Multi-server file download

• US 6,339,785 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SPEEDbit Ltd. (SPEEDbit, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SPEEDbit Ltd. (SPEEDbit, Inc.)
• Inventors: Feigenbaum, Idan
• Primary Examiner(s): WILEY, DAVID ARMAND
• Application Number:
  US09/448,179
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/248, 709/213, 714/18, 714/776
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of downloading a file to a client, the method including the steps of a) determining the presence of the file on each of a plurality of secondary servers, b) retrieving a plurality of portions of the file from any of the servers, where at least a first of the portions is retrieved from a first of any of the servers and at least a second of the portions is retrieved from a second of any of the servers, and c) assembling the file at the client from the plurality of portions.

Claims

1. A method for downloading a file to a client, the method comprising the steps of:

a) determining the presence of said file on each of a plurality of secondary servers;

b) retrieving a plurality of portions of said file from any of said servers, wherein at least a first of said portions is retrieved from a first of any of said servers and at least a second of said portions is retrieved from a second of any of said servers; and

c) assembling said file at said client from said plurality of portions.

2. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of:

d) determining the presence of said file on a primary server and thereafter performing said determining step a), and wherein said determining step a) comprises determining whether said file on each of said plurality of secondary servers is a duplicate of said file on said primary server.

3. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising the steps of:

e) determining the performance of a plurality of said servers;

f) ranking said plurality of servers from best performing to worst performing, and wherein said retrieving step b) comprises retrieving from a selected plurality of said plurality of servers selected in order of their ranking from best performing to worst performing.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said determining the performance step comprises determining the response time of said server.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein said determining the performance step comprise determining the throughput of said server.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said retrieving step b) comprises:

discontinuing retrieving any of said portions from any of said servers that provides its portion at a performance level that falls below a predefined performance level; and

continuing retrieval of said retrieval-discontinued portion from any other of said servers.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said retrieving step b) comprises retrieving using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said retrieving step b) comprises retrieving using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).