

routing the request from the proxy server to the guest content server using a proprietary protocol.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein instruction (b) further includes:

if the peer server is off-line, but is not an off-line subscriber, then sending from the proxy server a peer off-line message to the requesting computer.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein instruction (b) further includes:

if the peer server is online, then fulfilling the request by forwarding the web page from the peer server to the requesting computer, and forwarding the image associated with a web page from the proxy server to the requesting computer.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further including:

providing the web album with one or more web pages and providing the descriptor with information about a state of the peer and the web pages.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein further including:

providing the descriptor with an identification of the peer server, a number and identity of the images included in the web pages, and access privileges for the web album and for each image therein.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein instruction (a) further includes:

uploading peer state information to the guest content server.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein instruction (a) further includes:

uploading any new and modified images from the peer server to the proxy server.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein instruction (a) further includes:

sending a request from the proxy server to the peer server for any images identified as being modified or missing, thereby synchronizing the images cached on the proxy server with the images stored on the peer server.