Distribution of binary executables and content from peer locations/machines

• US 7,536,458 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Teodosiu, Dan, Boyen, Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): AILES, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/112,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 709224-226, 717/176, 717/177
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Binary executables are distributed in a distributed manner by equipping a server with a bootstrap program. The server provides the bootstrap program to a client computer in response to the client'"'"'s request for the binary executables. The bootstrap program is designed to enable the client computer to obtain the binary executables in one or more portions from one or more peer locations that have already downloaded the said binary executables. In one embodiment, the bootstrap program also monitors the performance associated with obtaining the portions of the binary executables, and reports the performance data to a resource naming service that tracks peer locations that cache the binary executables. In one embodiment, the binary executables also includes a component that registers the client computer as a peer location that caches the binary executables, and provides the binary executables to other client computers responsive to their requests. In various embodiments, content is distributed in like manner.

Claims

1. In a resource naming service server, a method of operation comprising:

receiving registrations of a first plurality of client computers as peer locations that cache a collection of binary executables;

receiving corresponding performance data for downloading one or more portions of said collection of binary executables from said first client computers;

scheduling said first client computers for inclusion among a list of peer locations that cache said resource;

returning the list of peer locations that cache said resource to a second client computer requesting peer locations that cache said collection of binary executables;

receiving a request for a plurality of peer locations of said collection of binary executables from at least a third client computer, identifying one or more of said first client computers as peer locations of said collection of binary executables, and receiving corresponding performance data from said third client computer for downloading one or more portions of said collection of binary executables from at least one of said identified first client computers; and

generating a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by said third client computer, and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature to facilitate determination of whether the third client computer received the collection of binary executables in portions from contacted ones of the identified client computers client computers correctly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving registration of said second client computer to become a peer location that caches the collection of binary executables.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving of registrations comprises for each of said first plurality of client computers, first receiving a request from the client computer for a client identifier, in response, providing the client identifier in an encrypted plain and hashed pair form, and receiving back from the client computer the plain and hashed pair.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing a timestamp along with said identification of one or more of said first client computers as peer locations of said collection of binary executables, and receiving said provided timestamp back along with said reporting of corresponding performance data from said third client computer for downloading one or more portions of said collection of binary executables from at least one of said identified first client computers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises conditionally blacklisting one or more of said first client computers based on the result of said determination of whether the third client computer received the collection of binary executables in portions from contacted ones of the identified client computers correctly.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises organizing said first client computers into a plurality of peer location pools of different performance levels in accordance with said received performance data, and said scheduling comprises scheduling said first client computers of a peer location pool of a higher performance level first before scheduling said first client computers of a peer location pool of a lower performance level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said the method further comprises moving selected ones of said first client computers from one peer location pool of a first performance level to another peer location pool of a second performance level in accordance with said received performance data.

8. In a resource naming service server, a method of operation comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer for a plurality of peer locations of a resource;

in response, identifying one or more peer locations for the client computer, including a timestamp; and

receiving performance data from the client computer for downloading the resource in portions from one or more of said identified peer locations, including said timestamp, to enable determination of whether to accept the received performance data; and

generating a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by said client computer and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature determination of whether the client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.

9. An apparatus comprising:

storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to implement a resource naming service, including a registration service to register a first plurality of client computers as peer locations that cache a collection of binary executables, a reporting service to receive corresponding performance data for downloading one or more portions of said collection of binary executables from said first client computers, and a scheduler to schedule said first client computers for inclusion among a list of peer locations that cache said resource to be returned to a second client computer requesting for peer locations that cache said collection of binary executables; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium to execute said plurality of programming instructions,

wherein the scheduler further receives request for a plurality of peer locations of said collection of binary executables from at least a third client computer identifies one or more of said first client computers as peer locations of said collection of binary executables and the reporter receives corresponding performance data from said third client computer for downloading one or more portions of said collection of binary executables from at least one of said identified first client computers, and

wherein for each reporting, the reporting service further generates a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by the reporting client computer, and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature to facilitate determination of whether the reporting client computer received the collection of binary executables in portions from contacted ones of the first client computers correctly.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the registration service further receives registration of said second client computer to become a peer location that caches the collection of binary executables.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said registration service, first receives, for each of said first plurality of client computers, a request from the client computer for a client identifier, in response, provides the client identifier in an encrypted plain and hashed pair form, and receives back from the client computer the plain and hashed pair.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the scheduler further provides a timestamp along with said identification of one or more of said first client computers as peer locations of said collection of binary executables, and the reporter receive said provided timestamp back along with said reporting of corresponding performance data from said third client computer for downloading one or more portions of said collection of binary executables from at least one of said identified first client computers.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the scheduler further conditionally blacklists one or more of said first client computers based on the result of said determination of whether the third client computer received the collection of binary executables in portions from contacted ones of the first client computers correctly.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the scheduler further organizing said first client computers into a plurality of peer location pools of different performance levels in accordance with said received performance data, and said scheduler schedules said first client computers of a peer location pool of a higher performance level first before scheduling said first client computers of a peer location pool of a lower performance level.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said scheduler further moves selected ones of said first client computers from one peer location pool of a first performance level to another peer location pool of a second performance level in accordance with said received performance data.

16. An apparatus comprising:

storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to implement a resource naming service, including a scheduler designed to receive a request from a client computer for a plurality of peer locations of a resource, and in response, identify one or more peer locations for the client computer, including a timestamp, and a reporter to receive performance data from the client computer for downloading the resource in portions from one or more of said identified peer locations, including said timestamp, to enable determination of whether to accept the received performance data; and

one or more processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions,

wherein the reporter further generates a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by said client computer, and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature determination of whether the client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.