Moving file fragments from background file sharing to foreground file sharing and preventing duplicate downloads

• US 7,617,178 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A., Lauridsen, Christina K., Peterson, Robert R., Patel, Sushma B., Chavez, Timothy R., Salem, Loulwa F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spieler; William
• Application Number:
  US11/761,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/10, 707/200, 709/217, 709/223, 709/238, 709/244
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

In accordance with one illustrative embodiment, when a file is moved from the background to the foreground in a peer-to-peer client, the client makes a local request for file pieces. The client sends a handshake message to itself to check for available pieces. The client then exchanges messages locally the same way it would with external peers. As an alternative approach to local message passing, the client may keep a local record of file fragments in a data structure, such as a markup language document or other data repository. The client may then query the data structure for needed file fragments before submitting a request to the peer-to-peer network. Every time a new file segment is downloaded and validated in the background, or the foreground, the peer-to-peer client may update the data structure. Then, the client may simply query the data structure for the specific segment it wishes to download.

Claims

1. A method in a peer-to-peer file sharing client device for moving a file from background file sharing to foreground file sharing and preventing duplicate downloads in a peer-to-peer file sharing network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the peer-to-peer file sharing client device, at least one file fragment of a file from a background swarm for background file sharing;

responsive to a user-generated request to move the file from background file sharing to foreground file sharing, identifying, by the peer-to-peer file sharing client device, the at least one file fragment stored locally; and

requesting, by the peer-to-peer file sharing client device, at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm, wherein the background swarm becomes a foreground swarm, wherein requesting at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm comprises sending a request to a tracker for a peer list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one file fragment stored locally comprises:

initiating a local request for file fragments;

sending a handshake message to self to check for available file fragments; and

exchanging messages to self to request and respond for the at least one file fragment stored locally.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a given file fragment of the file from the background swarm, storing an identification of the given file fragment in a data structure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the at least one file fragment stored locally comprises:

examining the data structure for file fragments identified as being stored locally.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the data structure is a markup language document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm further comprises exchanging messages with peers to request, respond, and exchange data for the at least one remaining file fragment.

7. A peer-to-peer file sharing client for moving a file from background file sharing to foreground file sharing and preventing duplicate downloads in a peer-to-peer file sharing network, the peer-to-peer file sharing client comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory contains instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive at least one file fragment of a file from a background swarm for background file sharing;

responsive to a user-generated request to move the file from background file sharing to foreground file sharing, identify the at least one file fragment stored locally; and

request at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm, wherein the background swarm becomes a foreground swarm, wherein requesting at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm comprises sending a request to a tracker for a peer list.

8. The peer-to-peer file sharing client of claim 7, wherein identifying the at least one file fragment stored locally comprises:

initiating a local request for file fragments;

sending a handshake message to self to check for available file fragments; and

exchanging messages to self to request and respond for the at least one file fragment stored locally.

9. The peer-to-peer file sharing client of claim 7, wherein the memory contains instructions which, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

responsive to receiving a given file fragment of the file from the background swarm, store an identification of the given file fragment in a data structure.

10. The peer-to-peer file sharing client of claim 9, wherein identifying the at least one file fragment stored locally comprises:

examining the data structure for file fragments identified as being stored locally.

11. The peer-to-peer file sharing client of claim 9, wherein the data structure is a markup language document.

12. The peer-to-peer file sharing client of claim 7, wherein requesting at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm further comprises exchanging messages with peers to request, respond, and exchange data for the at least one remaining file fragment.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer recordable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

receive at least one file fragment of a file from a background swarm for background file sharing;

responsive to a user-generated request to move the file from background file sharing to foreground file sharing, identify the at least one file fragment stored locally; and

request at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm, wherein the background swarm becomes a foreground swarm, wherein requesting at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm comprises sending a request to a tracker for a peer list.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein identifying the at least one file fragment stored locally comprises:

initiating a local request for file fragments;

sending a handshake message to self to check for available file fragments; and

exchanging messages to self to request and respond for the at least one file fragment stored locally.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computing device, further causes the computing device to:

responsive to receiving a given file fragment of the file from the background swarm, store an identification of the given file fragment in a data structure.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein identifying the at least one file fragment stored locally comprises:

examining the data structure for file fragments identified as being stored locally.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein requesting at least one remaining file fragment from the background swarm further comprises exchanging messages with peers to request, respond, and exchange data for the at least one remaining file fragment.