Techniques for determining an optimal connection duration for a connection between a client and a server across a network

• US 8,959,235 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Newstadt, Keith, Shavell, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thanh Tammy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/176,001
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Techniques for determining an optimal connection duration for a connection between a client device and a server across a network are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for determining an optimal connection duration for a connection between a client device and a server across a network comprising: identifying, using the client device, a network access point that communicatively couples the client device to a network; selecting a sever connection time period; initiating the connection between the client device and the server via the network based on the sever connection time period; determining whether a sever connection notification was received from the server within the sever connection time period; and adjusting the sever connection time period based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method of determining an optimal connection duration for a connection between a client device and a server across a network comprising:

identifying, using the client device, a network access point that communicatively couples the client device to a network;

selecting a sever connection time period;

initiating the connection between the client device and the server via the network based on the sever connection time period;

determining whether a sever connection notification was received from the server within the sever connection time period, wherein the sever connection notification indicates to the client device that the connection between the client device and the server is still live, wherein the sever connection notification is further configured to notify the client device that the server is preparing to sever the connection between the client device and the server; and

adjusting the sever connection time period based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the network access point comprises identifying a Media Access Control (MAC) address associated with the network access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sever connection time period indicates an amount of time the server should wait before gracefully severing the connection between the client device and the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the connection between the client device and the server comprises transmitting the sever connection time period to the server via the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sever connection notification is further configured to instruct the client device to initiate a new connection between the client device and the server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the sever connection notification was received within a total time period that comprises a sum of the sever connection time period and a threshold time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the sever connection time period comprises increasing the sever connection time period based on the determination that the sever connection notification was received from the server within the sever connection time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the sever connection time period comprises decreasing the sever connection time period based on the determination that the sever connection notification was not received from the server within the sever connection time period.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the sever connection time period until the optimal connection duration is determined.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a keep alive frequency.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting one or more keep alive messages based on the keep alive frequency.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising adjusting the keep alive frequency until an optimal keep alive frequency is determined.

13. An article of manufacture for determining an optimal connection duration for a connection between a client device and a server across a network, the article of manufacture comprising:

at least one non-transitory processor readable medium; and

instructions stored on the at least one medium;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the at least one medium by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to;

identify a network access point that communicatively couples the client device to a network;

select a sever connection time period;

initiate the connection between the client device and the server via the network based on the sever connection time period;

determine whether a sever connection notification was received from the server within the sever connection time period, wherein the sever connection notification indicates to the client device that the connection between the client device and the server is still live, wherein the sever connection notification is further configured to notify the client device that the server is preparing to sever the connection between the client device and the server; and

adjust the sever connection time period based on the determination.

14. A system for determining an optimal connection duration for a connection between a client device and a server across a network comprising:

one or more computer processors configured to;

identify a network access point that communicatively couples the client device to a network;

select a sever connection time period;

initiate the connection between the client device and the server via the network based on the sever connection time period;

determine whether a sever connection notification was received from the server within the sever connection time period, wherein the sever connection notification indicates to the client device that the connection between the client device and the server is still live, wherein the sever connection notification is further configured to notify the client device that the server is preparing to sever the connection between the client device and the server; and

adjust the sever connection time period based on the determination; and

at least one memory, coupled to the one or more computer processors, configured to provide the one or more computer processors with instructions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the network access point by identifying a MAC address associated with the network access point.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the sever connection time period indicates an amount of time the server should wait before gracefully severing the connection between the client device and the server.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to initiate the connection between the client device and the server by transmitting the sever connection time period to the server via the network.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the sever connection time period by increasing the sever connection time period based on the determination that the sever connection notification was received from the server within the sever connection time period.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust the sever connection time period by decreasing the sever connection time period based on the determination that the sever connection notification was not received from the server within the sever connection time period.

20. A method of determining an optimal connection duration for a connection between a client device and a server across a network comprising:

identifying, using the client device, a network access point that communicatively couples the client device to a network;

selecting a sever connection time period;

initiating the connection between the client device and the server via the network based on the sever connection time period;

determining whether a sever connection notification was received from the server within the sever connection time period, wherein the sever connection notification indicates to the client device that the connection between the client device and the server is still live; and

adjusting the sever connection time period based on the determination wherein the sever connection time period indicates an amount of time the server should wait before gracefully severing the connection between the client device and the server.