Data prioritization system and method therefor

• US 8,463,935 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sons of Innovation LLC
• Original Assignee: Circadence Corporation
• Inventors: Vange, Mark, Plumb, Marc, Kouts, Michael, Wilson, Glenn Sydney
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US13/162,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 709232-234, 709/224, 709/226, 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5021 Priority
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• 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 67/101 : based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 : based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 : using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 : Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 : Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 : Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 : Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method of prioritizing data for use with a shared bandwidth communication network provides the benefit of prioritizing some data traffic over other data traffic. The prioritization may occur at least at a gateway to the shared bandwidth communication network. The prioritization may be implemented by selectively supplying data to clients such that some data traffic is prioritized over other data traffic. An interface may be provided to communicate data between one or more clients and the shared bandwidth communication network.

Claims

1. A system for prioritizing communication in a shared bandwidth communication network comprising:

an interface coupled to one or more clients via the shared bandwidth communication network, the interface configured to receive requests from the one or more clients for response by one or more network destinations and to forward responses to the one or more clients via the shared bandwidth communication network so that they are received at a first rate and order; and

a front end interposed between the interface and the one or more network destinations, the front end configured to receive the responses and forward the responses to the interface in accordance with a second rate and order, whereby the clients receive the responses at a rate and order controlled by the front end rather than the interface, wherein the front end is communicatively coupled to the one or more network destinations via an enhanced bandwidth network that has a first network protocol different from a second network protocol of the shared bandwidth communication network, the front end is further configured to convert the responses from the first network protocol to the second network protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more clients are one or more end user devices of the shared bandwidth communication network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the front end is further configured to manipulate communication parameters selected from the group consisting of window size, window expansion rate, and window contraction rate to effectively prioritize certain of the responses over others of the responses.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared bandwidth communication system is coupled to the Internet to allow communication between the one or more clients and the Internet.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the front end is configured to provide different levels of service to the one or more clients based on one or more of content type, end user identity, end user history and session statistics.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the front end is further configured to prioritize the responses for forwarding through the interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the front end is further configured to cache at least one response and respond to a future request from the one or more clients by supplying the cached response.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the front end is configured to update the cached response in the cache prior to receiving the future request.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the front end is further configured to establish a priority for at least one response based on a packet type of the at least one response.

10. A method, relative to a communication system including an interface coupled to one or more clients via a shared bandwidth communication network, wherein the interface receives requests from the one or more clients for response by one or more network destinations and wherein the interface forwards responses to said one or more clients so that they are received in a first rate and order, the method comprising:

interposing a front end between the interface and the one or more network destinations, the front end configured to receive the responses and forward the responses to the interface in accordance with a second rate and order, whereby the clients receive said responses at a rate and order controlled by said front end rather than said interface, wherein the front end is further configured to receive the responses via an enhanced bandwidth network that has a first network protocol different from a second network protocol of the shared bandwidth communication network and convert the responses from the first network protocol to the second network protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more clients are one or more end user devices of the shared bandwidth communication network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the front end is further configured to provide different levels of service to the one or more clients based on one or more of content type, end user identity, end user history and session statistics.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the front end is further configured to manipulate communication parameters selected from the group consisting of window size, window expansion rate, and window contraction rate to effectively prioritize certain of the responses over others of the responses.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the front end is further configured to cache at least one response and respond to a future request from the one or more clients by supplying the cached response.

15. A front end relative to a communication system including an interface coupled to one or more clients via a shared bandwidth communication network, wherein the interface receives requests from the one or more clients for response by one or more network destination and wherein the interface forwards responses to said one or more clients so that they are received in a first rate and order, the front end configured to receive said responses and forward said responses to said interface in accordance with a second rate and order, whereby said clients receive said responses at a rate and order controlled by said front end rather than said interface, and wherein the front end is further configured to receive the responses via an enhanced bandwidth network that has a first network protocol different from a second network protocol of the shared bandwidth communication network and convert the responses from the first network protocol to the second network protocol.

16. The front end of claim 15, wherein the one or more clients are one or more end user devices of the shared bandwidth communication network.

17. The front end of claim 16, wherein the front end is further configured to provide different levels of service to the one or more clients based on one or more of content type, end user identity, end user history and session statistics.

18. The front end of claim 15, wherein the front end is further configured to manipulate communication parameters selected from the group consisting of window size, window expansion rate, and window contraction rate to effectively prioritize certain of the responses over others of the responses.

19. The front end of claim 15, wherein the front end is further configured to cache at least one response and respond to a future request from the one or more clients by supplying the cached response.