Method and apparatus for optimized flow control to increase the performance over long-latency links
First Claim
1. A flow control apparatus, comprising:
- an agent associated with a browser and host platform;
a gateway in communication with a source Web server;
a long latency link between said agent and said gateway;
an independent flow control mechanism for downloading Web page objects in parallel from said source Web server to said browser via said long latency link; and
a cache associated with said host platform into which Web page objects are selectively downloaded in parallel as soon as said agent is aware of them, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source Web server;
wherein selected embedded Web page objects are made locally available to said browser at said cache by said agent; and
wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long latency link before a Web object is available, said independent flow control mechanism further comprising a pre-fetcher for selectively pre-fetching certain objects; and
said independent flow control mechanism operating concurrently with said browser to fetch said objects from said source Web server while said browser is still loading a page;
wherein said objects are stored at said cache.
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Abstract
The invention increases performance of HTTP over long-latency links by pre-fetching objects concurrently via aggregated and flow-controlled channels. An agent and gateway together assist a Web browser in fetching HTTP contents faster from Internet Web sites over long-latency data links. The gateway and the agent coordinate the fetching of selective embedded objects in such a way that an object is ready and available on a host platform before the resident browser requires it. The seemingly instantaneous availability of objects to a browser enables it to complete processing the object to request the next object without much wait. Without this instantaneous availability of an embedded object, a browser waits for its request and the corresponding response to traverse a long delay link.
4 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A flow control apparatus, comprising:
- an agent associated with a browser and host platform;
a gateway in communication with a source Web server;
a long latency link between said agent and said gateway;
an independent flow control mechanism for downloading Web page objects in parallel from said source Web server to said browser via said long latency link; and
a cache associated with said host platform into which Web page objects are selectively downloaded in parallel as soon as said agent is aware of them, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source Web server;
wherein selected embedded Web page objects are made locally available to said browser at said cache by said agent; and
wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long latency link before a Web object is available, said independent flow control mechanism further comprising a pre-fetcher for selectively pre-fetching certain objects; and
said independent flow control mechanism operating concurrently with said browser to fetch said objects from said source Web server while said browser is still loading a page;
wherein said objects are stored at said cache. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- an agent associated with a browser and host platform;
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5. A flow control method, comprising the steps of:
- providing an agent associated with a browser and host platform;
providing a gateway in communication with a source Web server;
providing a long latency link between said agent and said gateway;
providing an independent flow control mechanism for downloading Web page objects in parallel from said source Web server to said browser via said long latency link;
providing a cache associated with said host platform into which Web page objects are selectively downloaded in parallel as soon as said agent is aware of them, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source Web server; and
making selected embedded Web page objects locally available to said browser at said cache by said agent;
wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long latency link before a Web object is available;
using a pre-fetcher to selectively pre-fetch certain objects; and
said independent flow control mechanism operating concurrently with said browser to fetch said objects from said source Web server while said browser is still loading a page;
wherein said objects are stored at said cache. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
- providing an agent associated with a browser and host platform;
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9. A flow control apparatus, comprising:
- an independent flow control mechanism for downloading Web page objects in parallel from a source Web server to a browser via a long latency link; and
a cache associated with a host platform into which Web page objects are selectively downloaded in parallel as soon as an agent is aware of them, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source Web server;
wherein selected embedded Web page objects are made locally available to said browser at said cache by said agent; and
wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long latency link before a Web object is available;
using a pre-fetcher to selectively pre-fetch certain objects; and
said independent flow control mechanism operating concurrently with said browser to fetch said objects from said source Web server while said browser is still loading a page;
wherein said objects are stored at said cache.
- an independent flow control mechanism for downloading Web page objects in parallel from a source Web server to a browser via a long latency link; and
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10. A flow control method, comprising the steps of:
- downloading Web page objects in parallel from a source Web server to a browser via a long latency link with an independent flow control mechanism; and
selectively downloading Web page objects in parallel into a cache associated with a host platform as soon as an agent is aware of them, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source Web server; and
making selected embedded Web page objects locally available to said browser at said cache by said agent;
wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long latency link before a Web object is available;
using a pre-fetcher to selectively pre-fetch certain objects; and
said independent flow control mechanism operating concurrently with said browser to fetch said objects from said source Web server while said browser is still loading a page;
wherein said objects are stored at said cache. - View Dependent Claims (11)
- downloading Web page objects in parallel from a source Web server to a browser via a long latency link with an independent flow control mechanism; and
Specification