Method and apparatus for improving bandwidth efficiency in a computer network

• US 8,671,216 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): BILGRAMI, ASGHAR H
• Application Number:
  US12/795,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds

Abstract

A method for operating a server to improve bandwidth efficiency in a computer network is disclosed. The server is operable to transmit files between a memory of the server and destinations on the computer network through a communication link having a finite bandwidth. The files are distinguishable by type and the server is provided with a rule set for prioritizing transmission of files by type. The method comprises monitoring a bandwidth usage of the communication link, and triggering application of the rule set when the bandwidth usage exceeds a threshold amount. The threshold amount is determined relative to the finite bandwidth. The method further comprises distinguishing between the files according to type, and prioritizing transmission of the files according to type and according to the rule set.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system, cause the computer-based system to perform operations comprising:

determining that a first set of one or more files are identified as portions of an aggregate file and that a second set of one or more files are not identified as portions of an aggregate file;

in response to comparing bandwidth usage to a predetermined threshold, preventing transmission of the first set of one or more files and permitting transmission of at least one of the second set of one or more files.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

classifying the first set of one or more files by crawling through files stored on the computer-based system at periodic intervals.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on file types of the first and second sets of one or more files.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on one or more file sizes.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on one or more file name extensions.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is included in a first rule limiting serving of files, wherein the operations further comprise selecting a second rule to replace the first rule.

2. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing system cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving bandwidth utilization data indicating current bandwidth utilization of a communication link connecting the computing system to a network;

receiving requests to transmit files from the computing system;

distinguishing between the files based on file types, wherein a type for each of the files is assigned based at least on a corresponding file name for each file such that the type indicates whether the files are configured to be aggregated into a larger file; and

serving the files from the computing system in response to the requests subject to application of a rule that defines limiting serving of files from the computing system depending on file type and the current bandwidth utilization, wherein serving the files subject to application of the rule includes, delaying serving of files of at least one file type from the computing system when the bandwidth utilization exceeds a threshold amount specified by the rule.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise classifying the files stored on the computing system according to the file type.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise classifying each of the files served from the computing system into a defined one of a plurality of distinct file types, prior to serving each of the files from the computing system.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise classifying each of the files in response to receiving a request to transmit each file from the computing system.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise classifying each of the files by crawling through the files stored on the computing system at periodic intervals.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise assigning a type to each of the files based on a corresponding file size for each file.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise classifying each of the files into a defined type based on a corresponding file name extension for each file.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise crawling through a memory associated with the computing system using a crawling application configured to identify files having characteristics indicating that the files are configured to be aggregated into the larger file.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein the operations further comprise crawling through files stored in a storage device associated with the computing system to identify non-HTML files for classification as a distinct type.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the rule from a rule set, in response to the current state of the bandwidth usage.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise changing which files are served from the computing system in response to changes in the currently selected rule.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise broadcasting updates to the rule from the computing system to cooperating computing systems of a computing system farm, to alter control of which file types are delayed in response to bandwidth utilization.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an update to the rule, causing the computing system to alter control of which file types are delayed in response to bandwidth utilization.