Method and system for transferring large data files over parallel connections

• US 7,716,312 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Gamble, Jonathan Bailey
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs; Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US10/294,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,736 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/231, 709/229, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for transferring large data files over parallel connections. A file can be transferred between a first application operating on a first system and a second application operating on a second system. A plurality of connections are established between the first application and the second application. A send buffer is created to store N segments of the file at the first system, N being an integer greater than one. The N segments of the file are read into the send buffer. Each segment in the buffer is sent on a corresponding connection among the plurality of connections for delivery to the second application. The number of connections can be selected by a user.

Claims

1. A method for transferring a file between a first application operating on a first computer and a second application operating on a second computer, wherein the second computer and the first computer are interconnected by a computer network, the method comprising:

establishing a plurality of parallel, logical connections in the computer network between the first application and the second application by the first computer;

selecting, by the first application, a number N of unused port numbers on the first computer, where N is an integer greater than one;

initiating a connection sequence with the second application for each of the selected port numbers;

creating a send buffer having N sub-buffers to store N segments of the file a the first computer;

storing N segments of the file into the sub-buffers of the send buffer;

sending each segment in the send buffer on a corresponding connection among the plurality of parallel, logical connections for delivery to the second application; and

repeating the storing and sending of segments of the file until the file is sent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending each segment includes sending each segment on each connection independently of the other connections.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parallel, logical connections comprises N connections, the method further comprising:

creating N streaming files for the N connections at a server;

appending each segment on the N connections received from the first computer to a corresponding streaming file for the N connections; and

streaming the segments in the N streaming files to the second computer on the N connections.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein streaming the segments includes streaming the segments on each connection independently of the other connections.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

creating a receive buffer to store N segments of the file at the second computer;

storing streamed segments from the server in the receive buffer for each connection; and

ordering the segments in the buffer for delivery to the second application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein storing streamed segments includes storing the streamed segments for each connection independently of the other connections.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the plurality of parallel, logical connections includes establishing a plurality of parallel transfer control protocol (TCP) connections.

8. A computing system comprising:

first and second computers operating first and second applications, respectively, and connected by a plurality of parallel, logical connections established between the first and second applications wherein each connection uses a port number selected from a number N of unused port numbers on the first computer, where N is an integer greater than one; and

a server coupled to the first and second computers on the plurality of parallel, logical connections, the server receiving segments of a file from the first computer on each of the connections, storing the segments in a streaming file for each connection, and streaming the segments to the second computers for each connection.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the first computer establishes the plurality of parallel, logical connections between the first application and the second application, creates a send buffer to store N segments of the file at the first computer, N being an integer greater than one, and stores N segments of the file into the send buffer, and sends each segment in the buffer on a corresponding connection among the plurality of parallel, logical connections for delivery to the second application.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the first system sends each segment on each connection independently of the other connections.

11. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parallel, logical connections comprises N connections, wherein the server creates N streaming files for the N connections, appends each segment on the N connections received from the first computer to a corresponding streaming file for the N connections, and streams the segments in the N streaming files to the second computer on the N connections.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the server streams the segments to the second computer on each connection independently of the other connections.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the second computer creates a receive buffer to store N segments of the file at the second computer, stores streamed segments from the server in the receive buffer for each connection, and orders the segments in the receive buffer for delivery to the second application.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the second computer stores streamed segments for each connection independently of the other connections.

15. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of parallel, logical connections comprises a plurality of parallel transfer control protocol (TOP) connections.

16. A client computer comprising:

a buffer to store N segments of a data file, N being an integer greater than one; and

a first application to establish a plurality of parallel, logical connections with a second application operating on a remote computer by selecting a number N of unused port numbers on the first computer and to transmit each of the N segments on a corresponding connection among the plurality of parallel, logical connections for delivery to the second application.

17. The client computer of claim 16, wherein the first application transmits each segment on each connection independently of the other connections.

18. The client computer of claim 17, wherein the buffer stores streamed segments for each connection from a server.

19. The client computer of claim 18, wherein the first application reorders the streamed segments for a data file.

20. The client computer of claim 18, wherein the buffer stores the streamed segments for each connection independently of the other connections.

21. The client computer of claim 16, wherein the plurality of parallel, logical connections include a plurality of parallel transfer control protocol (TCP) connections.

22. A server comprising:

a plurality of N buffers to store N segments of a data file received from N parallel, logical connections, N being an integer greater than one, and each connection being established to transfer packets from a first application on a first computer to a second application on a second computer wherein each connection uses a port number selected from a number N of unused port numbers on the first computer, where N is an integer greater than one; and

a file management module to manage the N buffers and to stream out the N segments received from the first application to the second application on the N parallel, logical connections.

23. The server of claim 22, the buffer stores segments one each connection independently of the other connections.

24. The server of claim 22, wherein the file management module creates N streaming files for the N connections, appends each segment on the N connections received from the first application to a corresponding streaming file for the N connections, and streams the segments in the N streaming files to the second application on the N connections.

25. The server of claim 22, wherein the file management module streams the segments on each connection independently of the other connections.

26. The server of claim 22, wherein the plurality of parallel, logical connections include a plurality of parallel transfer control protocol (TCP) connections.