Management of bandwidth allocation in a network server

• US 8,577,994 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Preferential Networks IP, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US13/457,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20120215886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-227, 709/228, 709/232, 709/235
• 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. 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, wherein the throttling is based at least in part on the determined quantity of other data previously transferred to the second computer system and comprises;

transmitting, to the second computer system, a first portion of the requested data at a first effective rate; and

determining to delay a transmission of a second, subsequent portion of the requested data to the second computer system in order to cause the second portion to be transmitted to the second computer system at a second effective rate that is slower than the first effective rate.

2. The method of claim 1, 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.

3. The method of claim 2, 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.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to transfer data specifies a particular data file.

5. The method of claim 1, 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.

6. The method of claim 1, 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.

7. The method of claim 1, 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.

8. A computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a first computer system to cause the first computer system to perform operations comprising:

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

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

in response to said determining, causing transfer of the data to the second computer system to be throttled, wherein the throttling is based at least in part on the determined quantity of other data previously transferred to the second computer system and comprises;

transmitting a first portion of the requested data to the second computer system at a first effective rate; and

determining to delay transmission of a second, subsequent portion of the requested data to the second computer system in order to cause the second portion to be transmitted to the second computer system at a second effective rate that is slower than the first effective rate.

9. The computer-readable memory of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a length of a delay period; and

wherein causing the transfer of the data to the second computer system to be throttled includes halting a transmission of the data for at least the length of the delay period.

10. The computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein the length of the delay period is a pre-specified value.

11. The computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein the length of the delay period is based, at least in part, on an available bandwidth associated with the first computer system.

12. The computer-readable memory of claim 8, wherein causing the transfer of the data to the second computer system to be throttled 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, wherein successive ones of the plurality of delays are equal to or longer than earlier ones of the plurality of delays.

13. The computer-readable memory of claim 8, wherein the request to transfer data to the second computer system is a request for a file hosted by a server running on the first computer system.

14. The computer-readable memory of claim 8, wherein determining the quantity of other data previously transmitted to the second computer system is based, at least in part, on network identification information associated with the second computer system.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 8, wherein causing the transfer of the data to the second computer system to be throttled 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.

16. 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 at a first effective rate;

determining a length of a delay period associated with a transmission of an additional portion of the data to the specified network address, wherein the length of the delay period is based at least in part on a quantity of other data previously transferred to the specified network address and is also calculated in order to a achieve a second effective rate for transmittal to the specified network address that is slower than the first effective rate; and

causing the additional portion of the data to be transmitted to the specified network address after the delay period has occurred, said transmitting occuring at the second effective rate.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the computer system is configured to route data packets between two or more networks.

18. The computer system of claim 16, 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.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the length of the additional delay period is less than the length of the delay period.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein determining the length of the delay period is based, at least in part, on a type of the data.