Conductor gateway prioritization parameters

• US 7,120,662 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sons of Innovation LLC
• Original Assignee: Circadence Corporation
• Inventors: Plumb, Marc, Wilson, Glenn Sydney, Kouts, Michael, Vange, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/835,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/207, 709217-219, 709223-226, 370/235, 370/252, 370/346
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5021 Priority
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• 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 67/1021 : based on client or server locations
• 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 67/1034 : Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 : Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• 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 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 : Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for prioritizing sets of information transmitted across a network. The priority of a set of information determines the order in which it is transmitted and other characteristics associated with the set of information, such as connection reliability. In one embodiment, the set of information is a packet, and the packet is prioritized upon receipt by an intermediary network computer. The intermediary transmits packets based on the priority associated with each packet. Priority information includes priority parameters, priority values, parameter valuation information, and weighting algorithms. Priority parameter types and values are based on attributes associated with a set of information, such as user identification and requested content. Priority types and values, which are based on priority parameter types and values, determine a component of the priority associated with a set of information. Parameter valuation information associates priority parameters with priority values. Weighting algorithms are used to determine a priority based on one or more priority values.

Claims

1. A method for prioritizing information within a network comprising the steps:

receiving at least one set of information within a network;

appending at least one priority parameter to each of the at least one set of information;

associating a priority value with each of the at least one set of information based on the at least one priority parameter;

tracking the priority values associated with each of the at least one set of information requested by a user; and

transmitting the at least one set of information across the network at least partially based on the priority value of each of the at least one set of information requested by the user;

wherein the priority value is at least partially based on a value of a priority parameter type, the priority parameter type comprising a session identification and the priority value associated with the session identification type being increased in proportion to the number of transactions completed during a session identified by the session identification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority value is at least partially based on one or more additional values of a set of priority parameter types, the set of priority parameter types comprising:

a connection identification;

a user identification;

a content identification;

a content type;

a website identification;

a domain content element type; and

a type of connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a network device selectively determines the priority value at least partially based on a value associated with:

a connection identification priority parameter;

a user identification priority parameter;

a content identification priority parameter;

a domain content type priority parameter;

a website identification priority parameter;

a content element type priority parameter; and

a type of connection priority parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of information within a network comprises at least one packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of information within a network comprises at least one connection between a client and a web server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

at least one intermediary server between at least one client and at least one originating server, wherein the intermediary server is responsible for determining the priority value for the set of information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one intermediary server receives a set of priority information via an out-of-band control system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises:

at least one front-end server computer operatively connected to at least one client;

at least one back-end server computer operatively connected to at least one server and to the at least one front-end server computer, wherein the connection to the front-end server computer is implemented over a heterogeneous network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one front-end server computer is responsible for determining the priority value for the at least one set of information transmitted to a back-end server.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one back-end server computer is responsible for determining the priority value for the at least one set of information transmitted to a front-end.

11. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising using an out-of-band management system to translate a priority parameter associated with the at least one set of information into the priority value associated with the at least one set of information.

12. The method claim 11, wherein the out-of-band management system provides a set of priority information to the at least one front-end server computer and the at least one back-end server computer via an out-of-band management system.

13. A method of transmitting requests from a client to a request-specified origin server comprising the acts of:

sending one or more requests from one or more client computers, the requests designating an origin server;

determining for each request whether a request priority parameter is associated with the request;

assigning the request priority parameter to a first priority value;

transmitting the requests to the origin server in an order based upon the first priority value;

generating a response to the request using the origin server;

determining for the response whether a response priority parameter is associated with the response based on a priority associated with content identified in the request;

marking the generated response with priority information;

assigning both the request priority information and the response priority parameter to a second priority value such that the second priority value is based on the number of the requests and the request priority information; and

transmitting the response to the requesting client computers according to the second priority value.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the request priority parameter is included with the request.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the request priority parameter is determined by performing a lookup in a table.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the request priority parameter is obtained from the origin server.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of sending comprises sending the request with an associated domain-specific user priority parameter.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of sending comprises sending the request with an associated content priority parameter.

19. A method of transmitting messages from a source computer to a response-specified destination computer comprising the acts of:

sending a plurality of messages, wherein each message specifies a destination computer;

determining for each message whether the message is associated with a content priority parameter;

determining for each message whether the message is associated with a user priority parameter;

determining for each message whether the message is associated with a request for secure or unsecure resources of the destination computer;

assigning each content priority parameter and each user priority parameter to a composite priority value, wherein the composite priority value is based at least partially upon the number of resources that are requested that are secure and the number of resources that are requested that are unsecure; and

transmitting the messages to the specified destination computers in an order based upon the composite priority value.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of determining comprises obtaining the priority parameter from the source computer.

21. A method of monitoring use of network server resources comprising:

associating a content priority value with each of a plurality of resources that are accessible through the network server, wherein the content priority value is based at least partially upon information associated with each of the plurality of resources;

for each user requesting the resources, tracking the content priority values associated with individual resources requested by the user;

for each user requesting the resources, determining whether the requested resources are secure or unsecure; and

determining a composite priority value for each user wherein the composite priority value based at least partially upon the content priority values of each of the resources that are requested and based at least partially upon the number of resources that are requested that are secure and the number of resources that are requested that are unsecure.

22. A method of monitoring use of network server resources comprising:

providing a first plurality of secure resources and a second plurality of unsecure resources on the network server; and

for each user requesting the resources, tracking whether the requested resources are secure or unsecure; and

determining a composite priority value for each user wherein the composite priority value is based at least partially upon the number of resources that are requested that are secure and the number of resources that are requested that are unsecure.