System and method for discovering information objects and information object repositories in computer networks

• US 8,572,214 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cents Technologies, Inc., Online Video Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ADARA Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Garcia-Luna-Aceves, Jose J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US11/499,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/242, 709/241, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1483 using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• 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 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

An address of an information object repository that should service a client request for an information object is returned in response to a request therefor. The address of the information object repository which is returned is selected according to specified performance metrics regardless of whether or not the information object repository maintains a local copy of the information object that is the client request. In some cases, the address of the information object repository is further selected according to an address of a client making the client request. Further, the address of the information object repository is selected from a number of addresses of information object repositories. The specified performance metrics may include one or more of an average delay from the information object repository to the client, average processing delays at the information object repository, reliability of a path from the information object repository to the client, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the information object repository. In some cases, the information object repository may be instructed to obtain a copy of the information object after the address of the information object repository is returned in response to the request therefore.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first Web router, comprising:

receiving from a second Web router first mapping information between client addresses or address ranges and addresses of one or more information object repositories;

determining a first distance parameter from the first Web router to the second Web router that originates the mapping information;

identifying the first mapping information as valid if the first distance parameter is indicated as finite;

identifying the first mapping information as invalid if the first distance parameter is indicated as infinity; and

adopting a second mapping information between an information object identifier and an information object repository address when a local distance parameter associated with the information object identifier is greater than a second distance parameter, associated with the information object identifier, between the first Web router receiving the second mapping information and a third Web router that originates the second mapping information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adopting the valid first mapping information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

selecting the valid first mapping from among two or more valid mappings for the client addresses or address ranges according to type of service distances associated with the mappings.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the type of service distances are determined according to an average processing delay at the one or more information object repositories, an average delay from the one or more information object repositories to the client addresses or address ranges, a reliability of paths between the one or more information object repositories and the client addresses or address ranges, an available bandwidth in said paths, a load at the one or more information object repositories, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein if the type of service distances are equal, the first mapping information which is originated by the second Web router having a smallest minimum-hop distance to the first Web router receiving the mapping information is adopted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second distance parameter comprises a minimum-hop distance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first distance parameter comprises a minimum-hop distance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the local distance parameter is indicated as infinite and the second distance parameter is indicated as finite.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the system to perform a method by a first Web router, comprising:

receiving from a second Web router a first mapping information between client addresses or address ranges and addresses of one or more information object repositories;

determining a first distance parameter from the first Web router to the second Web router that originates the mapping information;

identifying the first mapping information as valid if the first distance parameter is indicated as finite;

identifying the first mapping information as invalid if the first distance parameter is indicated as infinity; and

adopting a second mapping information between an information object identifier and an information object repository address when a local distance parameter associated with the information object identifier is greater than a second distance parameter, associated with the information object identifier, between the first Web router receiving the second mapping information and a third Web router that originates the second mapping information.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that cause the system to perform operations comprising adopting the valid first mapping information.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising

selecting the valid first mapping from among two or more valid mappings for the client addresses or address ranges according to type of service distances associated with the mappings.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the type of service distances are determined according to an average processing delay at the one or more information object repositories, an average delay from the one or more information object repositories to the client addresses or address ranges, a reliability of paths between the one or more information object repositories and the client addresses or address ranges, an available bandwidth in said paths, a load at the one or more information object repositories, or any combination thereof.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein if the type of service distances are equal, then the first mapping information which is originated by the second Web router having a smallest minimum-hop distance to the first Web router receiving the mapping information is adopted.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second distance parameter comprises a minimum-hop distance.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first distance parameter comprises a minimum-hop distance.

16. A first Web router, comprising:

means for receiving from a second Web router a first mapping information between client addresses or address ranges and addresses of one or more information object repositories, wherein the means for receiving comprises a first web router;

means for determining a first distance parameter from the first Web router to the second Web router that originates the mapping information;

means for identifying the first mapping information as valid if the first distance parameter is indicated as finite;

means for identifying the first mapping information as invalid if the first distance parameter is indicated as infinity; and

adopting a second mapping information between an information object identifier and an information object repository address when a local distance parameter associated with the information object identifier is greater than a second distance parameter, associated with the information object identifier, between the first Web router receiving the second mapping information and a third Web router that originates the second mapping information.