Method and system for managing data transfer over a network

• US 7,325,068 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reus, Edward F., Roberts, Jeffrey S., Zoran, Michael D., Evans, Stephen Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US10/988,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709223-229, 709230-232
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5093 wherein the managed service relates to messaging or chat services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• 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, system, and computer-readable media are provided for managing the transfer of data over a network. In accordance with one method of the invention, the level of actual network bandwidth utilization is monitored. A timestamp indicating when the level of actual network bandwidth utilization was monitored is then provided. In addition, the quantity of data that had passed through the network interface at the time corresponding to the timestamp is determined.

Claims

1. A method for managing data transfer over a network, the method comprising:

monitoring the level of actual network bandwidth utilization;

providing a plurality of timestamps indicating when the level of actual network bandwidth utilization was monitored;

determining the quantity of data that had passed through the network interface at the time corresponding to each of said timestamps;

calculating network speed related elements based on the difference in values between at least a portion of the timestamps and the difference in the quantity of data for those timestamps;

calculating a block size of a set of data to transfer as a function of said network speed related elements, wherein the block size is inversely proportional to other network activity; and

receiving said block size portion of the set of data over the network at one or more intervals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing data representing said timestamps and said quantity of data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual network bandwidth utilization is monitored at an interface between a client machine and the network.

4. A system for managing data transfer over a network, the system comprising:

a monitoring component operative to monitor the level of actual network bandwidth utilization;

means for providing a plurality of timestamps indicating when the level of actual network bandwidth utilization was monitored;

means for determining the quantity of data that had passed through the network interface at the time corresponding to each of said timestamps;

means for calculating network speed related elements based on the difference in values between at least a portion of the timestamps and the difference in the quantity of data for those timestamps;

means for calculating a block size of a set of data to transfer as a function of said network speed related elements, wherein the block size is inversely proportional to other network activity; and

means for receiving said block size portion of the set of data over the network at one or more intervals.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

means for storing data representing said timestamps and said quantity of data.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the actual network bandwidth utilization is monitored at an interface between a client machine and the network.

7. One or more storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method comprising:

monitoring the level of actual network bandwidth utilization;

providing a plurality of timestamps indicating when the level of actual network bandwidth utilization was monitored;

determining the quantity of data that had passed through the network interface at the time corresponding to each of said timestamps;

calculating network speed related elements based on the difference in values between at least a portion of the timestamps and the difference in the quantity of data for those timestamps;

calculating a block size of a set of data to transfer as a function of said network speed related elements, wherein the block size is inversely proportional to other network activity; and

receiving said block size portion of the set of data over the network at one or more intervals.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

storing data representing said timestamps and said quantity of data.

9. The media of claim 7, wherein the actual network bandwidth utilization is monitored at an interface between a client machine and the network.