Method and system for controlling flow in an asymmetric communication channel

• US 7,826,356 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Onwughalu, Ifeoma Nneamaka Chisom, Ban, Oliver Keren, St. Amand, Eric James
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo; John
• Application Number:
  US11/557,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20080107111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/230, 370/282, 709/203
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A system for controlling transmission of data over a network. In response to receiving a content request from a client device coupled to the network, an initial data packet is sent to the client device. In response to receiving a feedback packet from the client device, transmission of the content request is dynamically adjusted.

Claims

1. A method operable by a computer for controlling transmission of data over a network, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving, by the computer, a content request from a client device coupled to the network, sending an initial data packet to the client device by the computer; and

responsive to receiving, by the computer, a feedback packet from the client device, dynamically adjusting transmission of the content request by the computer, wherein the dynamically adjusting transmission of the content request step is performed according to data contained within the feedback packet, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet includes a state and status of the client device and a capacity and condition of a communication channel within the network between the client device and a server device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet also includes a header identification, header address, header checker, and header size, wherein the header identification is used to specifically identify each data download, the header address is used to specifically locate the each data download, and the header size is used to determine a size for the each data download.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the content request includes a plurality of downloads, applying download priority rules to the plurality of downloads, wherein the download priority rules include a priority for a content address and a content size, and wherein the content address and the content size are determined by the header address and header size contained within the feedback packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel within the network is an asymmetric communication channel.

5. A method operable by a computer for controlling transmission of data over a network, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving, by the computer, a content request from a client device coupled to the network, sending an initial data packet to the client device by the computer; and

responsive to receiving, by the computer, a feedback packet from the client device, dynamically adjusting transmission of the content request by the computer, wherein the dynamically adjusting transmission of the content request step is performed according to data contained within the feedback packet, wherein the initial data packet includes title symbols for a plurality of data downloads contained within the content request, wherein each title symbol of the title symbols includes a title and size of its respective data download.

6. A data processing system for controlling transmission of data over a network, comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to send an initial data packet to a client device coupled to the network in response to receiving a content request from the client device and dynamically adjust transmission of the content request in response to receiving a feedback packet from the client device, wherein the set of instructions to dynamically adjust transmission of the content request use data contained within the feedback packet, wherein the processing unit executes a further set of instructions to apply download priority rules to a plurality of downloads in response to determining that the content request includes the plurality of downloads.

7. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet includes a state and status of the client device and a capacity and condition of a communication channel within the network between the client device and a server device.

8. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the communication channel within the network is an asymmetric communication channel.

9. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium to form a computer program product for controlling transmission of data over a network, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code configured to send an initial data packet to a client device coupled to the network in response to receiving a content request from the client device; and

computer usable program code configured to dynamically adjust transmission of the content request in response to receiving a feedback packet from the client device, wherein the computer usable program code configured to dynamically adjust transmission of the content request uses data contained within the feedback packet, further comprising;

computer usable program code configured to apply download priority rules to a plurality of downloads in response to determining that the content request includes the plurality of downloads.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet includes a state and status of the client device and a capacity and condition of a communication channel within the network between the client device and a server device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the data contained within the feedback packet also includes a header identification, header address, header checker, and header size, wherein the header identification is used to specifically identify each data download, the header address is used to specifically locate the each data download, and the header size is used to determine a size for the each data download.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the download priority rules include a priority for a content address and a content size, and wherein the content address and the content size are determined by the header address and header size contained within the feedback packet.

13. A method operable by a computer for controlling transmission of data over a network, the method comprising:

responsive to sending, by the computer, a content request to a server device coupled to the network, receiving an initial data packet from the server device by the computer; and

responsive to receiving, by the computer, an input to continue with a download of the content request, sending a feedback packet by the computer to the server device to assist the server device in dynamically controlling transmission of the download of the content request, wherein the feedback packet is sent to the server device on a pre-determined time interval thereafter.