METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING FLOW IN AN ASYMMETRIC COMMUNICATION CHANNEL

• US 20080107111A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ban, Oliver Keren, St. Amand, Eric James, Onwughalu, Ifeoma Nneamaka Chisom
• Granted Patent: US 7,826,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A system for controlling transmission of data over a network. In response to receiving a content request from a client device coupled to the network, an initial data packet is sent to the client device. In response to receiving a feedback packet from the client device, transmission of the content request is dynamically adjusted.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for controlling transmission of data over a network, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving a content request from a client device coupled to the network, sending an initial data packet to the client device; and

responsive to receiving a feedback packet from the client device, dynamically adjusting transmission of the content request.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the content request includes a plurality of downloads, applying download priority rules to the plurality of downloads.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the dynamically adjusting transmission of the content request step is performed according to data contained within the feedback packet.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet includes a state and status of the client device and a capacity and condition of a communication channel within the network between the client device and a server device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet also includes a header identification, header address, header checker, and header size.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the download priority rules include a priority for a content address and a content size, and wherein the content address and the content size are determined by the header address and header size contained within the feedback packet.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the communication channel within the network is an asymmetric communication channel.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the initial data packet includes one or more title symbols for one or more data downloads contained within the content request.

9. A data processing system for controlling transmission of data over a network, comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to send an initial data packet to a client device coupled to the network in response to receiving a content request from the client device and dynamically adjust transmission of the content request in response to receiving a feedback packet from the client device.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit executes a further set of instructions to apply download priority rules to a plurality of downloads in response to determining that the content request includes the plurality of downloads.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions to dynamically adjust transmission of the content request use data contained within the feedback packet.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet includes a state and status of the client device and a capacity and condition of a communication channel within the network between the client device and a server device.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the communication channel within the network is an asymmetric communication channel.

14. A computer program product for controlling transmission of data over a network, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to send an initial data packet to a client device coupled to the network in response to receiving a content request from the client device; and

computer usable program code configured to dynamically adjust transmission of the content request in response to receiving a feedback packet from the client device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to apply download priority rules to a plurality of downloads in response to determining that the content request includes the plurality of downloads.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code configured to dynamically adjust transmission of the content request uses data contained within the feedback packet.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet includes a state and status of the client device and a capacity and condition of a communication channel within the network between the client device and a server device.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet also includes a header identification, header address, header checker, and header size.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the download priority rules include a priority for a content address and a content size, and wherein the content address and the content size are determined by the header address and header size contained within the feedback packet.

20. A computer implemented method for controlling transmission of data over a network, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to sending a content request to a server device coupled to the network, receiving an initial data packet from the server device; and

responsive to receiving an input to continue with a download of the content request, sending a feedback packet to the server device to assist the server device in dynamically controlling transmission of the download of the content request, wherein the feedback packet is sent to the server device on a pre-determined time interval thereafter.