APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING DATA VIA A PROXY SERVER AND AN ASSOCIATED METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20080155067A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: RIVERA, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for transferring data among clients, recipients, and servers. In general, an apparatus is described for coordinating and modifying data being transferred from clients to destination servers and from destination servers to recipients. A proxy server modifies requests and responses from clients and destination servers, respectively, and ultimately communicates related responses to recipients according to one or more predefined rules pertaining to each client and destination server. In this way, requests may be communicated from clients to the appropriate destination servers such that the requests may be fulfilled by the destination servers, and responses may be communicated from the destination servers to the appropriate recipients. The load on potential destination servers, network conditions, and the content of the responses received may be considered and addressed by the proxy server, facilitating the transfer of data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a proxy server configured to receive a request from a client and provide a related request to a destination server and to receive a response from the destination server and provide a related response to a recipient;

wherein the proxy server is configured to modify the request and the response according to at least one predefined rule prior to providing the related request and the related response, respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is configured to provide the related response to the client.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is configured to determine a validity of the response and to provide the related response to a recipient other than the client according to the at least one predefined rule if the response is invalid.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is configured to store at least one of the group consisting of the request, the related request, the response, and the related response in a database, and wherein the proxy server is configured to access the database and to provide any related requests and related responses that were not previously provided.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is configured to determine the destination server from among a plurality of potential destination servers that are currently designated to receive related requests.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the proxy server is configured to no longer designate any one of the potential destination servers for which a connection between the proxy server and the respective server is lost, and wherein the proxy server is further configured to attempt to re-establish the connection between the proxy server and the respective server and re-designate the respective server if the connection is re-established.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the proxy server is configured to attempt to re-establish the connection at predefined time intervals.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is configured to provide at least two related requests based on the request and according to the at least one predefined rule, wherein each related request is provided to a different destination server for fulfilling a portion of the request, and wherein the proxy server is configured to form the related response based on responses to the at least two related requests received from the different destination servers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is configured to receive load data for a plurality of potential destination servers and to determine the destination server from among the plurality of potential destination servers based on the load data and according to the at least one predefined rule.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is configured to receive data regarding at least one condition of a network to which a plurality of potential destination servers are connected and to determine the destination server based on the data and according to the at least one predefined rule.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an interface configured to receive at least one input for modifying the at least one predefined rule, wherein the proxy server is configured to communicate periodically with the interface and, if the at least one predefined rule has been modified, to update the at least one predefined rule without interrupting the provision of related requests and related responses.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising periodically updating the at least one predefined rule without interrupting the provision of related requests and related responses.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a client to be provided to a destination server;

modifying the request according to at least one predefined rule to form a related request;

providing the related request to the destination server; and

modifying a response from the destination server prior to providing a related response to a recipient.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining a validity of the response received from the destination server and providing the related response to a recipient other than the client according to the at least one predefined rule if the response is invalid.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing at least one of the group consisting of the request, the related request, the response, and the related response in a database and accessing the database to provide any related requests and related responses that were not previously provided.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining the destination server from among a plurality of potential destination servers that are currently designated to receive related requests;

removing a designation of any one of the plurality of potential destination servers for which a connection to the respective server is lost;

attempting to re-establish the connection; and

re-designating the respective server as one of the potential destination servers that will receive related requests if the connection is re-established.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein modifying the request comprises forming at least two related requests;

wherein providing the related requests comprises providing each related request to a different destination server for fulfilling a portion of the request; and

wherein modifying a response comprises forming the related response based on responses to the at least two related requests received from the different destination servers.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving load data regarding a plurality of potential destination servers and determining the destination server from among the plurality of potential destination servers based on the load data and according to the at least one predefined rule.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving data regarding at least one condition of a network to which a plurality of potential destination servers are connected and determining the destination server based on the data and according to the at least one predefined rule.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving a request from a client to be relayed to a destination server;

a second executable portion for modifying the request according to at least one predefined rule to form a modified request;

a third executable portion for providing the related request to the destination server; and

a fourth executable portion for modifying a response from the destination server prior to providing a related response to a recipient.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising:

a fifth executable portion for storing at least one of the group consisting of the request, the related request, the response, and the related response in a database; and

a sixth executable portion for accessing the database to provide any related requests and related responses that were not previously provided.

22. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising:

a fifth executable portion for determining the destination server from among a plurality of potential destination servers that are currently designated to receive related requests;

a sixth executable portion for removing a designation of any one of the plurality of potential destination servers for which a connection to the respective server is lost;

a seventh executable portion for attempting to re-establish the connection; and

an eighth executable portion for re-designating the respective server as one of the potential destination servers that will receive related requests if the connection is re-established.

23. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising a fifth executable portion for receiving load data regarding a plurality of potential destination servers and determining the destination server from among the plurality of potential destination servers based on the load data and according to the at least one predefined rule.

24. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising a fifth executable portion for receiving data regarding at least one condition of a network to which a plurality of potential destination servers are connected and determining the destination server based on the data and according to the at least one predefined rule.

25. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising a fifth executable portion for periodically updating the at least one predefined rule without interrupting the provision of related requests and related responses.