DATA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS, SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS

• US 20130138780A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IPRA Technologies Ltd Oy
• Original Assignee: IPRA Technologies Ltd Oy
• Inventors: Valjakka, Lauri
• Application Number:
  US13/723,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138780A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• 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 67/1029 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 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A data communications network comprises a plurality of terminals and a main server adapted to manage selective retrieval of data from a first server by at least one target terminal. Some or all of the terminals are adapted to act as relay servers for serving data retrieved from the first server to at least one target terminal. The network includes a network information database and the main server selects at least one target terminal to act as a relay server for serving data to other target terminals on the basis of terminal performance information stored in the network information database. Terminals acting as relay servers also select further downstream target terminals to act as further relay servers on the basis of the relative performances of the further target terminals. The load on the main server is thus distributed among all of the relay servers, providing improved network performance.

Claims

1. A data communications network comprising:

a plurality of terminals;

a main server adapted to manage selective retrieval of data from a first server by at least one target terminal selected from said plurality of terminals;

wherein at least some of the terminals are adapted to act as relay servers for serving data retrieved from said first server to at least one target terminal;

wherein the main server is adapted to send transport requests direct to at least one first target terminal, and the first target terminal is adapted to act as a relay server;

wherein said transport requests include details of data to be retrieved, the address of the first server from which the data is to be requested by the first target terminal; and

the address of at least one second target terminal to which the data retrieved from the first server is to be relayed by the first target terminal.

2. A network as claimed in claim 1, wherein terminals adapted to act as relay servers are adapted to modify transport requests received from the main server or from other relay servers and to transmit the modified transport request to selected target terminals from a set of target terminals identified in the transport request, wherein the modified transport request identifies the terminal transmitting the modified transport request as the server from which the recipients of the modified transport request should request the data.

3. A network as claimed in claim 1, further including a network information database, wherein the main server is adapted to select at least one first target terminal to act as a relay server for serving data retrieved from said first server to at least one second target terminal on the basis of terminal performance information stored in said network information database.

4. A network as claimed in claim 3, wherein the modified transport request further includes addresses of further target terminals for which the recipient of the modified transport request is to act as a relay server.

5. A network as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main server is adapted to send transport requests direct to at least one first target terminal, said transport requests including:

details of data to be retrieved and the address of the first server from which the data is to be requested by the first target terminal; and

addresses of a plurality of further target terminals to which the data retrieved from the first server is to be relayed by the first target terminal;

the transport request further indicating the relative performances of the further target terminals based on the terminal performance information stored in said network information database.

6. A network as claimed in claim 5, wherein terminals acting as relay servers are adapted to select further downstream target terminals to act as further relay servers on the basis of the relative performances of the further target terminals indicated in said transport request.

7. A network as claimed in claim 6, wherein the relative performances of said further relay servers are indicated in said transport request by ranking the addresses of the further target terminals in an ordered list.

8. A network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first server is the main server.

9. A network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main server is distinct from the first server

10. A network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first server is a terminal adapted to act as a relay server.

11. A network as claimed in claim 1, wherein data to be retrieved by said target terminals is divided into a series of packets for transmission to said target terminals, and each of said terminals is adapted to communicate directly with said main server to acknowledge receipt of the last packet of a series routed thereto.

12. A network as claimed in claim 1, in which the main server is configured to monitor response times of terminals in the network and in which terminals are selected to act as relay servers for particular data transfers on the basis of their relative response times.

13. A method of data communications by a network having a plurality of terminals and a main server adapted to manage selective retrieval of data from a first server by at least one target terminal selected from said plurality of terminals;

said method comprising;

operating at least some of said terminals as relay servers for serving data retrieved from said first server to at least one target terminal,

sending transport requests from the main server direct to at least one first target terminal,

operating the first target terminal as a relay server, and

wherein said transport requests include details of data to be retrieved, the address of the first server from which the data is to be requested by the first target terminal and the address of at least one second target terminal to which the data retrieved from the first server is to be relayed by the first target terminal.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising operating terminals adapted to act as relay servers to modify transport requests received from the main server or from other relay servers and to transmit the modified transport request to selected target terminals from a set of target terminals identified in the transport request, the modified transport request identifying the terminal transmitting the modified transport request as the server from which the recipients of the modified transport request should request the data.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the modified transport request further includes addresses of further target terminals for which the recipient of the modified transport request is to act as a relay server.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the network further includes a network information database, the method including operating the main server to select at least one first target terminal to act as a relay server for serving data retrieved from said first server to at least one second target terminal on the basis of terminal performance information stored in said network information database.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising operating the main server to send transport requests direct to at least one first target terminal, said transport requests including:

details of data to be retrieved and the address of the first server from which the data is to be requested by the first target terminal,

addresses of a plurality of further target terminals to which the data retrieved from the first server is to be relayed by the first target terminal, and

relative performances of the further target terminals based on the terminal performance information stored in said network information database.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising operating terminals acting as relay servers to select further downstream target terminals to act as further relay servers on the basis of the relative performances of the further target terminals indicated in said transport request.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising indicating the relative performances of said further relay servers in said transport request by ranking the addresses of the further target terminals in an ordered list.

20. A method as claimed in claim 13, including operating the main server to monitor the response times of terminals in the network and selecting terminals to act as relay servers for particular data transfers on the basis of their relative response times.