Methods and apparatus for downloading a file from a server

• US 6,377,974 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SPEEDbit Ltd. (SPEEDbit, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SPEEDbit Ltd. (SPEEDbit, Inc.)
• Inventors: Feigenbaum, Idan
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, CHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US09/487,338
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/203, 709/227, 709/224, 709/228, 709/231, 709/218, 709/219, 714/18, 714/4, 714/16, 714/748
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for downloading files, the method including the steps of at a client a) requesting a proxy server to initiate a first download of a file from a first server, the first server determined by the client to lack download resume capability and the proxy server possessing download resume capability, at the proxy server b) initiating the first download of the file from the first server, and at the client c) initiating at least a second download of the file from the proxy server.

Claims

1. A method for downloading files, the method comprising the steps of:

at a client;

a) requesting a proxy server to initiate a first download of a file from a first server, said first server determined by said client to lack download resume capability and said proxy server possessing download resume capability;

at said proxy server;

b) initiating said first download of said file from said first server; and

at said client;

c) initiating at least a second download of at least a portion of said file from said proxy server, said portion not being downloaded to said client directly from said first server.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said initiating step c) comprises initiating a plurality of concurrent second downloads from said proxy server, wherein each of said plurality of second downloads is of a different portion of said file, and further comprising the step of:

assembling said different portions of said file into a single downloaded file.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said initiating step c) comprises initiating prior to the completion of said first download of said file from said first server to said proxy server.

4. A method for downloading files, the method comprising:

at a client;

a) initiating a first download of a file from a first server, said first server determined by said client to lack download resume capability;

b) detecting a termination of said download prior to said file being completely downloaded;

c) requesting a proxy server to initiate a second download of said file from said first server, said proxy server possessing download resume capability;

at said proxy server;

d) initiating said second download of said file from said first server;

at said client;

e) initiating at least a third download of a non-downloaded portion of said file from said proxy server; and

f) assembling the portions of said file downloaded during said first and third downloads into a single downloaded file.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said initiating step e) comprises initiating prior to the completion of said second download of said file from said first server to said proxy server.