Method and apparatus of performing peer-to-peer communication establishment and connection change-over

• US 9,270,747 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datto LLC
• Original Assignee: Kaseya Limited
• Inventors: Erringer, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, PELING ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/082,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus of monitoring active data communication sessions and potential new connections is disclosed. One example method of operation may include identifying a data communications requirement of a first network device currently communicating via the first communications connection with a second network device, an transmitting a data test message over at least one of the existing first communications connection and the second communications connection. The method may also include receiving a response to the data test message, and determining a change-over from the first communications connection to the second communications connection would provide a more optimal data connection based on the identified data communications requirements of the first network device. Active data sessions are constantly being considered for a change-over by potential new data connections which may provide increased optimal data performance.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a first communications connection and a second communications connection in anticipation of performing a change-over, the method comprising:

identifying a data communications requirement of a first network device currently communicating via the first communications connection with a second network device;

transmitting a data test message over the second communications connection;

receiving a response to the data test message wherein the response to the data test message is compared to previously measured test data associated with the first communications connection to determine which of the first and second communications connections provides a more optimal data connection;

determining an average measured bandwidth over a predefined interval comprising a plurality of connection tests exceeds a current connection bandwidth of the first communications connection by a predefined percentage threshold; and

determining a change-over from the first communications connection to the second communications connection would provide a more optimal data connection based on the identified data communications requirements of the first network device and the predefined percentage threshold being exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communications connection and the second communications connection are peer-to-peer data connections.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the data communications requirement of the first network device comprises determining at least one of a latency rate and a data rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the data test message comprises transmitting at least one of a bandwidth test message and a latency test message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing an existing data communications session between the first network device and the second network device from the first communications channel to the second communications channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein data communications between the first communications device and the second communications device are changed from the first communications channel to the second communications channel if a difference between the response to the test data message provides test data that is more optimal than the previously measured test data by a minimum threshold of difference.

7. An apparatus configured to monitor a first communications connection and a second communications connection in anticipation of performing a change-over, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to identify a data communications requirement of a first network device currently communicating via the first communications connection with a second network device;

a transmitter configured to transmit a data test message over the second communications connection; and

a receiver configured to receive a response to the data test message, wherein the response to the data test message is compared to previously measured test data associated with the first communications connection to determine which of the first and second communications connections provides a more optimal data connection,

wherein the processor is further configured to

determine an average measured bandwidth over a predefined interval comprising a plurality of connection tests exceeds a current connection bandwidth of the first communications connection by a predefined percentage threshold, and

determine a change-over from the first communications connection to the second communications connection would provide a more optimal data connection based on the identified data communications requirements of the first network device and the predefined percentage threshold being exceeded.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first communications connection and the second communications connection are peer-to-peer data connections.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the data communications requirement of the first network device comprises at least one of a latency rate and a data rate.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the data test message is comprises at least one of a bandwidth test message and a latency test message.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to perform changing an existing data communications session between the first network device and the second network device from the first communications channel to the second communications channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein data communications between the first communications device and the second communications device are changed from the first communications channel to the second communications channel if a difference between the response to the test data message provides test data that is more optimal than the previously measured test data by a minimum threshold of difference.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform monitoring a first communications connection and a second communications connection in anticipation of performing a change-over, the processor being further configured to perform:

identifying a data communications requirement of a first network device currently communicating via the first communications connection with a second network device;

transmitting a data test message over the second communications connection;

receiving a response to the data test message, wherein the response to the data test message is compared to previously measured test data associated with the first communications connection to determine which of the first and second communications connections provides a more optimal data connection;

determining an average measured bandwidth over a predefined interval comprising a plurality of connection tests exceeds a current connection bandwidth of the first communications connection by a predefined percentage threshold; and

determining a change-over from the first communications connection to the second communications connection would provide a more optimal data connection based on the identified data communications requirements of the first network device and the predefined percentage threshold being exceeded.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first communications connection and the second communications connection are peer-to-peer data connections.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the identifying the data communications requirement of the first network device comprises determining at least one of a latency rate and a data rate.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the transmitting a data test message over the existing first communications connection comprises transmitting at least one of a bandwidth test message and a latency test message.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the data test message is transmitted over the second communications connection and the response to the data test message is compared to previously measured test data associated with the first communications connection to determine which of the first and second communications connections provides a more optimal data connection.