Controlling Software Distribution or File Transfer

• US 20100046392A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Childress, Rhonda L., Ruiz, Thomas Michael, Pennell, Neil Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 7,978,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• 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

An example of a solution provided here comprises automatically measuring bandwidth of a network connection; comparing results of the measuring, with bandwidth parameters; preventing a transfer of a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is less than a minimum acceptable value; providing to an end user an option of transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is not less than a minimum acceptable value, but is less than an optimal value; and automatically transferring a file via the network connection, if measured bandwidth is greater than or equal to an optimal value.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A system for controlling file transfer, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

automatically measure bandwidth of a network connection;

compare results of the measuring with bandwidth parameters;

prevent a transfer of a file between a source device and a destination device in response to the measured bandwidth being less than a minimum acceptable value based on results of the comparing;

provide, to an end users a, displayed message regarding the measured bandwidth and having an option of accepting or rejecting the transferring of the file via the network connection, in response to the measured bandwidth being not less than the minimum acceptable value, but being less than an optimal value based on results of the comparing; and

automatically transfer the file via the network connection, in response to the measured bandwidth being greater than or equal to an optimal value based on results of the comparing.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive from the end user a request that the file be transferred, wherein the processor automatically measures bandwidth of the network connection, compares results of the measuring, prevents the transfer of the file, provides a displayed message, and automatically transfers the file as part of a pull operation in response to the end user'"'"'s request that the file be transferred.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to automatically measure bandwidth of the network connection, compare results of the measuring, prevent the transfer of the file, provide a displayed message, and automatically transfer the file as part of a push operation for pushing the file to the destination device from the source device.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor retrieves the bandwidth parameters, for a software package, from a database.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor transfers the file as part of at least one of software distribution, digital movie distribution, transfer of system management data, transfer of audio content, or transfer of video content.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the source device is a server and wherein the destination device is a client computing device.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the file comprises at least one of information to be used for debugging, information to be used for advertising, or retail point-of-sale data.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to log information in a log file indicating an inability to transfer the file in response to the end user rejecting the transfer of the file.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the information in the log file comprises a name of the file that was not transferred, whether the attempted file transfer was part of a push operation or a pull operation, the bandwidth measurement of the network connection, and a reason that the attempted file transfer failed.

19-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer program product comprising a computer memory having computer-executable instructions recorded thereon, which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

automatically measure bandwidth of a network connection;

compare results of the measuring with bandwidth parameters;

prevent a transfer of a file between a source device and a destination device in response to the measured bandwidth being less than a minimum acceptable value based on results of the comparing;

provide, to an end user, a displayed message regarding the measured bandwidth and having an option of accepting or rejecting the transferring of the file via the network connection, in response to the measured bandwidth being not less than the minimum acceptable value, but being less than an optimal value based on results of the comparing; and

automatically transfer the file via the network connection, in response to the measured bandwidth being greater than or equal to an optimal value based on results of the comparing.

32. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:

receive from the end user a request that the file be transferred, wherein the processor automatically measures bandwidth of the network connection, compares results of the measuring, prevents the transfer of the file, provides a displayed message, and automatically transfers the file as part of a pull operation in response to the end user'"'"'s request that the file be transferred.

33. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to automatically measure bandwidth of the network connection, compare results of the measuring, prevent the transfer of the file, provide a displayed message, and automatically transfer the file as part of a push operation for pushing the file to the destination device from the source device.

34. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to retrieve the bandwidth parameters, for a software package, from a database.

35. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to transfer the file as part of at least one of software distribution, digital movie distribution, transfer of system management data, transfer of audio content, or transfer of video content.

36. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the source device is a server and wherein the destination device is a client computing device.

37. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the file comprises at least one of information to be used for debugging, information to be used for advertising, or retail point-of-sale data.

38. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to log information in a log file indicating an inability to transfer the file in response to the end user rejecting the transfer of the file.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the information in the log file comprises a name of the file that was not transferred, whether the attempted file transfer was part of a push operation or a pull operation, the bandwidth measurement of the network connection, and a reason that the attempted file transfer failed.

22-23. -23. (canceled)