Routing diversified session via multiple network connections

• US 7,551,563 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sang, Miguel, Forlenza, Randolph Michael, Brown, Michael Wayne, Rothert, Douglas Scott, Beadle, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elpenord; Candal
• Application Number:
  US10/839,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/237, 370/389, 370/252, 370/238, 370/238.1, 709/239, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system for routing different data types along different client-to-network connection paths. A connection utility, at the client, monitors a data type being transmitted. When a first data type is being transmitted, the connection utility selects a most optimal (or efficient) connection route for that data type. The connection utility then assigns a next connection route for a second data type with different characteristics and/or routing requirements than the first data type. Differences in routing path that are factored into the criteria for selection include: wired versus wireless, level of security, transfer protocol, connection cost, speed, etc.

Claims

1. A method for providing optimal connection between a client and a network, said method comprising:

providing multiple connection routes between said client and said network during a single diversified session having multiple different portions of data with each portion having a different type of data, wherein the single diversified session has multiple different types of data;

determining an effective connection route for each of said portion of said diversified session, wherein said determining further includes dynamically monitoring a network session for the occurrence of specific pre-defined characteristics exhibited by particular data types, wherein each particular data type has an effective connection route for achieving efficient network performance, and wherein the pre-defined characteristic is not a size of data;

displaying a user interface, wherein the displayed user interface contains a plurality of effective connection routes over which to transmit a type of data, and wherein the effective routes are determined based on one or more criteria selected from among wired connection, wireless connection, level of security, and transfer protocol, wherein each criteria is determined independent of cost;

prompting for a selection within the user interface of said effective connection route for one or more of the particular data types, and a different effective connection route for a second one of the particular data types;

routing a first portion of the multiple different portions of said diversified session via a first connection route, wherein a first type of data is routed via a first effective connection route; and

in response to receiving a selected effective connection route, dynamically routing a next portion of the multiple different portions of said diversified session via a next connection route that is different from the first connection route in response to a change in a connection requirement of said diversified session, based on different functional characteristics of a type of data within the next portion of the diversified session relative to the type of data within the first portion, wherein each of the multiple different portions of said single diversified session has a corresponding effective route among the multiple connection routes, such that the first connection route is an effective route for the first type of data within the portion of the diversified session and said next connection route is an effective route for said second type of data within the next portion of said diversified session, wherein each particular data type is transmitted via an effective connection route corresponding to the particular data type, and wherein the different types of data transmitted on different effective routes are re-associated at a destination to recreate the single diversified session.