Facilitating content accessibility via different communication formats

• US 9,917,914 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Lyon, Barrett Gibson
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US15/386,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709230, 709245, 370246, 370401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating content accessibility via different communication formats are provided. According to one embodiment, information indicative of one or more communication formats via which a client device is capable of communication is stored on a client device by (i) sending the client device a web page having embedded therein test content associated with a first protocol stack and/or a second protocol stack; and (ii) based on a response to the test content received from the client device, determining communication capabilities of the client device. A result of the determination is stored within a browser cookie, which is sent to the client device. A content request is received from the client device that includes the browser cookie. The client device is redirected to a server device appropriate for the communication capabilities of the client based at least in part on the browser cookie.

Claims

1. A traffic manager system comprising:

a memory having stored therein instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions to perform a method comprising;

causing to be stored on a client device information indicative of one or more protocol stacks via which a client device is capable of communication by

sending to the client device a web page having embedded therein one or more test content associated with a first protocol stack and test content associated with a second protocol stack;

based on a response to the test content received from the client device, determining communication capabilities of the client device in terms of whether the client device is capable of communicating via the first protocol stack, the second protocol stack or both;

storing a result of said determining within a browser cookie; and

sending the browser cookie to the client device;

receiving a content request from the client device for web content published by a content publisher, wherein the content request includes the browser cookie; and

redirecting the client device to a server device appropriate for the communication capabilities of the client device based at least in part on the result stored within the browser cookie.

2. The traffic manager system of claim 1, wherein the test content associated with the first protocol stack comprises Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) test content and wherein the test content associated with the second protocol stack comprises Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) test content.

3. The traffic manager system of claim 2, wherein the traffic manager system is natively connected to both an IPv4 network and an IPv6 network.

4. The traffic manager system of claim 3, wherein the traffic manager system is configured to communicate with an IPv4 enabled server natively via the IPv4 network.

5. The traffic manager system of claim 3, wherein the traffic manager system is configured to communicate with an IPv6 enabled client natively via the IPv6 network.

6. The traffic manager system of claim 1, wherein the server device is part of a content delivery network (CDN) contracted by the content publisher.

7. The traffic manager system of claim 6, wherein said redirecting is based at least in part on estimated performance of the CDN in connection with servicing the content request.

8. The traffic manager system of claim 1, wherein said redirecting is based at least in part on a traffic management policy implemented by the traffic manager system and specified by the content publisher.

9. A method comprising:

causing to be stored on a client device, by a traffic manager server, information indicative of one or more protocol stacks via which a client device is capable of communication by

sending to the client device, by the traffic manager server, a web page having embedded therein one or more test content associated with a first protocol stack and test content associated with a second protocol stack;

based on a response to the test content received from the client device, determining, by the traffic manager server, communication capabilities of the client device in terms of whether the client device is capable of communicating via the first protocol stack, the second protocol stack or both;

storing, by the traffic manager server, a result of said determining within a browser cookie; and

sending, by the traffic manager server, the browser cookie to the client device;

receiving, by the traffic manager server, a content request from the client device for web content published by a content publisher, wherein the content request includes the browser cookie; and

redirecting, by the traffic manager server, the client device to a server device appropriate for the communication capabilities of the client device based at least in part on the result stored within the browser cookie.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the test content associated with the first protocol stack comprises Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) test content and wherein the test content associated with the second protocol stack comprises Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) test content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the traffic manager server is natively connected to both an IPv4 network and an IPv6 network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the traffic manager server is configured to communicate with an IPv4 enabled server natively via the IPv4 network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the traffic manager server is configured to communicate with an IPv6 enabled client natively via the IPv6 network.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the server device is part of a content delivery network (CDN) contracted by the content publisher.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said redirecting is based at least in part on estimated performance of the CDN in connection with servicing the content request.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said redirecting is based at least in part on a traffic management policy implemented by the traffic manager server and specified by the content publisher.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a traffic manager server, cause the one or more processor to perform a method comprising:

causing to be stored on a client device, by a traffic manager server, information indicative of one or more protocol stacks via which a client device is capable of communication by

sending to the client device a web page having embedded therein one or more test content associated with a first protocol stack and test content associated with a second protocol stack;

based on a response to the test content received from the client device, determining communication capabilities of the client device in terms of whether the client device is capable of communicating via the first protocol stack, the second protocol stack or both;

storing a result of said determining within a browser cookie; and

sending the browser cookie to the client device;

receiving a content request from the client device for web content published by a content publisher, wherein the content request includes the browser cookie; and

redirecting the client device to a server device appropriate for the communication capabilities of the client device based at least in part on the result stored within the browser cookie.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the test content associated with the first protocol stack comprises Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) test content and wherein the test content associated with the second protocol stack comprises Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) test content.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the server device is part of a content delivery network (CDN) contracted by the content publisher.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said redirecting is based at least in part on estimated performance of the CDN in connection with servicing the content request.