Dynamic network link acceleration

• US 20100011116A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sons of Innovation LLC
• Original Assignee: Circadence Corporation
• Inventors: Shaughnessy, Robert John, Thornton, Randy, McFate, Marlin Popeye
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5021 Priority
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• 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 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• 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 67/1021 : based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 : using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 : Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 : Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2876 : Pairs of inter-processing entities at each side of the network, e.g. split proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• 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 67/561 : Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 : Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 : Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 : specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 : Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 : in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/327 : in the session layer [OSI layer 5]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 : for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dynamic network link acceleration provides a managed communication link for accelerated and reliable network communication between a client and other network devices on demand. In one or more embodiments, the system comprises an enhanced client capable of providing front-end services. The enhanced client may establish the communication link with a back-end mechanism. The communication link may provide error correction, security, quality of service, and other services including acceleration of communications. In one embodiment, the enhanced client provides a communication link utilizing the TMP protocol by cooperative action with a back-end mechanism. A client may be various computing or network devices and may be enhanced with front-end services automatically by automatic download and installation of an internal front-end or manually by user installation of an internal front-end. In one or more embodiments, the front-end services software utilizes hardware of an enhanced client to provide the communication link.

Claims

1. An enhanced client computer comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more storage devices;

a network interface for communicating across one or more communication links; and

a downloaded front-end mechanism stored on the one or more storage devices and executable by the one or more processors to provide a managed communication link for data traffic between the network interface and a back-end mechanism remote from the enhanced client, the front-end mechanism comprising;

one or more routing rules defining which of the one or more data packets are communicated via the managed communication link;

an encoder configured to encode data from the one or more data packets into one or more encoded packets for communication via the managed communication link, the one or more encoded packets including operational information comprising quality of service information about the managed communication link; and

a redirector configured to intercept the one or more data packets and to redirect the one or more data packets to the encoder according to the one or more routing rules;

2. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the front-end mechanism is configured to delete itself from the one or more storage devices when the managed communication link is no longer in use.

3. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the redirector is installed within the kernel space of an operating system of the enhanced client.

4. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the encoder is within the application space of an operating system of the enhanced client.

5. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the encoder is configured to encode the quality of service information about the managed communication link into the one or more encoded packets to share the quality of service information with the back-end mechanism.

6. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the encoder is configured to compress the data from the one or more data packets when encoding the one or more encoded packets.

7. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the encoder is configured to encrypt the data from the one or more data packets when encoding the one or more encoded packets.

8. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the front-end services mechanism is configured to communicate time-based synchronization information with the back-end mechanism.

9. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the front-end services mechanism is configured to communicate forward error correction data with the back-end mechanism.

10. The enhanced client of claim 1, wherein the front-end services mechanism is configured to receive one or more rules for the one or more routing rules from the back-end mechanism.

11. A system for dynamic network link acceleration comprising:

one or more enhanced clients configured to generate one or more requests for network services, the one or more enhanced clients comprising a front-end mechanism;

one or more back-end servers having one or more network interfaces;

one or more network servers configured to provide services in response to the requests for network services, the one or more network servers in communication with the one or more back-end servers; and

one or more managed communication links between the front-end mechanism of the one or more enhanced clients and the one or more back-end servers, wherein request/response traffic between the one or more enhanced clients and the one or more network servers is communicated through the one or more back-end servers and one or more managed communication links in one or more encoded packets, the one or more encoded packets comprising quality of service information about the one or more managed communication links;

wherein the request/response traffic from the one or more enhanced clients is encoded into the one or more encoded packets by the front-end mechanism of the one or more enhanced clients and the request/response traffic from the one or more network servers is encoded into the one or more encoded packets by the back-end server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the front-end mechanism is machine readable code downloaded from a remote source to the one or more enhanced clients whereby the one or more enhanced clients communicate request/response traffic through the one or more back-end servers and one or more managed communication links in one or more encoded packets by executing the front-end mechanism.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the front-end mechanism is configured to compress the data from the one or more data packets when encoding the one or more encoded packets.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the front-end mechanism is configured to encrypt the data from the one or more data packets when encoding the one or more encoded packets.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the front-end mechanism is configured to communicate time-based synchronization information with the one or more back-end servers.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the front-end mechanism is configured to communicate forward error correction data with the one or more back-end servers.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the front-end mechanism of the one or more enhanced clients is configured to decode the one or more encoded packets to restore the response/request traffic from the one or more network servers, and the one or more back-end servers are configured to decode the one or more encoded packets to restore the request/response traffic from the one or more enhanced clients.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the back-end server comprises:

machine readable code configured to provide one or more clients with the front-end mechanism, wherein the front-end mechanism is provided by executing the machine readable code on the one or more clients;

one or more storage devices, the machine readable code stored on the one or more storage devices; and

one or more network interfaces configured to deliver the machine readable code to the one or more clients;

wherein the back-end server is configured to automatically deliver the machine readable code to the one or more clients during communication with the one or more clients.

19. A method for dynamically accelerating network links comprising:

delivering an internal front-end comprising machine readable code to one or more clients to enhance the one or more clients with a front-end mechanism, the front-end mechanism configured to provide a managed communication link between one or more enhanced clients and one or more back-end servers;

encoding data traffic from one or more network servers into one or more encoded packets for communication to the front-end mechanism of the one or more enhanced clients through the managed communication link;

receiving one or more encoded packets comprising data traffic from the one or more enhanced clients through the managed communication link;

decoding the one or more encoded packets comprising data traffic from the one or more enhanced clients at the back-end mechanism to restore the data traffic from the one or more enhanced clients for use by the one or more network servers; and

receiving quality of service information about the managed communication link from the one or more enhanced clients at the one or more back-end servers.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising activating the managed communication link between the one or more enhanced clients and the one or more back-end servers when a request for communication with the one or more network servers from the one or more enhanced clients is received at the one or more back-end servers.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising deactivating the managed communication link between the one or more enhanced clients and the one or more back-end servers when communication between the one or more enhanced clients and the one or more network servers is terminated.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising claiming additional bandwidth for the managed communication link to accelerate communication through the managed communication link based on the bandwidth requirements of one or more applications on the one or more enhanced clients.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising claiming additional bandwidth for the managed communication link to accelerate communication through the managed communication link until one or more of the enhanced packets are dropped.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising compressing the data traffic from the one or more network servers prior to encoding the data traffic from the one or more network servers into the one or more encoded packets.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising encrypting the data traffic from the one or more network servers prior to encoding the data traffic from the one or more network servers into the one or more encoded packets.

26. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving time-based synchronization information from the front-end mechanism of the one or more enhanced clients at the one or more back-end servers.

27. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving forward error correction data from the front-end mechanism of the one or more enhanced clients at the one or more back-end servers.