Large-scale targeted data distribution system

• US 7,765,281 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Motive Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Singh, Amarjit, Remington, Jeremy D., Kelton, James F., Bose, Arabinda, Schmit, Casey P., Crow, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US10/715,928
• Time in Patent Office: 2,443 Days
• Field of Search: 717/171, 717/172, 717/173, 709218-219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

A method, system, computer system and computer program product to distribute data to arbitrarily large subsets of a very large client base, with each client computer system running client software referred to as an agent. The data distribution system uses minimal server resources and a large-scale network such as the Internet. The data to be distributed may include, for example, agent software configuration data; agent software programs, plug-ins, and associated data; announcements; and other data that is centrally managed by an administrator. Using this invention, millions of client computer systems, such as computer systems for subscribers to a broadband service, can be configured and managed centrally, while allowing data to be distributed to all or a subset of subscribers efficiently and using minimal bandwidth. Agents assist in determining whether particular data are to be distributed to them, enabling much larger-scale applications to be supported with limited server-side resources.

Claims

1. A method for distributing data to a plurality of agents in an distributed services network, comprising:

receiving a first request from a requesting instance of a plurality of instances of an agent application configured to accept a service selected from the group consisting of a registration service, a profile data management service, a login service, an agent connection status service, a plug-in management service, a subscriber profile management service, a service point map service, a profile management service, an administrative service, a data publishing service, an announcement service, and an agent configuration service;

in response to receiving the first request, transmitting an index file to the requesting instance, wherein the index file is configurable to;

identify a service supported by the requesting instance;

provide to the requesting instance a filter criterion configured to enable the requesting instance to recognize that the index file is applicable thereto; and

provide a location of first data accessible to the requesting instance;

receiving a second request from the requesting instance that is generated by the requesting instance in response to a filter engine associated with the requesting instance determining that the requesting instance is identified by the criterion; and

in response to receiving the second request, transmitting the first data to the requesting instance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the index file is transmitted to the requesting instance when second data associated with the criterion and the location is updated.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the index file is transmitted to the requesting instance after second data associated with the criterion and the location is updated and after a predetermined amount of time has passed since the second data was updated.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a message indicating whether the first data was received.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

retransmitting the first data upon request by the requesting instance when the message indicates that an error occurred in response to transmitting the first data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

the first data comprise configuration data for each of the set of instances of the application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

the first data comprise an announcement to be sent to each of the set of instances of the application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the index file is implemented as XML instructions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion is at least a portion of a telephone number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion is a state.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion is a city.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion is a building location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion is a department.

14. A system comprising:

first means for transmitting an index file, the index file comprising;

a service criterion selected from a service group consisting of a registration service, a profile data management service, a login service, an agent connection status service, a plug-in management service, a subscriber profile management service, a service point map service, a profile management service, an administrative service, a data publishing service, an announcement service, and an agent configuration service; and

a location of first data;

wherein the first means transmits the index file in response to receiving a first request from a requesting instance of a plurality of instances of an agent application configured to accept a service selected from the service group; and

second means for transmitting the first data to the requesting instance in response to receiving a second request from the requesting instance for the first data.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving means for receiving a message indicating whether the first data was received.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

third means for retransmitting the first data again upon request by the requesting instance when the message indicates that an error occurred in receiving the first data.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the index file includes a filter criterion that is at least a portion of a telephone number.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the index file includes a filter criterion that is a state.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the index file includes a filter criterion that is a city.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising:

first instructions to transmit an index file in response to receiving a first request from a requesting instance of a plurality of instances of an agent application, the index file being configurable to;

identify a service supported by the requesting instance, the service being selected from the group consisting of a registration service, a profile data management service, a login service, an agent connection status service, a plug-in management service, a subscriber profile management service, a service point map service, a profile management service, an administrative service, a data publishing service, an announcement service, and an agent configuration service;

provide to the requesting instance a filter criterion configured to enable the requesting instance to recognize that the index file is applicable thereto; and

provide a location of first data accessible to the requesting instance, and and

second instructions to transmit the first data to the requesting instance in response to receiving a second request from the requesting instance for the first data.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving instructions to receive a message indicating whether the first data was received.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising:

third instructions to retransmit the first data upon request by the requesting instance when the message indicates that an error occurred in receiving the first data.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the criterion is at least a portion of a telephone number.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the criterion is a state.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the criterion is a city.

26. A computer readable medium for storing instructions executable by a first computer system,

wherein a method of distributing data to a plurality of agents in a distributed services network is performed by the first computer system in response to executing the instructions, the method comprising the first computer system transmitting an index file to each of a plurality of second computer systems,

wherein the index file is configurable to:

identify a service supported by the requesting instance, the service being selected from the group consisting of a registration service, a profile data management service, a login service, an agent connection status service, a plug-in management service, a subscriber profile management service, a service point map service, a profile management service, an administrative service, a data publishing service, an announcement service, and an agent configuration service,

provide to the requesting instance criteria configured to enable the requesting instance to recognize that the index file is applicable thereto; and

provide a location of a data file accessible to the requesting instance,

wherein the index file is processable by an agent application running on each of the plurality of second computer systems to determine whether that second computer system should receive the data file stored at the location identified by the index file.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein the plurality of second computer systems is a subset of computer systems coupled to the first computer system.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26 further comprising the first computer system transmitting the data file to one of the plurality of second computer systems in response to the first computer system receiving a request from the one of the plurality of second computer systems, wherein the first computer system receives the request after transmitting the index file to the one of the plurality of second computer systems.

29. A method for distributing data to a plurality of instances of an agent application over a distributed services network, comprising:

receiving a first request from a first requesting instance of a plurality of instances of the agent application, the first requesting instance running on a first client computer system;

receiving a second request from a second requesting instance of said plurality, the second requesting instance running on a second client computer system;

transmitting, in response to receiving the first request, an index file to the first requesting instance, and transmitting, in response to receiving the second request, the index file to the second requesting instance, wherein the index file includes filtering criteria that identify the first requesting instance according to characteristics of the first client computer system and/or a broadband service account associated with the first client computer system, but fail to identify the second requesting instance according to characteristics of the second client computer system and/or a broadband service account associated with the second client computer system;

receiving a third request from the first requesting instance that the first requesting instance generates in response to a filter engine associated therewith determining that the filtering criteria identify the first requesting instance; and

in response to receiving the third request, transmitting to the first requesting instance first data identified in the index file.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the transmitting of the first data causes the first requesting instance to be configured differently than the second requesting instance.

31. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein said filtering criteria include a service criterion selected form the group consisting of a registration service, a profile data management service, a login service, an agent connection status service, a plug-in management service, a subscriber profile management service, a message posting service, a service point map service, a profile management service, an administrative service, a data publishing service, and an agent configuration service.