System and method for discovering information objects and information object repositories in computer networks

• US 20060271705A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cents Technologies, Inc., Online Video Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cents Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Garcia-Luna-Aceves, J. J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/242
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1483 using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

An address of an information object repository that should service a client request for an information object is returned in response to a request therefor. The address of the information object repository which is returned is selected according to specified performance metrics regardless of whether or not the information object repository maintains a local copy of the information object that is the client request. In some cases, the address of the information object repository is further selected according to an address of a client making the client request. Further, the address of the information object repository is selected from a number of addresses of information object repositories. The specified performance metrics may include one or more of an average delay from the information object repository to the client, average processing delays at the information object repository, reliability of a path from the information object repository to the client, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the information object repository. In some cases, the information object repository may be instructed to obtain a copy of the information object after the address of the information object repository is returned in response to the request therefore.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method, comprising verifying mapping information between client addresses or address ranges and one or more information object repositories according to whether or not a distance between a Web router maintaining the mapping information and a Web router that originated the mapping information is finite.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising adopting the mapping information for at least one of the client addresses or address ranges.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising selecting from among two or more valid mappings for the at least one of the client addresses or address ranges according to type of service distance associated with the mappings.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the type of service distances are determined according to average processing delays at the information object repositories, average delays from the information object repositories to the client addresses or address ranges, reliability of paths between the information object repositories and the client addresses or address ranges, available bandwidth in said paths, and/or loads at the information object repositories.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein in the case of two or more equal type of service distances, that mapping information which is originated by a Web router having a smallest minimum-hop distance to the Web router maintaining the mapping information is adopted.

31. The method of claim 18 further comprising verifying second mapping information between information object identifiers and information object repository addresses according to whether or not a distance between a Web router maintaining the second mapping information and a Web router that originated the second mapping information is finite.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the distance between the Web router maintaining the second mapping information and the Web router that originated the second mapping information comprises a minimum-hop distance.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising adopting the second mapping information for each known information object identifier.

34. The method of claim 18 wherein the distance between the Web router maintaining the mapping information and the Web router that originated the mapping information comprises a minimum-hop distance.

23-30. -30. (canceled)