SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING DISTRIBUTION OF NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20080016174A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Brussin, David, Schiavone, Vincent, Koenig, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A method for controlling distribution of network communications (messages). An incoming message either carries priority information, or is assigned priority information based on a shared characteristic with other messages. The priority information is used to determine how and/or when to deliver the message, e.g. by delaying the message for a fixed time. Preferences for receipt of messages by priority level may be communication to upstream hosts along a network path. Accordingly, an intermediary host may reject and/or delay messages that the intended recipient does not wish to receive. This pushes the burden of low-priority messages back to the sender, thereby reducing or eliminating burdens on network/system resources of the recipient and/or intermediaries between the recipient and the sender. Accordingly, it can “squelch” spam messages at or close to their source. Trusted senders complying with prescribed practices may include priority information allowing for delivery of their messages with higher priority.

Claims

1. A method for controlling distribution of network communications via a communications network, the method comprising:

sampling and classifying a subset of network communications according to sender in order to determine, for every sender, a level of network communications having a certain characteristic;

identifying a plurality of subsequent network communications, each being intended for delivery to a respective recipient and each having a respective sender;

determining a priority value for each of the plurality of subsequent network communications as a function of the level previously determined for the communication'"'"'s sender; and

delaying allocation of a network connection for a subsequent network communication having a relatively low priority value until after allocation of the network connection for another subsequent network communication having a priority value higher than the relatively low priority value.

2. A method for controlling distribution of network communications via a communications network, the method comprising:

sampling network communications received from a certain sender to determine a level of network communications having a certain characteristic;

determining a priority level as a function of the level; and

assigning the priority level to subsequent network communications received from the certain sender.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic comprises containing of a virus.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic comprises undeliverability of network communication to a respective receiver.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic comprises characterization of network communication as spam.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein characterization of the network communication as spam is determined according to a pattern matching technique.

7. A network appliance for controlling distribution of network communications via a communications network, the network appliance comprising:

a heuristic engine for identifying a network path for each of a plurality of network communications received by the network appliance, and for sampling a subset of the plurality of network communications, each network communication of the subset having a common network path;

a scanner for scanning each network communication of the subset and for determining a value for a sender metric for the network communications of the subset;

a rules database storing rules for delivering network communications, at least one of the rules correlating the value to a priority level; and

a connection processor for allocating network connections for delivery of network communications, the connection processor being configured to allocate network connections for certain network communications in an order of priority corresponding to the certain network communications'"'"' respective priority levels, wherein each network communication'"'"'s respective priority level is assigned according to its respective network path, and the priority level assigned to the subset of network communications having an identical network path.

8. The network appliance of claim 7, further comprising a notification module, the notification module being capable of communicating to another network appliance.

9. The network appliance of claim 8, wherein the notification module is configured to communicate priority level information for a corresponding network path.

10. The network appliance of claim 8, wherein the notification module is configured to communicate a preference to delay network communications from a certain network path.

11. The network appliance of claim 8, wherein the notification module is configured to communicate a request to reduce a volume of network communications directed to the network appliance.

12. The network appliance of claim 7, wherein the sampling rate is varied over time.

13. The network appliance of claim 7, wherein the sender metric comprises a virus rate indicating a percentage of the network communications of the subset that carry a virus.

14. The network appliance of claim 7, wherein the sender metric comprises a delivery success rate indicating the percentage of the network communications of the subset that are delivered.

15. The network appliance of claim 7, wherein the sender metric comprises a spam rate indicating a percentage of the network communications of the subset that are determined to be unwanted.

16. The network appliance of claim 15, wherein the determination of whether a certain network communication is unwanted is determined by pattern matching.

17. The network appliance of claim 7, wherein the rules database further comprises a prescribed delay corresponding to the priority level.

18. The network appliance of claim 17, wherein the prescribed delay comprises a fixed period of time.

19. The network appliance of claim 17, wherein the prescribed delay comprises delay until network resource availability reaches a certain level.

20. A system for controlling distribution of network communications via a communications network, the system comprising:

a mail server operating within an internal communications network for distribution of incoming network communications received via an external communications network; and

a network appliance logically positioned between the mail server and the external communications network, the network appliance being specially configured to selectively allocate network connections of the internal communications network for delivery of the incoming network communications to the mail server, the network appliance being further configured to allocate network connections to the incoming network communications in a prioritized manner determined according to an incoming network communication priority value corresponding to the communication'"'"'s sender, wherein the priority value is determined based on having previously sampled and classified an initial subset of network communications according to sender in order to determine, for every sender, a level of network communications having a certain characteristic.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the prioritized manner provides for allocation of resources to an incoming network communication that provides for delivery of higher priority network communications before lower priority network communications.

22. A network appliance for controlling distribution of network communications via a communications network, the network appliance receiving incoming network communication connections, the network appliance being capable of allocating network connections for delivering network communications, the network appliance selectively allocating network connections for each of a plurality of network communications in order to receive a prioritization effect according to an incoming network communication priority value corresponding to the communication'"'"'s sender, wherein the priority value is determined based on having previously sampled and classified an initial subset of network communications according to sender in order to determine, for every sender, a level of network communications having a certain characteristic.

23. The network appliance of claim 22, the prioritization effect comprising delaying allocation of a network connection for a given path to meet predetermined preference criteria.

24. The network appliance of claim 23, wherein the predetermined preference criteria provides that network communications from a certain path should not be delivered if utilization of network resources presently exceeds a predetermined threshold.

25. The network appliance of claim 23, wherein the predetermined preference criteria provides that network communications having a certain priority level should not be delivered if utilization of network resources presently exceeds a predetermined threshold.