MANAGEMENT OF BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION IN A NETWORK SERVER

• US 20120215886A1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Preferential Networks IP, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/115 using a dedicated packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/266 Stopping or restarting the source, e.g. X-on or X-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A server is configured to transfer information to a plurality of client devices in accordance with bandwidth-limiting and bandwidth-adjustment techniques. Bandwidth may be reduced based on an amount of data previously transferred to a client device (e.g., within a prior time period). Bandwidth may also be reduced based on variable input parameters such as file size, data type, server load, network response time, and number of transfer requests from a client device within a prior period of time. In some embodiments, bandwidth may be reduced by inserting delays between portions of data being transmitted. A length of a delay period may be determined based on the various factors above (amount of previous data transfer(s), file size, etc.). Bandwidth to a client device may also be adjusted dynamically. In some embodiments, bandwidth may be increased (rather than decreased).

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first computer system, information indicating a request to transfer data to a second computer system;

the first computer system determining a quantity of other data previously transferred to the second computer system; and

in response to said determining, the first computer system throttling transfer of the data to the second computer system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said throttling comprises:

causing a portion of the data to be transmitted to the second computer system;

determining a length of a delay period associated with transmission of an additional portion of the data; and

causing the additional portion of the data to be transmitted to the second computer system after the delay period has occurred.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a length of an additional delay period; and

causing a further portion of the data to be transmitted to the second computer system after the additional delay period has occurred, wherein the length of the additional delay period is different from the length of the delay period.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the request to transfer data specifies a particular data file.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a length of a delay period based on a type of the data;

wherein said throttling includes temporarily halting a transmission, for at least the length of the delay period, of the data to the second computer system.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein data packets are used to transfer the data to the second computer system;

and

wherein determining the quantity of other data previously transferred to the second computer system is based, at least in part, on data transferred during a defined prior period of time.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said throttling includes lowering an effective bandwidth rate based, at least in part, on a file size associated with the request to transfer data.

28. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for transmission of data to a second computer system; and

based on a quantity of other data previously transmitted to the second computer system, causing bandwidth for a transmission of the data to the second computer system to be reduced.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a length of a delay period; and

wherein causing the bandwidth to be reduced includes halting the transmission of the data for at least the length of the delay period.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the length of the delay period is a pre-specified value.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the length of the delay period is based, at least in part, on an available bandwidth associated with the computer system.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein causing the bandwidth to be reduced includes inserting a plurality of delays between respective ones of a plurality of groups of one or more data packets until all of the data has been transmitted to the second computer system.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the request for transmission of data is a request for a file hosted by a server running on the computer system.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the operations further comprise determining the quantity of other data previously transmitted to the second computer system based, at least in part, on network identification information associated with the second computer system.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein causing the bandwidth to be reduced is based, at least in part, on the quantity of other data previously transmitted to the second computer system being greater than a threshold amount of data.

36. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

receiving information indicating a request to transfer data to a specified network address;

causing a portion of the data to be transmitted to the specified network address;

determining a length of a delay period associated with a transmission of an additional portion of the data; and

causing the additional portion of the data to be transmitted to the specified network address after the delay period has occurred.

37. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the computer system is configured to route data packets between two or more networks.

38. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a length of an additional delay period; and

causing a further portion of the data to be transmitted to the specified network address after the additional delay period has occurred.

39. The computer system of claim 38, wherein the length of the additional delay period is less than the length of the delay period.

40. The computer system of claim 36, wherein determining the length of the delay period is based, at least in part, on a type of the data.