Method and apparatus for improving bandwidth efficiency in a computer network

A tangible computer-readable medium encoded with instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions are readable by the computing device in order to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• monitoring bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting the computing system to a network;
• determining a current state of bandwidth usage based on at least the monitoring;
• receiving a request from a requesting computer for a stored file;
• and
• transmitting, in response to the request, the stored file from the computing system to the requesting computer via the communication link in compliance with a rule set defining rules for limiting serving of files based on at least a current state of the bandwidth usage and one or more of a geographic origin or language associated with the request.

A computing system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable medium storing machine-executable instructions including one or more modules configured for execution by the processor in order to cause the computing system to:
• determine a current state of bandwidth usage of one or more computer networks;
• and
• transmit files via the one or more computer networks in compliance with a rule set defining rules for limiting transmitting of files, wherein the rule set is selected based on at least the current state of bandwidth usage and a geographic origin of a request for a stored filed.

A method for execution by one or more suitably configured computing devices, the method comprising:

• monitoring bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting one or more computing devices to a network;
• determining a current state of bandwidth usage based on at least the monitoring;
• in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold:
• identifying one or more files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file for which transfer via the communication link has been requested;
• and
• preventing transmission of the one or more identified files via the communication link;
• and
• in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is less than the predetermined threshold, permitting transmission via the communication link of files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file.

A computing system containing machine-executable instructions operable to transmit files to destinations on one or more computer networks, wherein in response to execution of the machine-executable instructions, the computing system performs operations comprising:

• monitoring bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting the computing system to one or more computer networks;
• determining a current state of bandwidth usage based on at least the monitoring;
• in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold:
• identifying one or more files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file for which transfer via the communication link has been requested;
• and
• preventing transmission of the one or more identified files via the communication link;
• and
• in response to determining that the bandwidth usage is less than the predetermined threshold, permitting transmission via the communication link of files that are configured to be aggregated into a larger file.