Method and apparatus for data logging

• US 20060265524A1
• Filed: 04/01/2004
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Noble, Gary Paul, Trice, Wendy Ann, Fricke, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• 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 data logging method and system that utilizes a schedule of data transfer periods for transferring data from devices to a server. A communication of an actual data transfer size of stored data in a first device of the devices is obtained by the server from the first device. A corresponding future data transfer size of the stored data is estimated by the server, based on a historic data transfer size for data previously transferred from the first device to the server. The schedule is currently based on the historic data transfer size for the first device. The server updates the schedule if the server has determined that a difference exists between the actual data transfer size and the corresponding estimated future data transfer size. A transmission from the first device of the data actually stored in the first device is received by the server in accordance with the schedule.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A data logging method that utilizes a schedule of data transfer periods during which data is transferred from a plurality of client devices to a server over a network, said method comprising for a first device of the plurality of devices:

obtaining, by the server, from the first device a communication of an actual data transfer size of data actually stored in the first device;

estimating, by the server, a corresponding future data transfer size of the data actually stored in the first device, said estimating being based on a historic data transfer size for data previously transferred from the first device to the server over the network, said schedule currently being based on the historic data transfer size for the first device;

conditionally updating the schedule by the server, said conditionally updating comprising actually updating the schedule if the server has determined that a difference exists between the actual data transfer size and the corresponding estimated future data transfer size, said actually updating comprising changing an existing data transfer period for the first device in the schedule to a new data transfer period that is consistent with the actual data transfer size; and

receiving, by the server, a transmission over the network from the first device of the data actually stored in the first device, said transmission being received in accordance with the schedule resulting from said conditionally updating.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises performing said obtaining, estimating, conditionally updating, and receiving for each other device of the plurality of devices in a same manner as said obtaining, estimating, conditionally updating, and receiving has been performed for the first device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

forecasting a bandwidth of the network by monitoring current download activity from data transfers between the network and the server; and

revising the schedule, based on the forecasted bandwidth, to increase the schedule'"'"'s efficiency for downloading data from the plurality of devices to the server.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said actually updating is performed with respect to the first device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said actually updating does not change an order of the devices in the schedule.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein if the actual data transfer size exceeds the corresponding estimated future data transfer size then said actually updating comprises replacing the existing data transfer period of the first device in the schedule with a data transfer period of a second device of the plurality of devices, and wherein a duration of the data transfer period of the second device in the schedule is less than a duration of the new data transfer period of the first device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein if the actual data transfer size for the first device exceeds the corresponding future estimated data transfer size for the first device then said actually updating comprises having the new data transfer period for the first device begin at an earlier time in the schedule.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein if the actual data transfer size for the first device is less than the corresponding estimated transfer size for the first device so as to create a free time slot in the schedule then said actually updating comprises filling the free time slot with a data transfer period of a second device of the plurality of devices.

21. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, said computer readable program instructions, when loaded into a computer and executed, causes the computer to perform a method that utilizes a schedule of data transfer periods during which data is transferred from a plurality of client devices to a server over a network, said method comprising for a first device of the plurality of devices:

obtaining, by the server, from the first device a communication of an actual data transfer size of data actually stored in the first device;

estimating, by the server, a corresponding future data transfer size of the data actually stored in the first device, said estimating being based on a historic data transfer size for data previously transferred from the first device to the server over the network, said schedule currently being based on the historic data transfer size for the first device;

conditionally updating the schedule by the server, said conditionally updating comprising actually updating the schedule if the server has determined that a difference exists between the actual data transfer size and the corresponding estimated future data transfer size, said actually updating comprising changing an existing data transfer period for the first device in the schedule to a new data transfer period that is consistent with the actual data transfer size; and

receiving, by the server, a transmission over the network from the first device of the data actually stored in the first device, said transmission being received in accordance with the schedule resulting from said conditionally updating.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises performing said obtaining, estimating, conditionally updating, and receiving for each other device of the plurality of devices in a same manner as said obtaining, estimating, conditionally updating, and receiving has been performed for the first device.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

forecasting a bandwidth of the network by monitoring current download activity from data transfers between the network and the server; and

revising the schedule, based on the forecasted bandwidth, to increase the schedule'"'"'s efficiency for downloading data from the plurality of devices to the server.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said actually updating is performed with respect to the first device.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said actually updating does not change an order of the devices in the schedule.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein if the actual data transfer size exceeds the corresponding estimated future data transfer size then said actually updating comprises replacing the existing data transfer period of the first device in the schedule with a data transfer period of a second device of the plurality of devices, and wherein a duration of the data transfer period of the second device in the schedule is less than a duration of the new data transfer period of the first device.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein if the actual data transfer size for the first device exceeds the corresponding future estimated data transfer size for the first device then said actually updating comprises having the new data transfer period for the first device begin at an earlier time in the schedule.

28. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein if the actual data transfer size for the first device is less than the corresponding estimated transfer size for the first device so as to create a free time slot in the schedule then said actually updating comprises filling the free time slot with a data transfer period of a second device of the plurality of devices.

29. A system comprising a computer and a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the computer, said computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions that when loaded into a computer and executed causes the computer to perform a method that utilizes a schedule of data transfer periods during which data is transferred from a plurality of client devices to a server over a network, said method comprising for a first device of the plurality of devices:

obtaining, by the server, from the first device a communication of an actual data transfer size of data actually stored in the first device;

estimating, by the server, a corresponding future data transfer size of the data actually stored in the first device, said estimating being based on a historic data transfer size for data previously transferred from the first device to the server over the network, said schedule currently being based on the historic data transfer size for the first device;

conditionally updating the schedule by the server, said conditionally updating comprising actually updating the schedule if the server has determined that a difference exists between the actual data transfer size and the corresponding estimated future data transfer size, said actually updating comprising changing an existing data transfer period for the first device in the schedule to a new data transfer period that is consistent with the actual data transfer size; and

receiving, by the server, a transmission over the network from the first device of the data actually stored in the first device, said transmission being received in accordance with the schedule resulting from said conditionally updating.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises performing said obtaining, estimating, conditionally updating, and receiving for each other device of the plurality of devices in a same manner as said obtaining, estimating, conditionally updating, and receiving has been performed for the first device.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises:

forecasting a bandwidth of the network by monitoring current download activity from data transfers between the network and the server; and

revising the schedule, based on the forecasted bandwidth, to increase the schedule'"'"'s efficiency for downloading data from the plurality of devices to the server.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said actually updating is performed with respect to the first device.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said actually updating does not change an order of the devices in the schedule.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein if the actual data transfer size exceeds the corresponding estimated future data transfer size then said actually updating comprises replacing the existing data transfer period of the first device in the schedule with a data transfer period of a second device of the plurality of devices, and wherein a duration of the data transfer period of the second device in the schedule is less than a duration of the new data transfer period of the first device.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein if the actual data transfer size for the first device exceeds the corresponding future estimated data transfer size for the first device then said actually updating comprises having the new data transfer period for the first device begin at an earlier time in the schedule.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein if the actual data transfer size for the first device is less than the corresponding estimated transfer size for the first device so as to create a free time slot in the schedule then said actually updating comprises filling the free time slot with a data transfer period of a second device of the plurality of devices.