Method and apparatus for dynamic data flow control using prioritization of data requests

• US 8,099,457 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Original Assignee: Parallel Networks, LLC (epicRealm Licensing LP)
• Inventors: Lowery, Keith A., Davidson, David K., Saxena, Avinash C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah, Alina N.
• Application Number:
  US12/273,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709217-219, 709223-226, 709/231, 709/236, 711/113
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A data center (14) receives a request (22) for content from a browser (12) on a client (11). The data center determines whether the requested content is available at the data center. The content is available when the content is both present at the data center and current. The content may be expired and marked as non-available in response to an expiration command (24). When the requested content is available at the data center, the data center returns the requested content to the data center. When the requested content is locally unavailable at the data center, the requested content is retrieved from an origin server (18). The retrieval of the content from the origin server may be delayed based on the processing load at the origin server. When retrieval of the content is delayed, the request is prioritized and placed in a queue for handling by the origin server based on the priority of the request. Also, when retrieval of the content is delayed, a status page may be communicated to the browser to inform a user of the delay and provide alternate content (139) and status information related to the request determined as a function of the request or the current state of the origin server.

Claims

1. A flow control server computer for processing data requests, comprising:

a memory operable to receive and store a data request issued by a user;

a priority criteria processor operable to determine a relative importance of the data request in accordance with priority information, the priority criteria processor operable to assign a priority value to the data request in response to the relative importance, the data request being stored in the memory with other data requests in accordance with the priority value of the data request, the priority criteria processor operable to select an initial one of a plurality of filtered versions of content requested by the data request based on one or more of a communication bandwidth available to the user, a type of content being requested, and a length of time to process the data request, the priority criteria processor operable to subsequently provide a replacement one of the plurality of filtered versions of content based on one or more of the communication bandwidth available to the user, the type of content being requested, and the length of time to process the data request.

2. The flow control server computer of claim 1, further comprising:

a load monitor operable to monitor a processing load of a data source, the load monitor operable to maintain load information associated with the data source.

3. The flow control server computer of claim 2, wherein the load monitor is operable to initiate storage of the data request in the memory.

4. The flow control server computer of claim 2, wherein the load monitor is operable to initiate permission to retrieve the selected initial or replacement filtered version of content for the data request when the data request has a highest priority value of all data requests in the memory.

5. The flow control server computer of claim 2, wherein the load monitor is operable to initiate permission to retrieve the selected initial or replacement filtered version of content in response to a processing load of the data source not exceeding a threshold level, wherein the threshold level is associated with any of a numbered of simultaneous connections being supported by the data source, a response time of the data source, a processor load of the data source, and a maximum processing capability of the data source.

6. The flow control server computer of claim 1, wherein the relative importance of the data request is based on any of a data request type, a source of the data request, and content associated with the data request.

7. The flow control server computer of claim 1, wherein the priority criteria processor is operable to determine whether a status page is to be sent to a source of the data request while the data request waits in the memory for processing.

8. The flow control server computer of claim 1, wherein the priority processor evaluates whether to select the initial one or provide the replacement one of the filtered versions of content based on any of a geographic origin of the data request, a source of the data request, and a type of content associated with the data request.

9. A computer-implemented method for processing data requests, comprising:

receiving a data request from a user;

determining a relative importance of the data request in accordance with priority information;

assigning a priority value to the data request in response to the relative importance;

storing the data request with other data requests in accordance with the priority value of the data request;

selecting one of a plurality of filtered versions of content requested by the data request based on one or more of a communication bandwidth available to the user, a type of content being requested, and a length of time to process the data request;

subsequently provide a replacement one of the plurality of filtered versions of content based on one or more of the communication bandwidth available to the user, the type of content being requested, and the length of time to process the data request.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring a processing load of a data source;

maintaining load information associated with the data source.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

initiating permission to retrieve the selected initial or replacement filtered version of content in response to a processing load of the data source not exceeding a threshold level, wherein the threshold level is associated with any of a numbered of simultaneous connections being supported by the data source, a response time of the data source, a processor load of the data source, and a maximum processing capability of the data source.

12. The computer-implemented method claim 9, further comprising:

initiating storage of the data request in the queue upon receipt of the data request.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

initiating permission to retrieve the selected initial or replacement filtered version of content for the data request when the data request has a highest priority value of all data requests in the queue.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the relative importance of the data request is based on any of a data request type, a source of the data request, and content associated with the data request.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

evaluating whether to select the initial one or provide the replacement one of the plurality of filtered versions of content based on any of a geographic origin of the data request, a source of the data request, and a type of content associated with the data request.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including code for processing data requests, the code operable to:

receive a data request from a user;

determine a relative importance of the data request in accordance with priority information;

assign a priority value to the data request in response to the relative importance;

store the data request with other data requests in accordance with the priority value of the data request;

select one of a plurality of filtered versions of content requested by the data request based on one or more of a communication bandwidth available to the user, a type of content being requested, and a length of time to process the data request;

subsequently provide a replacement one of the plurality of filtered versions of content based on one or more of the communication bandwidth available to the user, the type of content being requested, and the length of time to process the data request.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium claim 16, wherein the code is further operable to:

monitor a processing load of a data source;

maintain load information associated with the data source.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the code is further operable to:

initiate permission to retrieve the selected initial or replacement filtered version of content in response to a processing load of the data source not exceeding a threshold level, wherein the threshold level is associated with any of a numbered of simultaneous connections being supported by the data source, a response time of the data source, a processor load of the data source, and a maximum processing capability of the data source.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

initiating permission to retrieve the selected initial or replacement filtered version of content for the data request when the data request has a highest priority value of all data requests in the queue.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the code is further operable to:

evaluate whether to select the initial one or provide the replacement one of the plurality of filtered versions of content based on any of a geographic origin of the data request, a source of the data request, and a type of content associated with the data request.