Data transmission

• US 9,876,845 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Qi, Zheng, Chao, Zhou, Xiang, Zhu, Xiao W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLeod, Marshall
• Application Number:
  US14/628,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 709213, 709216, 709217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

Embodiments of this disclosure belong to the data processing field and disclose a method and apparatus for data transmission. The method comprises sending a first request to a server in response to a first file locally cached having expired. The first request is for obtaining a first file in a new version, and the first request containing a first version identifier. The first version identifier being for indicating a version of the first file locally cached. Receiving a first response includes difference information and a second version identifier. The difference information makes it possible to obtain the first file in the new version based on the first file locally cached, and the second version identifier is for indicating the new version. The first file in the new version is obtained based on the difference information and the first file locally cached. Using the technical solution provided by the present embodiment(s), pressures on network transmission are reduced.

Claims

1. A client apparatus for data transmission, the client apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

in response to a first file locally cached in the memory having expired, send a first request to a server for obtaining a new version of the first file, wherein the first request includes a first version identifier indicating a current version of the first file locally cached in the memory;

in response to version differences being detected by comparing the first version identifier to a second version identifier and in response to determining that difference information is smaller in size than a size of the new version of the first file, receive a first response from the server including difference information and the second version identifier, wherein the difference information indicates differences in the current version of the first file locally cached in the memory and the new version of the first file on the server, wherein the second version identifier is for indicating the new version of the first file, and, wherein the client apparatus receives the first response from the server including the difference information and the second version identifier in further response to the server determining that overheads for generating the difference information are less than a defined value;

send a second request to the server to obtain only changed content in current version of the first file locally cached in the memory based on the difference information;

receive the changed content from the server; and

use the changed content received from the server and unchanged content from the first file locally cached in the memory to display the new version of the first file to a user.

2. The client apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

store the second version identifier in association with the new version of the first file that comprises the unchanged content from the first file locally cached in the memory patched with the changed content received from the server.

3. The client apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first request further comprises an Allow identifier, the Allow identifier indicating the client apparatus is capable of processing difference information and wherein, in response to the first request comprising the Allow identifier, the first response includes the difference information and the second version identifier.

4. The client apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

in response to no version differences being detected by comparing the first version identifier to a second version identifier, receive a second response from the server indicating no differences in the current version of the first file locally cached in the memory and the new version of the first file on the server; and

display the first file locally cached in the memory to the user.

5. The client apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the client apparatus receives the first response from the server including the difference information and the second version identifier in further response to the server determining that the first version identifier is older than a defined version.

6. A server apparatus for data transmission, the server apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

in response to a first file locally cached in a memory of a client device having expired, receive from the client device a first request for obtaining a new version of the first file from the server apparatus, wherein the first request includes a first version identifier indicating a current version of the first file locally cached in the memory of the client device;

in response to version differences being detected by comparing the first version identifier to a second version identifier and in response to determining that difference information is smaller in size than a size of the new version of the first file, send a first response to the client device including difference information and the second version identifier, wherein the difference information indicates differences in the current version of the first file locally cached in the memory of the client device and the new version of the first file in the server apparatus, wherein the second version identifier is for indicating the new version of the first file, and wherein the server apparatus sends the first response to the client device including the difference information and the second version identifier in further response to determining that overheads for generating the difference information are less than a defined value;

receive a second request from the client device to obtain only changed content in current version of the first file locally cached in the memory based on the difference information; and

send the changed content to the client device in order that the client device uses the changed content received from the server apparatus and unchanged content from the first file locally cached in the memory of the client device to display the new version of the first file to a user.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first request further comprises an Allow identifier, the Allow identifier indicating the client device is capable of processing difference information and wherein, in response to the first request comprising the Allow identifier, the first response includes the difference information and the second version identifier.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

in response to no version differences being detected by comparing the first version identifier to a second version identifier, send a second response to the client device indicating no differences in the current version of the first file locally cached in the memory of the client device and the new version of the first file on the server apparatus in order that the client device displays the first file locally cached in the memory of the client device to the user.

9. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the server apparatus sends the first response to the client device including the difference information and the second version identifier in further response to determining that the first version identifier is older than a defined version.