Distribution of binary executables and content from peer locations/machines

• US 8,156,223 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Teodosiu, Dan, Boyen, Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): AILES, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/112,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,546 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/226, 717/176, 717/177, 713/171
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Binary executables are distributed in a distributed manner by equipping a server with a bootstrap program. The server provides the bootstrap program to a client computer in response to the client'"'"'s request for the binary executables. The bootstrap program is designed to enable the client computer to obtain the binary executables in one or more portions from one or more peer locations that have already downloaded the said binary executables. In one embodiment, the bootstrap program also monitors the performance associated with obtaining the portions of the binary executables, and reports the performance data to a resource naming service that tracks peer locations that cache the binary executables. In one embodiment, the binary executables also includes a component that registers the client computer as a peer location that caches the binary executables, and provides the binary executables to other client computers responsive to their requests. In various embodiments, content is distributed in like manner.

Claims

1. In a resource naming service server, a method of operation comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer for a client identifier to register the client computer as a peer location that caches a resource, the resource including a component to service requests of other client computers for the resource;

in response, providing the client identifier in an encrypted form to said client computer;

receiving back from the client computer the client identifier in a decrypted form to authenticate said component of the resource and a connection speed associated with the client computer;

assigning the client computer to one of a plurality of different peer location pools based on the connection speed associated therewith; and

satisfying a request for a plurality of peer locations of said resource from a second client computer by identifying one or more peer locations of the resource for said second client computer, wherein identifying the one or more peer locations comprises selecting eligible peer locations from the peer location pools in an order beginning with a peer location pool having a fastest connection speed and proceeding through the remaining peer location pools in an order of decreasing connection speed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises providing a timestamp along with said identification of one or more peer locations of said resource, and receiving said provided timestamp back along with said reporting of corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises generating a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by said second client computer, and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature to facilitate determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises conditionally blacklisting one or more of said peer locations based on the result of said determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the client identifier in the encrypted form to said client computer includes:

generating a random key;

calculating a hashed client identifier by hashing the client identifier; and

encrypting the client identifier and the hashed client identifier with the random key,

wherein, the random key is needed to decrypt the encrypted form and wherein the random key is not provided to the client computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein encrypting the client identifier and the hashed client identifier with a random key includes encrypting the client identifier and the hashed client identifier using a symmetric encryption algorithm, the symmetric encryption algorithm being known to the client computer.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to implement a resource naming service, including a scheduler designed to receive a request from a client computer for a client identifier to register the client computer as a peer location that caches a resource, the resource including a component to service requests of other client computers for the resource, in response, provide the client identifier in an encrypted form to said client computer, receive back from the client computer the client identifier in a decrypted form to authenticate said component of the resource and a connection speed associated with the client computer, to assign the client computer to one of a plurality of different peer location pools based on the connection speed associated therewith, and to satisfy a request for a plurality of peer locations of said resource from a second client computer by identifying one or more peer locations of the resource for said second client computer, wherein identifying the one or more peer locations comprises selecting eligible peer locations from the peer location pools in an order beginning with a peer location pool having a fastest connection speed and proceeding through the remaining peer location pools in an order of decreasing connection speed; and

one or more processors coupled to the storage device to execute the programming instructions.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the programming instructions further implement a reporter to receive corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the scheduler further provides a timestamp along with said identification of one or more peer locations of said resource, and the reporter receives said provided timestamp back along with said reporting of corresponding performance data from said second client computer for downloading one or more portions of said resource from at least one of said identified peer locations.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reporter further generates a composite verification signature for the binary executable portions including employment of a random number provided by said second client computer, and then generating a verification digest for each downloaded binary executable portion based at least in part on a portion of the composite signature to facilitate determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the scheduler further conditionally blacklist one or more of said peer locations based on the result of said determination of whether the second client computer received the resource in portions from contacted ones of the identified peer locations correctly.