System for providing enhanced grade of service for connections over a large network

• US 6,240,462 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Sibal, Sandeep, Kuthyar, Ashok K., Agraharam, Sanjay, Ramamurthy, Ram S., DeSimone, Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/950,021
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.47, 709/218, 709/219, 709/217, 709/239, 709/238, 379/221, 370/238
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13174 Data transmission, file transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet

Abstract

We have realized that for a connection over a large data network, such as an Internet connection that couples a web access device to a terminal server connected to an applications server, delays associated with the process of downloading large data files over such a connection, occur primarily in the leg of the connection that couples the applications server to a terminal server while little congestion is typically observed in the leg of the connection that couples the Internet access device to the terminal server. The aforementioned delay is reduced by establishing a separate connection from the applications server to the Point Of Presence server outside or independently of the backbone of the large data network thereby allowing users to receive enhanced grade of service for file transfer operations.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data between a web access device and an applications server, wherein both, the web access device and the applications server are coupled to a Point of Presence server in a network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) routing commands from the web access device to the applications server via the network;

b) downloading data from the applications server to the Point of Presence server via a subnetwork having a predetermined quality of service, said downloading step being performed after accessing a database to determine the subnetwork via which the applications server is to download the data to the web access device; and

c) selecting an optimum subnetwork from among a plurality of subnetworks, said selection being made according to a set of predetermined criteria.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said downloading step includes the step of:

mapping an IP address to a subnet address, wherein the subnet address is a combination of the subnetwork and an address within the subnetwork for a machine identified by the IP address.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

accessing a server on the network on which is stored the database via which any device on the network can find out the optimum subnetwork when selecting a subnetwork to another device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises:

a) an ability of the available subnetworks to support the quality of service desired;

b) a current traffic load on the available subnetworks;

c) a price/payment for each of the available subnetworks; and

d) time of day variations that the subnetworks experience.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of storing the optimum subnetwork'"'"'s identity in a database that is accessible by a server on the network.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of dynamically updating the database based on a plurality of predetermined criteria.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises:

a) an ability of the available subnetworks to support the quality of service desired;

b) a current traffic load on the available subnetworks;

c) a price/payment for each of the available subnetworks; and

d) time of day variations that the subnetworks experience.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of using a default IP network in the event that no alternate subnetwork is available.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing a connection from the applications server to a circuit switched network and from the circuit switched network to a dial-up side of the Point Of Presence server.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing a connection from the applications server to a circuit switched network and from the circuit switched network to a network side of the Point Of Presence server.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing a connection from the applications server to a circuit switched network and from the circuit switched network to a neighboring server within the network, wherein the neighboring server includes a server that is logically close to the Point Of Presence server.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing a connection from the applications server to a circuit switched network to a server having a predetermined maximum number of connections needed to reach the Point Of Presence server.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternate path is established from a network selected from a group of networks comprised of a) quality of service asynchronous transfer mode network, b) another IP network that is RSVP enabled internally between routers, c) a Frame Relay network, d) a POTS circuit switched network, and e) an ISDN network.

14. In a client-applications server networked environment, in which the Internet Protocol is implemented and the client is connected to the applications server through a terminal server and the client can request data from the applications server by sending commands to the applications server through the terminal server, a method for communicating between the client and the server comprising the steps of:

a) separating a command path from a data path within the network; and

b) transmitting data to the client from the applications server along the data path based upon a subnet address included in a command sent along the command path wherein the data path is external to the client-applications server network.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the command path comprises a path taken by a request to download data from the client to the applications server.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the data path is a circuit-switched connection from the applications server to the terminal server.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the data path is within the plain old telephone switched infrastructure using PPP protocol.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the command path is within the client-applications server network using IP protocol.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of embedding signaling information in an HTTP request by a proxy server.

20. A method for interacting with an applications server by a client accessing the applications server via a Point Of Presence server, comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a client request using Internet protocol to the Point Of Presence server;

b) routing the client request over a network to the applications server;

c) establishing an alternate path back to the Point Of Presence server using a different protocol;

d) downloading information to the Point Of Presence server using the alternate path and the different protocol; and

e) routing the information from the Point Of Presence server to the client using the IP protocol.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

establishing for said alternate path a connection from the applications server to a circuit-switched network and from the circuit-switched network to a dial-up side of the Point Of Presence server.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

establishing for said alternate path a connection from the applications server to a circuit-switched network and from the circuit-switched network to a network side of the Point Of Presence server.

23. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

establishing for said alternate path a connection from the applications server to a circuit-switched network and from the circuit-switched network to a neighboring server within the network, wherein the neighboring server includes a server that is logically close to the Point Of Presence server.

24. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

establishing a connection from the applications server via the circuit-switched network to yet another server having a predetermined maximum number of connections needed to reach the Point Of Presence server.

25. A communications system for communicating data between an applications server and a client device, the applications server and the client device both being coupled to a first network which supports the IP protocol and which has a plurality of routers, said system comprising:

a) a Point Of Presence server which includes (1) a plurality of dial-up access ports, wherein one of the plurality of access ports is coupled to the client device via a dial-up connection; and

(2) a plurality of router ports in said routers to which said Point Of Presence server to said applications server are coupled; and

b) a database server coupled to the Point Of Presence server via said router ports, said database server storing a list of alternate paths for downloading data from the applications server to the Point Of Presence server, said list of alternate paths being dynamically updated based on a plurality of predetermined criteria.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the alternate paths include at least one path which is established on a second network and which is selected from a group of networks which include a quality of service asynchronous transfer mode network, a separate IP network that is RSVP-enabled internally between routers, a frame relay network, a circuit-switched POTS network and a circuit-switched ISDN network.

27. A method of communicating information between a network access device and an applications server, comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection for communicating commands from said network access device to said applications server, said connection being established between said network access device and said applications server via a terminal server which is coupled to said applications server through a first communications network;

transmitting data which is destined for said network access device, from said applications server to said terminal server via a second communications network; and

accessing a database to identify said second communications network for said data transmission, wherein said second communications network is selected from a group of networks which include an ATM network, a frame relay network and a circuit-switched network.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said first communications network is a packet-switched network and said second communications network is a circuit-switched network.