Efficiency and resiliency enhancements for transition states in ad hoc networks

• US 7,898,993 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Li, Jenny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui; Kashif
• Application Number:
  US11/755,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20080298282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method includes establishing an ad hoc network between at least a borrower and at least one lender of bandwidth and downloading requested data from a data source via the ad hoc network. The method further includes leaving the ad hoc network while maintaining some of the downloaded requested data. The method further includes reestablishing a connection to the data source for completing the downloading of the requested data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing an ad hoc network between at least a borrower and at least one lender of bandwidth;

downloading requested data from a data source via the ad hoc network;

leaving the ad hoc network while maintaining some of the downloaded requested data;

transmitting an instruction to stop downloading the requested data based on the borrower leaving the ad hoc network; and

reestablishing a connection to the data source for completing the downloading of the requested data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

leaving the ad hoc network permanently;

establishing a direct connection to the data source; and

completing the download via the direct connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmitting the instruction to stop downloading the requested data comprises the borrower directly instructing the at least one lender to stop downloading the requested data from the data source, and further comprising directing the at least one lender to perform one of:

(i) transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop, or (ii) do not transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving data already downloaded from the data source to the at least one lender.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a respective download stopping point to the borrower; and

resuming the download via the direct connection to the data source from the respective download stopping point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ad hoc network is established in a peer-to-peer environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the ad hoc network is established in a multiplexed environment in which a multiplexer downloads the requested data from the data source to the at least one lender; and

the transmitting the instruction to stop downloading the requested data comprises instructing the multiplexer to not download any more of the requested data from the data source to the at least one lender.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

informing the multiplexer of a switch from the ad hoc network to a direct connection; and

stopping downloading the requested data from the data source to the at least one lender.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving data already downloaded from the multiplexer to the at least one lender.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

continuing to use the multiplexer to complete the download of the requested data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the multiplexer noting the at least one lender'"'"'s respective download stopping point;

disconnecting from the at least one lender;

connecting to the multiplexer via the direct connection; and

resuming the downloading of the requested data from the respective download stopping point via the multiplexer.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising discontinuing to use the multiplexer to complete the download of the requested data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the at least one lender'"'"'s respective download stopping point;

disconnecting from the multiplexer and the at least one lender in the ad hoc network;

connecting to the data source via the direct connection; and

resuming the download of the requested data from the respective download stopping point.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys, and supports a computer infrastructure that performs steps of claim 1.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising the borrower temporarily leaving the ad hoc network.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

informing the at least one lender of a temporary unavailability;

stopping receiving of requested data; and

locally caching downloaded requested data from the data source.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

rejoining the ad hoc network;

receiving locally cached requested data; and

completing the download of the requested data via the ad hoc network.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

informing a multiplexer of a temporary unavailability;

instructing the at least one lender to stop transmitting requested data to the borrower; and

locally caching downloaded requested data from the data source.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the multiplexer locally caches the downloaded requested data from the data source, while continuing to download the requested data from the data source.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

rejoining the ad hoc network;

receiving the locally cached requested data via the at least one lender.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one lender locally caches the downloaded requested data from the data source, while the multiplexer continues to download the requested data from the data source to the at least one lender.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

rejoining the ad hoc network; and

receiving the locally cached requested data from the at least one lender.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

renegotiating costs for locally caching requested data by one of the multiplexer and the at least one lender.

17. A method for deploying an application in a computing environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

establish an ad hoc network between at least a borrower and at least one lender of bandwidth;

maintain data which is already downloaded after the borrower in the ad hoc network leaves the ad hoc network;

transmit an instruction to stop downloading requested data based on the borrower leaving the ad hoc network;

direct the at least one lender to perform one of;

(i) transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop, or (ii) do not transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop; and

permit reestablishment of a connection to a data source for completing the downloading of the requested data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a borrower downloads information from the computer infrastructure.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising establishing a direct connection to the data source to complete the download.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitting the instruction to stop downloading the requested data comprises the borrower directly instructing the at least one lender to stop downloading the requested data from the data source.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting a respective download stopping point to the borrower such that a resumption of the downloading will commence at the respective download stopping point.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the ad hoc network is established in at least one of a peer-to-peer environment and a multiplexed environment.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising informing a multiplexer of a switch from the ad hoc network to direct connection and stopping downloading the requested data from the data source to the at least one lender, multiplexer is configured to download the requested data from the data source to the at least one lender.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of created, maintained, deployed, and supported by a service provider.

25. A system comprising a server having a database containing data associated with at least one lender and a borrower in an ad hoc network, and at least one of a hardware and software component for establishing an ad hoc network between at least the borrower and the at least one lender of bandwidth, the at least one of a hardware and software component downloading requested data from a data source to the borrower via the ad hoc network and maintaining the downloaded data when the borrower permanently or temporarily leaves the ad hoc network, and, subsequently, downloading a remaining portion of the requested data via a same type or different type connection, wherein the at least one of a hardware and software component is further configured to:

transmit an instruction to stop downloading requested data based on the borrower leaving the ad hoc network; and

direct the at least one lender to perform one of;

(i) transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop, or (ii) do not transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein, when the borrower leaves the ad hoc network permanently, at least one of a hardware and software component is configured to:

establish a direct connection between the borrower and one of a data source and a multiplexer connected to the data source; and

complete the download via the direct connection.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the at least one of a hardware and software component.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one of a hardware and software component resides on a server provided by a service provider.

39. The system of claim 25, wherein, when the borrower leaves the ad hoc network temporarily, at least one of a hardware and software component is configured to:

inform one of the at least one lender and a multiplexer of the borrower'"'"'s temporary unavailability;

stop the transmission of the requested data to the borrower;

continue the downloading of the requested data from the data source to at least one of the at least one lender and the multiplexer;

locally cache downloaded requested data by one of the at least one lender and the multiplexer; and

transmit cached downloaded requested data to the borrower when the borrower rejoins the ad hoc network.

29. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component to:

establish an ad hoc network between at least a borrower and at least one lender of bandwidth;

download requested data from a data source to the borrower via the ad hoc network;

transmit an instruction to stop downloading requested data based on the borrower leaving the ad hoc network;

direct the at least one lender to perform one of;

(i) transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop, or (ii) do not transfer to the borrower any of the requested data that was downloaded prior to the instruction to stop;

maintain at least a portion of requested data already downloaded; and

complete the download of requested data to the borrower without re-downloading the requested data already downloaded.