Techniques for automatically detecting protocols in a computer network

• US 20060041917A1
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Klemets, Anders E., Ravi, Hemanth Srinivas, Vellanki, Srinivas Prasad, Cannon, Anthony William
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A method in a computer network for automatically detecting a most advantageous protocol for communication by a client computer, said client computer being configured to be coupled to a server computer via a computer network. The method includes initiating a plurality of protocol threads for sending from the client computer to the server computer, a plurality of data requests. Each of the data requests employs a different protocol and a different connection. The data requests are configured to solicit, responsive to the data request, a set of responses from the server computer. Each of the responses employs a protocol associated with a respective one of the data requests. The method further includes receiving at the client computer at least a subset of the responses. The method also includes initiating a control thread at the client computer. The control thread monitors the subset of the responses as each response is received from the server computer to select the most advantageous protocol from protocols associated with the subset of the responses, wherein the most advantageous protocol is determined based on a predefined protocol priority.

Claims

1. A method facilitating the transmission of streamed digital media data from a server, the server being configured for coupling to a client via a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving multiple communications requests from a client, each requests employing a different network protocols and each request requesting that a server respond to such request using the same network protocol employed by that request; and

responding to one of the requests using the same network protocol employed by that request.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising responding to each request using the network protocol associated with each request.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple communications requests are received substantially concurrently.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple communication requests are received substantially serially

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network protocols employed are selected from a group consisting of TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTP proxy, HTTP through port (multiplex) 80, and HTTP through port (multiplex) 8080.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital media data comprises multimedia data.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital media data is selected from a group consisting of video and audio data.

8. A method facilitating the transmission of streamed digital media data from a server, the server being configured for coupling to a client via a computer network, the method comprising:

sending multiple communications requests to a server from a client, each request employing a different network protocols and each requests requesting that the server respond to such request using the same network protocol employed by that requests; and

receiving one or more responses from the server, wherein each response corresponds to one of the multiple requests and each response employs the same network protocol employed by its corresponding request.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising determining a “

most advantageous”

protocol amongst network protocols employed by the responses from the server.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising determining a “

most advantageous”

protocol amongst network protocols employed by the responses from the server, wherein the “

most advantageous”

protocol has been predefined as such and has an associated “

most advantageous”

priority, and wherein the determining comprises selecting a network protocol having the “

most advantageous”

priority.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the multiple communications requests are sent substantially in parallel.

12. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the multiple communications requests are sent substantially concurrently.

13. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the multiple communications requests are sent within a bounded time frame.

14. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the multiple communications requests are sent substantially in serial.

15. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the network protocols employed are selected from a group consisting of TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTP proxy, HTTP through port (multiplex) 80, and HTTP through port (multiplex) 8080.

16. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the digital media data comprises multimedia data.

17. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the digital media data is selected from a group consisting of video and audio data.

18. A server system facilitating the transmission of streamed digital media data via a computer network, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive multiple communications requests from a client, such requests employing differing network protocols; and

a responder configured to respond to one of the requests using the same network protocol employed by that request.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the responder is further configured to respond to each request using the network protocol associated with each request.

20. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the multiple communications requests are received substantially concurrently.

21. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the multiple communications requests are received substantially serially

22. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the network protocols employed are selected from a group consisting of TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTP proxy, HTTP through port (multiplex) 80, and HTTP through port (multiplex) 8080.

23. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the digital media data comprises multimedia data.

24. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the digital media data is selected from a group consisting of video and audio data.

25. A client system facilitating the transmission of streamed digital media data via a computer network, the system comprising:

a transmitter configured to send multiple communications requests to a server, each requests employing a different network protocols and requesting that the server respond using the same network protocol employed by that request; and

a monitor configured to receive one or more responses from the server, wherein each responses corresponds to one or more of the multiple requests and each response employs the same network protocol employed by its corresponding request.

26. A system as recited in claim 25, further comprising a protocol selector configured to select a “

most advantageous”

protocol amongst network protocols employed by the responses from the server.

27. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the “

most advantageous”

protocol has been predefined as such and has an associated “

most advantageous”

priority, the protocol selector configured to select the “

most advantageous”

protocol based on the “

most advantageous”

priority.

28. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send multiple communications requests substantially in parallel.

29. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send multiple communications requests substantially concurrently.

30. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send multiple communications requests within a bounded time frame.

31. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send multiple communications request substantially in serial.

32. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the network protocols employed are selected from a group consisting of TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTP proxy, HTTP through port (multiplex) 80, and HTTP through port (multiplex) 8080.

33. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the digital media data comprises multimedia data.

34. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the digital media data is selected from a group consisting of video and audio data.

35. A method comprising:

sending multiple requests to a server from a client, each request employing a different network protocol and requesting that the server respond using the same network protocol employed by that request;

receiving one or more responses from the server, wherein each response corresponds to one of the multiple requests and each response employs the same network protocol employed by its corresponding request;

determining if a predefined “

best”

network protocol is employed by a response from the server; and

if the predefined “

best”

network protocol is employed by a response from the server, saving parameters pertaining to the predefined “

best”

network protocol to enable the client to communicate with the server in future communications using the predefined “

best”

network protocol.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

if the predefined “

best”

network protocol is not employed by a response from the server, selecting a “

most advantageous”

network protocol employed by a response from the server; and

conducting future communications between the client and the server using the “

most advantageous”

network protocol.

37. A method as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

determining that the “

most advantageous”

network protocol is no longer appropriate;

ascertaining a new “

most advantageous”

network protocol employed by a response from the server; and

conducting future communications between the client and the server using the new “

most advantageous”

network protocol.

38. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein the client and the server comprise a computer network that employs a network topology, and wherein the determining comprises discovering that the network topology has changed.