Methods and apparatus for managing access to data through a network device
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving a first request in a data communications device from a client to access data;
providing a second request to access data to a data access device in response to receiving the first request, the second request including a heads up switching protocol which includes additional connection establishment information that enables establishment of a communication connection between the data access device and the client;
receiving a first response from the data access device in the data communications device in response to the second request, the first response including a heads up switching protocol; and
providing a data transfer approval to the data access device in response to receiving the first response, the data transfer approval authorizing the data access device to establish the communication connection to the client by bypassing the data communications device based on the connection establishment information and to provide a second response to the second request to the client by bypassing the data communications device through the communication connection established by the data access device as a result of the data transfer approval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed to techniques for managing access to data available from a data access device using a network switching protocol to manage content requests from clients. A data communications device receives a request for content from a client. The data communications device, such as a network switch, exchanges signals using the network switching protocol with one or more data access devices, such as a web cache. The data communications device can then select one data access device to provide the requested content to the client based, for example, on load balancing considerations. The data communications device sends a data transfer approval signal to the selected data access device. The selected data access device establishes a connection with the client using information, such as the client'"'"'s network address, provided by the signals. The selected data access device then bypasses the data communications device and sends the requested content to the client. Using the network switching protocol, the data communications device can manage multiple, pipelined requests from the same client, while approving responses to the client from different data access devices, such as web caches and/or servers.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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receiving a first request in a data communications device from a client to access data; providing a second request to access data to a data access device in response to receiving the first request, the second request including a heads up switching protocol which includes additional connection establishment information that enables establishment of a communication connection between the data access device and the client; receiving a first response from the data access device in the data communications device in response to the second request, the first response including a heads up switching protocol; and providing a data transfer approval to the data access device in response to receiving the first response, the data transfer approval authorizing the data access device to establish the communication connection to the client by bypassing the data communications device based on the connection establishment information and to provide a second response to the second request to the client by bypassing the data communications device through the communication connection established by the data access device as a result of the data transfer approval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A data communications device, comprising:
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a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and a communications interface connected to the processor and the memory; a first receive logic to receive a first request through the communications interface from a client to access data; a request logic to provide a second request to access data through the communications interface to a data access device in response to receiving the first request, the second request including a heads up switching protocol which includes additional connection establishment information that enables establishment of a communication connection between the data access device and the client; a second receive logic to receive a first response through the communications interface from the data access device, the first response including a heads up switching protocol; and an approval logic to provide a data transfer approval through the communications interface to the data access device in response to receiving the first response, the data transfer approval authorizing the data access device to establish the communication connection to the client based, at least in part, on the connection establishment information and to provide a second response to the second request to the client. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification