System and method for discovering information objects and information object repositories in computer networks

• US 7,162,539 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cents Technologies, Inc., Online Video Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ADARA Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Garcie-Luna-Aceves, Jose J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim; Krisna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Application Number:
  US09/810,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/203, 709/229, 709/219, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/242
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1483 using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• 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 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

An address of an information object repository that should service a client request for an information object is returned in response to a request therefor. The address of the information object repository which is returned is selected according to specified performance metrics regardless of whether or not the information object repository maintains a local copy of the information object that is the client request. In some cases, the address of the information object repository is further selected according to an address of a client making the client request. Further, the address of the information object repository is selected from a number of addresses of information object repositories. The specified performance metrics may include one or more of an average delay from the information object repository to the client, average processing delays at the information object repository, reliability of a path from the information object repository to the client, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the information object repository. In some cases, the information object repository may be instructed to obtain a copy of the information object after the address of the information object repository is returned in response to the request therefore.

Claims

1. A communication protocol, comprising messages passed between Web routers over a reliable transmission protocol used for inter-Web router communication, said messages (i) conveying mappings of client address ranges to addresses of Web caches and redirecting Web routers by specifying best distances known from individual ones of the Web caches or the redirecting Web routers to specific ones of the client address ranges, and (ii) organized as (a) routing updates having information needed for updating of minimum-hop distances to redirecting Web routers, (b) lists of distances from the Web caches to destinations, and (c) lists of distance from the redirecting Web routers to said destinations, wherein said destinations include one or more Web cache records, each comprising (a) addresses of specified ones of the Web caches or a content server that can serve specified ones of the client address ranges, (b) best distances from the specified ones of the Web caches or the content server to the specified ones of the client address ranges, and (c) addresses of those of the Web routers co-located with the specified ones of the Web caches or the content server.

2. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein the routing updates include one or more of distances to some or all of the Web routers, distances and second-to-last hops in the paths to some or all of the Web routers, entire minimum-hop paths to some or all of the Web routers, identifiers and lengths of virtual links defined between those of the Web routers that form part of a min-hop path to a first one of the Web routers, and identifiers and lengths of virtual links defined between those of the Web routers that form part of a virtual topology of Web routers defining an overlay network.

3. The communication protocol of claim 1, wherein said destinations include the client address ranges.