Network download regulation method and system
First Claim
1. In a computing environment, a method for regulating the amount of bandwidth consumed by a plurality of download network connections by limiting the number of simultaneous connections to a download server, the method comprising:
- (a) communicating a content-related request to a download service, and in response to the content-related request, receiving download regulation data corresponding to an acceptance value and a time-window set containing at least one time value;
(b) determining based on the acceptance value received in response to the content-related request whether to request the content or whether to delay for a wait time before communicating another content-related request, the wait time corresponding to a wait time value in the time-window set; and
(i) when the determination result is to request the content, downloading the content for not more than the duration of a download time, and if the download is not completed within the download time, repeating steps (a) and (b) until the download is finished, the download time corresponding to a download time value in the time-window set, and(ii) when the determination result is to back off, waiting for a duration of time specified by the wait time and then repeating steps (a) and (b) until the download is finished.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method by which content, such as a software update, is downloaded in a controlled manner to clients so as to reduce peak demands, by modulating the number of clients that can request (e.g., automatically) to download content. To this end, before any download is requested, each client receives information that the client uses to determine whether to request the content now, or back off and retry the download process later. In one implementation, the information is provided via a download regulation file, comprising acceptance percentage and time window parameters that are occasionally varied based on current network load-related statistics. Clients generate a random number that is evaluated against the acceptance percentage (probability threshold) to determine whether to download or back off. The time window specifies how long downloading clients are allowed to download, or how long backed-off clients need to wait before restarting the regulated download process.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. In a computing environment, a method for regulating the amount of bandwidth consumed by a plurality of download network connections by limiting the number of simultaneous connections to a download server, the method comprising:
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(a) communicating a content-related request to a download service, and in response to the content-related request, receiving download regulation data corresponding to an acceptance value and a time-window set containing at least one time value; (b) determining based on the acceptance value received in response to the content-related request whether to request the content or whether to delay for a wait time before communicating another content-related request, the wait time corresponding to a wait time value in the time-window set; and (i) when the determination result is to request the content, downloading the content for not more than the duration of a download time, and if the download is not completed within the download time, repeating steps (a) and (b) until the download is finished, the download time corresponding to a download time value in the time-window set, and (ii) when the determination result is to back off, waiting for a duration of time specified by the wait time and then repeating steps (a) and (b) until the download is finished. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a computing environment, a method of regulating access to content, comprising:
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receiving a content-related request, and in response, providing download regulation data comprising at least one probability value that directs which clients can download the content, wherein access to the content is regulated by said clients determining from the probability value whether to download the content or wait until later to download the content, and a time-window set containing a plurality of time values including a time value specifying a maximum length of time a client may download content corresponding to the content-related request and a time value specifying a minimum length of time said clients that determine to wait are to delay; and updating the down regulation data provided in response to subsequent content-related requests based on network load. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, perform a method of regulating access to content, the method comprising:
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receiving a content-related request, and in response, providing download regulation data comprising at least one probability value that directs which clients can download the content, wherein access to the content is regulated by said clients determining from the probability value whether to download the content or wait until later to download the content, and a time-window set containing a plurality of time values including a time value specifying a maximum length of time a client may download content corresponding to the content-related request and a time value specifying a minimum length of time said clients that determine to wait are to delay, wherein the same download regulation data is provided to all client request; and updating the down regulation data provided in response to subsequent content-related requests based on network load.
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15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure for regulating the downloading of content to a plurality of clients, the method comprising:
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a first set of data corresponding to an acceptance value, the acceptance value corresponding to a single probability value that regulates the percentage of the plurality of clients that will start a download immediately after evaluating the acceptance value; a second set of data corresponding to at least one time value; and wherein the data structure is configured to be returned to a client in response to a content-related request, and for the client to determine from the acceptance value in the first set of data whether to request the content immediately and proceed to download the content for a length of time not to exceed a download time or whether to back off for a wait time before performing an additional content-related request, the download time corresponding to a download time value in the second set of data and the wait time corresponding to a wait time value in the second set of data.
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16. In a computer network having unmanaged clients, a system comprising:
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means for determining whether a software update is needed; means for requesting the software update in response to a determination that a software update is needed; means for receiving a download regulation file in response to the request for the software update; and means for processing the download regulation file to determine whether to download the software update immediately for a duration not to exceed a time determined by the processing of the download regulation file or wait until a later time to perform an additional content-related request, including means for generating a random number and means for comparing the random number against an acceptance value in the download regulation file.
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Specification