Data distribution system and method for distributing data to a destination using a distribution device having a lowest distribution cost associated therewith

• US 6,223,226 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Miyahara, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/110,845
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 709/241, 709/240, 709/239, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• 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

Abstract

A data distribution system selects the distribution means having the most suitable distribution cost among a plurality of distribution means corresponding to a destination. The data distributing system includes a distribution information memory for storing a distribution information list including available distribution means corresponding to each of a plurality of destinations, a distribution cost memory for storing distribution cost information corresponding to a plurality of distribution means and distribution conditions, a selector for selecting distribution means having the lowest distribution cost for each destination from a plurality of the distribution means extracted from the destination information list stored in the distribution information memory corresponding to each destination when the destination information is inputted, referring to the distribution cost information, and a distribution data output apparatus for distributing the data to the destination using the distribution means selected by the selector.

Claims

1. A data distributing system capable of distributing data to a destination using at least one distribution device having a lowest distribution cost associated therewith, comprising:

a distribution information memory for storing distribution information including at least one available distribution device corresponding to each one of at least one destination;

a distribution cost memory for storing distribution cost information corresponding to the at least one distribution device and distribution conditions;

a selector for selecting the at least one distribution device having the lowest distribution cost for each one of the at least one destination from the at least one distribution device extracted from a destination information list stored in the distribution information memory corresponding to each one of the at least one destination when destination information is input, referring to the distribution cost information; and

a distribution data output apparatus for distributing the data to the destination using the at least one distribution device selected by said selector;

wherein upon receiving at least one distribution error message, said selector decides whether the data should be re-distributed using the same at least one distribution device, or whether the data should be re-distributed using another at least one distribution device available for the destination;

said system further including;

an analyzer for analyzing distribution error information upon receiving the at least one distribution error message from the destination and notifying said selector of a kind of error, wherein,

when the kind of error is a temporary error, said selector supplies the distribution data output apparatus with destination information included in the distribution error information, and the distribution data output apparatus re-distributes the data using the same at least one distribution device, and

when the kind of error is a fatal error, said selector selects another available at least one distribution device and supplies the distribution data output apparatus with destination information included in the other available at least one distribution device, and the distribution data output apparatus redistributes the data using the other available at least one distribution device.

2. A data distribution method for distributing data to a destination using at least one distribution device having a lowest distribution cost associated therewith, comprising the steps of:

storing distribution information including at least one available distribution device corresponding to at least one destination into a distribution information memory;

storing distribution cost information corresponding to the at least one distribution device and distribution conditions into a distribution cost memory;

upon receiving destination information at a selector, extracting at least one distribution device corresponding to a destination from a distribution information list, and selecting a distribution device having the lowest distribution cost for the destination from the at least one extracted distribution device based on the stored distribution cost information; and

distributing the data to the destination using the distribution device selected by the selector at a distribution data output apparatus;

selecting another distribution device available for the destination upon receiving distribution error message the selector;

analyzing distribution error information at an analyzer upon receiving the at least one distribution error message from the destination and notifying the selector of a kind of error, wherein,

when the kind of error is a temporary error, supplying the distribution data output apparatus with destination information included in the distribution error information at the selector, and re-distributing the data using the same at least one distribution device at the distribution data output apparatus, and

when the kind of error is a fatal error, selecting another available at least one distribution device and supplying the distribution data output apparatus with destination information included in the other available at least one distribution device at the selector, and re-distributing the data using the other at least one distribution device at the distribution data output apparatus.

3. A data distribution system capable of re-distributing data, in response to receiving at least one distribution error message from a distribution device, to a destination using at least one distribution device having a lowest distribution cost associated therewith, wherein the at least one received distribution error message is associated with a type of error, comprising:

an error analyzer for determining whether the at least one received distribution error message is associated with a type of temporary error or a type of fatal error and notifying a distribution device selector of the type of error, wherein,

when the at least one received distribution error message is associated with the type of temporary error, said distribution device selector re-distributes the data, using the same at least one distribution device having the lowest distribution cost associated therewith, to the destination, and

when the at least one received distribution error message is associated with the type of fatal error, said distribution device selector re-distributes the data, using another at least one available distribution device having the lowest distribution cost associated therewith, to the destination.

4. A data distribution method for re-distributing data, in response to receiving at least one distribution error message from a distribution device, to a destination using at least one distribution device having a lowest distribution cost associated therewith, wherein the at least one received distribution error message is associated with a type of error, comprising the steps of:

determining whether the at least one received distribution error message is associated with a type of temporary error or a type of fatal error, wherein,

when the at least one received distribution error message is associated with the type of temporary error, the data are re-distributed, using the same at least one distribution device having the lowest distribution cost associated therewith, to the destination, and

when the at least one received distribution error message is associated with the type of fatal error, the data are re-distributed, using another at least one available distribution device having the lowest distribution cost associated therewith, to the destination.