Viewer object proxy

• US 7,747,772 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aerocast.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Raciborski, Nathan F., Thompson, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam; Uzma
• Application Number:
  US11/077,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/232, 709/234, 370/229
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/09 Obsolescence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 : Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method for increasing transfer quality between a content requestor and a content source on a content distribution system. The method involves determining transfer quality between the requestor and various content sources. The determination is made from the requestor'"'"'s perspective. After determining transfer qualities for the various content sources, the requester provides the transfer qualities to a selector on the content distribution system. The selector uses the determined transfer qualities select a content source to supply the requestor.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a client to guide selection of a content object source, the method performed on a client computer, comprising steps of:

identifying a first and a second source, wherein at least the first source being capable of requesting a content object from an originating source in response to an earlier request for the content object of the client;

analyzing transfer quality between the client and the first source, and between the client and the second source, the analyzing the transfer quality including analyzing a churn rate, wherein the churn rate is an amount of time unused data remains in a cache and is indicative of loading of the cache, and performing at least one of traceroute, test via file transfer, server health check, server load check, ping, path difference, BGP routing information, or port response time;

ranking the first and the second sources based on the analyzed transfer qualities; and

using the ranking to guide selection of the content object source, whereby the selected content object source is one of the first source, the second source, or a third source.

2. The method for allowing a client to guide selection of a content object source, according to claim 1, wherein using the ranking comprises:

transferring the ranking to a selector, the selector selecting the content object source partially based on the ranking, and the selector indicating the selected content object source to the client.

3. The method for allowing a client to guide selection of a content object source, according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

requesting the content object from the selected content object source; and

receiving the content object.

4. The method for allowing a client to guide selection of a content object source, according to claim 3 , wherein the receiving the content object includes pre-fetching a portion the content object.

5. The method for allowing a client to guide selection of a content object source, according to claim 3, wherein the receiving the content object includes at least one of:

decompressing the content object, decrypting the content object, or performing a security check of the content object.

6. The method for increasing transfer quality on a content distribution system, the distribution system comprising a client computer and a selector, according to claim 1, wherein the first transfer quality factor comprises an ability of the first source to receive a content object from an originator.

7. A method for supplying a content object from a content object source to a client via a transfer node, selection of the transfer node being influenced by a client preference, the method performed on a client computer, comprising steps of:

identifying a first transfer node and a second transfer node to the client;

ranking the first and second transfer nodes by the client, the ranking forming a client preference and based at least in part on a churn rate of the transfer node, wherein the churn rate is an amount of time unused data remains in a cache and is indicative of loading of the cache;

selecting one of the first or second transfer nodes based on the client preference; and

requesting transfer of a content object from the selected transfer node.

8. The method for supplying a content object from a content object source to a client via a transfer node, selection of the transfer node being influenced by a client preference, according to claim 7, wherein the client preference is created by analysis of a transfer quality between the client and the first transfer node and between the client and the second transfer node.

9. The method for supplying a content object from a content object source to a client via a transfer node, selection of the transfer node being influenced by a client preference, according to claim 8, wherein the analysis of transfer quality includes performing at least two tests.

10. The method for supplying a content object from a content object source to a client via a transfer node, selection of the transfer node being influenced by a client preference, according to claim 7, wherein the selected transfer node is the content object source.

11. The method for supplying a content object from a content object source to a client via a transfer node, selection of the transfer node being influenced by a client preference, according to claim 7, wherein the selecting one of the first or second transfer nodes is done by a third transfer node.