Adapting graphical data, processing activity to changing network conditions

• US 20020029285A1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Collins, Henry
• Application Number:
  US09/866,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029285A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2876 Pairs of inter-processing entities at each side of the network, e.g. split proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The performance of distributed systems can be improved by adapting a server'"'"'s processing activity in response to changing network conditions or performance mismatches. In one embodiment, the server'"'"'s processing rate is modified when a change in the network conditions is detected. In another embodiment, the encoding technique used to process the graphical data is modified upon detecting a change in the network conditions. In yet another embodiment, the server'"'"'s processing rate is modified upon detecting a performance mismatch between the client and the server. A time differential relating to the transmission and receipt of graphical data between the server and the client is used to estimate the network conditions. Similarly, another time differential relating to the processing of graphical data by both the client and server is used to ascertain performance mismatches between the client and server.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a rate of processing activity in response to changing network conditions, the method comprising the steps of:

processing graphical data by a server agent at a first rate, the processed graphical data being addressed to a client agent via a network coupled to the client and server agent;

determining the network conditions of the network; and

adjusting, by the server agent, the rate of processing activity of the server agent from the first rate to a second rate in response to a change in the network conditions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the processed graphical data to the client agent;

measuring, by the client agent, a time differential associated with transmitting the processed graphical data, the time differential corresponding to the change in the network conditions; and

selecting the second rate in accordance with the time differential.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

processing the graphical data at the first rate in accordance with a first encoding scheme;

selecting a second encoding scheme in response to the change in the network conditions; and

processing subsequent graphical data in accordance with the second encoding scheme.

4. A method of adapting a processing activity operating on graphical data in response to changing network conditions, the method comprising the steps of:

processing graphical data by a server agent using a first encoding technique, the processed graphical data being addressed to a client agent via a network coupled to the client and server agent;

determining the network conditions of the network;

selecting, by the server agent, a second encoding technique in response to a change in the network conditions; and

processing subsequent graphical data by the server agent using the second encoding technique.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the processed graphical data to the client agent;

measuring, by the client agent, a time differential associated with transmitting the processed graphical data, the time differential corresponding to the change in the network conditions; and

selecting the second encoding technique in accordance with the time differential.

6. A method of adapting a processing rate of a server in response to a performance mismatch between the server and a client coupled to the server via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

processing graphical data by a server agent;

determining a first time period associated with processing the graphical data at the server agent;

processing the graphical data by a client agent;

determining a second time period associated with processing the graphical data at the client agent;

determining the time differential between the first and second time periods; and

adjusting, by the server agent, the processing rate of the server in accordance with the time differential.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first time period is determined by scrolling a frame buffer of the server.

8. A system for adapting a rate of processing activity in response to changing network conditions, the system comprising:

a client agent;

a network coupled to the client agent, the network conditions being associated with the network;

a server agent coupled to the client agent via the network, the server agent processing a first graphical data at a first rate, the processed first graphical data being addressed to the client agent, wherein the server agent adjusts the processing rate from the first rate to a second rate in response to a change in the network conditions.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a first encoding scheme is used to process the first graphical data at the first rate and a second encoding scheme is used to process a second graphical data at the second rate.

10. A system for adapting a processing activity operating on graphical data in response to changing network conditions, the system comprising:

a client agent;

a network coupled to the client agent, the network conditions being associated with the network;

a server agent coupled to the client agent via the network, the server agent processing a first graphical data using a first encoding technique and a second graphical data using a second encoding technique in response to a change in the network conditions, wherein the server agent transmits the first and second graphical data to the client agent via the network.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the change in the network conditions is detected from a time differential determined by the client agent.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the server rate is determined by scrolling a frame buffer of the server.

12. A system for adapting a processing rate of a server in response to a performance mismatch between the server and a client coupled to the server via a network, the system comprising:

a client agent, the client agent processing graphical data at a client rate;

a server agent coupled to the client agent via a network, the server agent processing the graphical data at a server rate, wherein the server agent adjusts the server rate in response to a difference between the client and server rates.