System and method for dynamically adjusting a refresh interval

• US 7,676,585 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: de Francke, Kelly Muniz, Christenson, Steven L., Francke, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti; Hussein
• Application Number:
  US10/835,994
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/207, 709/223, 709/217, 709/220, 709224-225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method for providing information to a client device includes receiving a first status request from the client device and communicating status information to the client device in response. The status information specifies a first refresh interval. The method also includes detecting an input of the client device and determining a second refresh interval in response to detecting the input. The method further includes receiving a second status request from the client device after the expiration of the first refresh interval and communicating updated status information to the client device in response to the second status request. The updated status information specifies the second refresh interval.

Claims

1. A method of providing information to a client device comprising:

receiving, at a server, a status request from a client device;

determining, at said server, a default refresh interval;

determining, at said server, a number of clients due for a refresh within a predetermined time interval, the predetermined time interval including the expiration of the default refresh interval;

setting, at said server, a refresh interval based on the default refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is not greater than a maximum value;

determining, at said server, an adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value;

setting, at said server, the refresh interval for at least a portion of the clients based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value, wherein setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval results in the number of clients due for a refresh to be less than the maximum value within the predetermined time interval; and

communicating status information to the client device in response to the status request, wherein the status information specifies the refresh interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval further comprises:

setting the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval; and

incrementing the counter associated with the expiration time of the default refresh interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the counter comprises a first counter and the method further comprising maintaining a plurality of counters, each counter associated with a time range, and wherein setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval comprises:

setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value; and

incrementing a counter associated with an expiration time of the adjusted refresh interval.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein incrementing the counter comprises incrementing the counter by an amount based on a type of the status request.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein incrementing the counter comprises incrementing the counter by an amount based on a processing demand associated with the status request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an adjusted refresh interval comprises determining an adjusted refresh interval by incrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an adjusted refresh interval comprises determining an adjusted refresh interval by decrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.

8. A system for providing information to a client device comprising:

a network appliance configured to;

receive a status request from a client device;

determine a default refresh interval;

determine a number of clients due for a refresh within a predetermined time interval, the predetermined time interval including the expiration of the default refresh interval;

set a refresh interval based on the default refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is not greater than a maximum value;

determine an adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value;

set the refresh interval for at least a portion of the clients based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value, wherein setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval results in the number of clients due for a refresh to be less than the maximum value within the predetermined time interval; and

communicate status information to the client device in response to the status request, wherein the status information specifies the refresh interval.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the network appliance is further operable to set the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval by:

setting the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval; and

incrementing the counter associated with the expiration time of the default refresh interval.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the counter comprises a first counter and further comprising a plurality of counters, each counter associated with a time range, and wherein the network appliance is further operable to set the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval by:

setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value; and

incrementing a counter associated with an expiration time of the adjusted refresh interval.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the network appliance is further operable to increment the counter by incrementing the counter by an amount based on a type of the status request.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the network appliance is further operable to increment the counter by incrementing the counter by an amount based on a processing demand associated with the status request.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the network appliance is further operable to determine an adjusted refresh interval by determining an adjusted refresh interval by incrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the network appliance is further operable to determine an adjusted refresh interval by determining an adjusted refresh interval by decrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.

15. An apparatus for providing information to a client device comprising:

an interface configured to receive status requests from a client device and to transmit status information to the client device;

a processor configured to;

receive a status request from a client device;

determine a default refresh interval;

determine a number of clients due for a refresh within a predetermined time interval, the predetermined time interval including the expiration of the default refresh interval;

set a refresh interval based on the default refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is not greater than a maximum value;

determine an adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value;

set the refresh interval for at least a portion of the clients based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the Predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value, wherein setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval results in the number of clients due for a refresh to be less than the maximum value within the predetermined time interval; and

communicate status information to the client device in response to the status request, wherein the status information specifies the refresh interval.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to set the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval by:

setting the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval; and

incrementing the counter associated with the expiration time of the default refresh interval.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the counter comprises a first counter and further comprising a plurality of counters, each counter associated with a time range, and wherein the processor is further operable to set the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval by:

setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value; and

incrementing a counter associated with an expiration time of the adjusted refresh interval.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to increment the counter by incrementing the counter by an amount based on a type of the status request.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to increment the counter by incrementing the counter by an amount based on a processing demand associated with the status request.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to determine an adjusted refresh interval by determining an adjusted refresh interval by incrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to determine an adjusted refresh interval by determining an adjusted refresh interval by decrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.

22. A computer program stored on a memory, the computer program executed by a server to perform the steps comprising:

receiving, at said server, a status request from a client device;

determining, at said server, a default refresh interval;

determining, at said server, a number of clients due for a refresh within a predetermined time interval, the predetermined time interval including the expiration of the default refresh interval;

setting, at said server, a refresh interval based on the default refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is not greater than a maximum value;

determining, at said server, an adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value;

setting, at said server, the refresh interval for at least a portion of the clients based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the number of clients due for a refresh within the predetermined time interval is greater than the maximum value, wherein setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval results in the number of clients due for a refresh to be less than the maximum value within the predetermined time interval; and

communicating status information to the client device in response to the status request, wherein the status information specifies the refresh interval.

23. The computer program of claim 22, wherein the computer program is further operable to set the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval by:

setting the refresh interval based on the default refresh interval; and

incrementing the counter associated with the expiration time of the default refresh interval.

24. The computer program of claim 23, wherein the counter comprises a first counter and wherein the computer program is further operable to maintain a plurality of counters, each counter associated with a time range, and wherein the computer program is further operable to set the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval by:

setting the refresh interval based on the adjusted refresh interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value; and

incrementing a counter associated with an expiration time of the adjusted refresh interval.

25. The computer program of claim 23, wherein the computer program is further operable to increment the counter by incrementing the counter by an amount based on a type of the status request.

26. The computer program of claim 23, wherein the computer program is further operable to increment the counter by incrementing the counter by an amount based on a processing demand associated with the status request.

27. The computer program of claim 22, wherein the computer program is further operable to determine an adjusted refresh interval by determining an adjusted refresh interval by incrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.

28. The computer program of claim 22, wherein the computer program is further operable to determine an adjusted refresh interval by determining an adjusted refresh interval by decrementing the default interval, if the counter is greater than the maximum value.