Traffic Management Apparatus

• US 20100125640A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zeus Technology Ltd. (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boddington, Mark, Bond, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/615,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125640A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

A traffic management apparatus for connection within a data transmission network is disclosed, that is arranged to manage the distribution of data traffic between data serving computers and the data relaying devices by analysing client requests. The apparatus has an input device (401), a data processing device (402) and an output device (403). The input device (401) is configured to receive electronic mail communications that include body text and one or more original file attachments in the form of executable programs. The processing device selects (803) original file attachments that are executable programs to produce selected file attachments. The processing device adds (805) a textural notice to the body text to the effect that an executable file is included as an attachment. The processing device compresses (806) the selected file attachment to produce compressed file attachments. The processing device replaces (808) the selected file attachments with the compressed file attachments to produce a modified electronic mail communication. The output device (403) conveys (810) the modified mail electronic mail communication with the compressed attachments to a receiving server computer.

Claims

1. A traffic management apparatus for connection within a data transmission network arranged to manage the distribution of data traffic between a plurality of data serving computers and data relaying devices by analysing client requests, comprising an input device, a data processing device and an output device, wherein:

said input device is configured to receive electronic mail communications that include body text and one or more original file attachments in the form of executable programs;

said processing device is configured to select said original file attachments that are executable programs to produce selected file attachments;

said processing device is configured to add a textural notice to said body text to the effect that an executable file is included as an attachment;

said processing device is configured to compress said selected file attachments to produce compressed file attachments;

said processing device is configured to replace said selected file attachments with said compressed file attachments to produce a modified electronic mail communication; and

and said output device is configured to convey said modified electronic mail communication with said compressed attachments to a receiving server computer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein non-executable data files are compressed in addition to executable files to reduce transmission bandwidth.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said non-executable data files are compressed if they are identified as not having been compressed previously.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said non-executable data files are compressed if their data volume is greater than a pre-determined threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein non-executable data files are compressed if they are identified as not having been compressed previously and their data volume is greater than a predetermined threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said traffic management apparatus modifies a client request before requesting data from a server computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic management apparatus:

modifies content data received from a server computer to produce modified data; and

supplies said modified data to a requesting client.

8. In a traffic management apparatus for connection within a data transmission network arranged to manage the distribution of data traffic between a plurality of data serving computers and data relaying devices by analysing client requests, a method of processing electronic mail communications that include body text and one or more original file attachments in the form of executable programs, comprising the steps of:

selecting said original file attachments that are executable programs to produce selected file attachments;

adding a textural notice to said body text to the effect that an executable file is included as an attachment;

compressing said selected file attachments to produce compressed file attachments; and

replacing said selected file attachments with said compressed file attachments to produce a modified electronic mail communication.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of compressing non-executable data files in addition to executable files to reduce transmission bandwidth.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said non-executable data files are compressed if they are identified as not having been compressed previously.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said non-executable data files are compressed if their data volume is greater than a pre-determined threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein non-executable data files are compressed if they are identified as not having been compressed previously and their data volume is greater than a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of modifying a client request before requesting data from a server computer.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

modifying content data received from a server computer to produce modified data; and

supplying said modified data to a requesting client.