METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING BANDWIDTH EFFICIENCY IN A COMPUTER NETWORK

• US 20100250546A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/740
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds

Abstract

A method for operating a server to improve bandwidth efficiency in a computer network is disclosed. The server is operable to transmit files between a memory of the server and destinations on the computer network through a communication link having a finite bandwidth. The files are distinguishable by type and the server is provided with a rule set for prioritizing transmission of files by type. The method comprises monitoring a bandwidth usage of the communication link, and triggering application of the rule set when the bandwidth usage exceeds a threshold amount. The threshold amount is determined relative to the finite bandwidth. The method further comprises distinguishing between the files according to type, and prioritizing transmission of the files according to type and according to the rule set.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting a computing system to a network;

determining a current state of bandwidth usage based on at least the monitoring;

receiving a request from a requesting computer for a stored file; and

transmitting, in response to the request, the stored file from the computing system to the requesting computer via the communication link in compliance with a rule set defining rules for limiting serving of files based on at least a current state of the bandwidth usage and a geographic origin associated with the request, so as to not permit serving of files from the computing system during periods when the bandwidth usage exceeds a threshold amount and the request is associated with a particular geographic origin, while permitting serving of the files from the computing system when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the threshold amount.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising classifying the file on the computing system according to a file type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising classifying the file served from the computing system into a defined one of a plurality of distinct file types, prior to serving the file from the computing system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein classifying the file is performed by the computing system in response to receiving the request.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein classifying the file is performed by crawling through the file stored on the computing system

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a type to the file based on a corresponding file size for the file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising classifying the file into a defined type based on a corresponding file name extension for the file.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying whether the file has characteristics indicating that the file is configured to be aggregated into a larger file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining which rule from the rule set is to be currently operable, in response to the current state of the bandwidth usage.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising changing which files are served from the computing system in response to changes in the currently operable rule.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting updates to the rule set from the computing system to cooperating servers of a server farm, to alter rules controlling serving files in response to bandwidth utilization.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an update to the rule set, to alter rules controlling serving files in response to bandwidth utilization.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining which rule from the rule set is to be currently operable, in response to a language associated with the request.

14. A tangible computer-readable medium encoded with instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions are readable by the computing device in order to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

monitoring bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting the computing system to a network;

determining a current state of bandwidth usage based on at least the monitoring;

receiving a request from a requesting computer for a stored file; and

transmitting, in response to the request, the stored file from the computing system to the requesting computer via the communication link in compliance with a rule set defining rules for limiting serving of files based on at least a current state of the bandwidth usage and one or more of a geographic origin or language associated with the request.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the rules prevent serving of files from the computing system during periods when the bandwidth usage exceeds a threshold amount and the request is associated with one or more of a particular geographic origin or language, while permitting serving of the files from the computing system when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the threshold amount.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise classifying the stored file according to a file type.

17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise classifying the stored file into a defined one of a plurality of distinct file types.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise classifying the file in response to receiving the request.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise assigning a type the file based on a corresponding file size for the file.

20. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium storing machine-executable instructions including one or more modules configured for execution by the processor in order to cause the computing system to;

determine a current state of bandwidth usage of one or more computer networks; and

transmit files via the one or more computer networks in compliance with a rule set defining rules for limiting transmitting of files, wherein the rule set is selected based on at least the current state of bandwidth usage and a geographic origin of a request for a stored filed.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein one or more modules further cause the computing system to select a rule from the rule set that is to be currently operable, in response to a language associated with the request.

22. A method for execution by one or more suitably configured computing devices, the method comprising:

monitoring bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting one or more computing devices to a network;

determining a current state of bandwidth usage based on at least the monitoring;

in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold;

identifying one or more files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file for which transfer via the communication link has been requested; and

preventing transmission of the one or more identified files via the communication link; and

in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is less than the predetermined threshold, permitting transmission via the communication link of files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising classifying files into respective defined types based on corresponding file name extensions for the files.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising assigning a type to ones of the files based on a corresponding file size for the files.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said preventing is only performed if the transfer request is associated with a particular geographic origin or language.

26. A computing system containing machine-executable instructions operable to transmit files to destinations on one or more computer networks, wherein in response to execution of the machine-executable instructions, the computing system performs operations comprising:

monitoring bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting the computing system to one or more computer networks;

determining a current state of bandwidth usage based on at least the monitoring;

in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold;

identifying one or more files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file for which transfer via the communication link has been requested; and

preventing transmission of the one or more identified files via the communication link; and

in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is less than the predetermined threshold, permitting transmission via the communication link of files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file.

27. The computing system of claim 26, further comprising classifying the one or more files into respective defined types based on corresponding file name extension for the files.

28. The computing system of claim 26, further comprising assigning a type to ones of the files based on a corresponding file size for the files.

29. The computing system of claim 26, wherein said preventing is only performed if the transfer request is associated with a particular geographic origin or language.