Method and arrangements for providing efficient information transfer over a limited speed communications link

A client side arrangement (401) for transferring digital data over a limited speed communications link in communication with a server side arrangement (402) located at a different side of the limited speed communications link than the client side arrangement (401), the client side arrangement (401) comprising:

• a client application (411, 502) arranged to receive and transmit digital data using a first communications protocol stack (412, 503, 504, 505);
• characterised in that it comprises:
• a client proxy (511) arranged to perform protocol conversions between the first communications protocol stack (412, 503, 504, 505) and a second communications protocol stack (415, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526);
• wherein:
• said client proxy (511) is arranged to convey transferred digital data between the client application (411, 502) and the server side arrangement (402) so that between said client proxy (511) and said server side arrangement (402) digital data are transferred according to the second communications protocol stack,
• said second communications protocol stack corresponds to a bandwidth efficiency that is better than a bandwidth efficiency to which the first communications protocol stack corresponds,
• said client proxy (511) comprises a first protocol stack (414, 513, 514, 515) arranged to correspond to the client application (411, 502) in its use of the first communications protocol stack (412, 503, 504, 505),
• said client proxy (511) comprises a second protocol stack (415, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526) arranged to correspond to the server side arrangement (402) in its use of the second communications protocol stack (422, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558), and
• said client proxy (511) comprises an application layer entity (416, 512) located on top of said first and second protocol stacks and arranged to process digital data during protocol conversions.

A server side arrangement (402) for transferring digital data over a limited speed communications link in communication with a client side arrangement (401) located at a different side of the limited speed communications link than the server side arrangement (402), the server side arrangement (402) comprising:

• a server application (426, 572) arranged to receive and transmit digital data using a first communications protocol stack (425, 573, 574, 575);
• characterised in that it comprises:
• an access gateway (551) arranged to perform protocol conversions between the first communications protocol stack (425, 573, 574, 575) and a second communications protocol stack (422, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558);
• wherein:
• said access gateway (551) is arranged to convey transferred digital data between the client side arrangement (401) and the server application (426, 572) so that between said client side arrangement (401) and said access gateway (551) digital data are transferred according to the second communications protocol stack,
• said second communications protocol stack corresponds to a bandwidth efficiency that is better than a bandwidth efficiency to which the first communications protocol stack corresponds,
• said access gateway (551) comprises a first protocol stack (424, 559, 560, 561) arranged to correspond to the server application (426, 572) in its use of the first communications protocol stack (425, 573, 574, 575),
• said access gateway (551) comprises a second protocol stack (422, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558) arranged to correspond to the client side arrangement (401) in its use of the second communications protocol stack (415, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526), and
• said access gateway (551) comprises an application layer entity (423, 552) located on top of said first and second protocol stacks and arranged to process digital data during protocol conversions.

A method for transferring digital data over a limited speed communications link where a client side subarrangement (401) and a server side subarrangement (402) are located at different sides of the limited speed communications link, and within the client side subarrangement (401) a client application (411, 502) is arranged to receive and transmit digital data using a first communications protocol stack (412, 503, 504, 505) and within the server side subarrangement (402) a server application (426, 572) is arranged to receive and transmit digital data using the first communications protocol stack (425, 573, 574, 575);

• characterised in that the method comprises the steps of:
• conveying transferred digital data between the client application (411, 502) and the server application (426, 572) through a client proxy (511) within the client side subarrangement (401) and an access gateway (551) within the server side subarrangement (402),
• performing in said client proxy (511) protocol conversions between the first communications protocol stack (412, 503, 504, 505) and a second communications protocol stack (415, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526) that corresponds to a bandwidth efficiency that is better than a bandwidth efficiency to which the first communications protocol stack corresponds, and
• performing in said access gateway (551) protocol conversions between the first communications protocol stack (425, 573, 574, 575) and the second communications protocol stack (422, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558);
• and additionally the steps of:
• a) routing a request (701) received at the client proxy (511) from the client application (411, 502) upwards through a first protocol stack (414, 515, 514, 513) into an application layer entity (416, 512),
• b) processing (702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708) the request at the application layer entity (416, 512) of the client proxy (511),
• c) if the processing of step b) reveals a need for communicating with the server side subarrangement (402), forwarding a processed request (709) from the application layer entity (416, 512) of the client proxy (511) downwards through a second protocol stack (415, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526) to the server side subarrangement (402), receiving a response (711) from the server side subarrangement (402) upwards through the second protocol stack (415, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526) and processing (712, 713, 714, 715) said response at the application layer entity (416, 512) of the client proxy (511), and
• d) transmitting to the client application (411, 502) a response (718) to the request (701) received at step a), the transmission of said response (718) going from the application layer entity (416, 512) of the client proxy (511) downwards through the first protocol stack (412, 503, 504, 505);
• so that between said client proxy (511) and said access gateway (551) digital data are transferred according to the second communications protocol stack.