Methods and apparatus to increase the efficiency of simultaneous web object fetching over long-latency links

• US 7,860,998 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Venturi Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Venturi Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Ramadas, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US12/749,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 711/137, 718/101
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

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.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying, with a browser, pages that are comprised of a plurality of page objects, where said page objects must be fetched individually over long-latency links, comprising:

a mechanism that selectively pre-fetches said page objects concurrently; and

a cache that caches said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser;

wherein sequential access to said page objects is provided in low bandwidth and high delay networks without altering browser behavior;

the apparatus further comprising;

an agent associated with said browser and in communication with a source server; and

a long-latency link between said agent and said source server, wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches page objects further comprises a mechanism for downloading page objects in parallel from said source server to said browser via said long-latency link;

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser further comprises a cache into which page objects are selectively downloaded in parallel independently of an implementation of said browser and said source server;

wherein selected embedded 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 an object is available;

wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches performs said pre-fetch from said agent to a source server; and

wherein a low degree of parallelism is localized between said browser and said agent.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches comprises a mechanism for communicating with a corresponding server mechanism, and which readies necessary page objects to be available on a platform hosting said browser.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said agent further comprises a mechanism that assists said browser in fetching page objects by coordinating fetching of selective embedded page objects;

wherein selected embedded page objects are locally available to said browser; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse a long delay link before an object is available.

4. A method for displaying, with a browser, pages that are comprised of a plurality of page objects, where said page objects must be fetched individually over long-latency links, said method comprising the steps of:

selectively pre-fetching said page objects concurrently; and

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser;

wherein sequential access to said page objects is provided in low bandwidth and high delay networks without altering browser behavior;

an agent is associated with said browser and is in communication with a source server;

wherein a long-latency link is located between said agent and said source server;

wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching said page objects further comprises the step of downloading page objects in parallel from said source server to said browser via said long-latency link;

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser further comprises the step of selectively downloading page objects in parallel, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source server;

wherein selected embedded 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 an object is available;

wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching further comprises the step of performing said pre-fetch from said agent to a source server; and

wherein a low degree of parallelism is localized between said browser and said agent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching further comprises the steps of communicating with a corresponding server, and readying necessary page objects to be available on a platform hosting said browser.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said agent further performs the step of assisting said browser in fetching page objects by coordinating fetching of selective embedded page objects;

wherein selected embedded page objects are locally available to said browser; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse a long delay link before an object is available.

7. An apparatus for displaying, with a browser, pages that are comprised of a plurality of page objects, where said page objects must be fetched individually over long-latency links, comprising:

a mechanism that selectively pre-fetches said page objects concurrently; and

a cache that caches said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser;

wherein sequential access to said page objects is provided in low bandwidth and high delay networks without altering browser behavior;

the apparatus further comprising;

said browser in communication with a source server; and

a long-latency link between said browser and said source server;

wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches page objects further comprises a mechanism for downloading page objects in parallel from said source server to said browser via said long-latency link;

caches caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser further comprises a cache into which page objects are selectively downloaded in parallel independently of an implementation of said browser and said source server;

wherein selected embedded page objects are made locally available to said browser at said cache; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long-latency link before an object is available;

wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches further comprises a mechanism that performs said pre-fetch with a low degree of parallelism wherein said mechanism is localized to a platform hosting the browser.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches comprises a mechanism for communicating with a corresponding server, and which readies necessary page objects to be available on a platform hosting said browser.

9. A method for displaying, with a browser, pages that are comprised of a plurality of page objects, where said page objects must be fetched individually over long-latency links, said method comprising the steps of:

selectively pre-fetching said page objects concurrently; and

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser;

wherein sequential access to said page objects is provided in low bandwidth and high delay networks without altering browser behavior;

wherein said browser is in communication with a source server;

wherein a long-latency link is located between said browser and said source server;

wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching said page objects further comprises the step of downloading page objects in parallel from said source server to said browser via said long-latency link;

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser further comprises the step of selectively downloading page objects in parallel, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source server;

wherein selected embedded page objects are made locally available to said browser at said cache; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long-latency link before an object is available;

wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching further comprises the step of performing said pre-fetch to achieve a low degree of parallelism to be localized to a platform hosting the browser.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching further comprises the steps of communicating with a corresponding server module, and readying necessary page objects to be available on a platform hosting said browser.

11. An apparatus for displaying, with a browser, pages that are comprised of a plurality of page objects, where said page objects must be fetched individually over long-latency links, comprising:

a mechanism that selectively pre-fetches said page objects concurrently and a cache that caches said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser;

wherein sequential access to said page objects is provided in low bandwidth and high delay networks without altering browser behavior;

the apparatus further comprising;

a gateway in communication with a source server; and

a long-latency link between said browser and said gateway, wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches page objects further comprises a mechanism for downloading page objects in parallel from said source server to said browser via said long-latency link;

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser further comprises a cache into which page objects are selectively downloaded in parallel independently of an implementation of said browser and said source server;

wherein selected embedded page objects are made locally available to said browser at said cache; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long-latency link before an object is available;

wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches performs said pre-fetch with the help of said gateway server; and

wherein a low degree of parallelism is localized to a platform hosting the browser.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said mechanism that selectively pre-fetches further comprises a mechanism that communicates with a corresponding server, and which readies necessary page objects to be available on a platform hosting said browser.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said gateway further comprises a mechanism that assists said browser in fetching page objects by coordinating fetching of selective embedded page objects;

wherein selected embedded page objects are locally available to said browser; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse a long delay link before an object is available.

14. A method for displaying, with a browser, pages that are comprised of a plurality of page objects, where said page objects must be fetched individually over long-latency links, said method comprising the steps of:

selectively pre-fetching said page objects concurrently; and

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser;

wherein sequential access to said page objects is provided in low bandwidth and high delay networks without altering browser behavior;

wherein a gateway is in communication with a source server;

wherein a long-latency link is located between said browser and said gateway;

wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching said page objects further comprises the step of downloading page objects in parallel from said source server to said browser via said long-latency link;

caching said pre-fetched page objects proximate to said browser further comprises the step of selectively downloading page objects in parallel, independently of an implementation of said browser and said source server;

wherein selected embedded page objects are made locally available to said browser at said cache; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse said long-latency link before an object is available;

wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching further comprises the step of performing said pre-fetch with the help of said gateway server; and

wherein a low degree of parallelism is localized to a platform hosting the browser.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of selectively pre-fetching further comprises the steps of communicating with a corresponding server, and readying necessary page objects to be available on a platform hosting said browser.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said gateway further performs the step of assisting said browser in fetching page objects by coordinating fetching of selective embedded page objects;

wherein selected embedded page objects are locally available to said browser; and

wherein said browser does not need to wait for a request and a corresponding response to traverse a long delay link before an object is available.