Multicast enabled web content distribution
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorRichard H Boivie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for distributing web content efficiently across a network of information processing units and intermediate nodes. The method on an information processing unit includes receiving a web content object created by a user that is to be distributed to a set of destinations. Also, the method further includes sending a single copy of the web content object across the network via intermediate nodes to a set of destinations using a reliable multicast technique. Also, the invention includes receiving a packet on an intermediate node where the packet contains address information for a set of destinations. Also, the invention includes determining at an intermediate node the next hop or next hops that the packet should be forwarded to and forwarding a copy of the packet to each of those next hops.
Claims8
A method for distributing web content objects across a network of information processing units and intermediate nodes, the method on an intermediate node comprising the steps of:
- receiving a multicast packet;
- determining one or more “next hops” that the multicast packet should be forwarded to;
- forwarding one copy of the multicast packet to each of the “next hops”;
- sending one or more ACKs or NAKs or both between an intermediate node and another node of a network for reliably delivering a multicast packet to a destination information processing unit;
- and
- repetitively executing the determining and forwarding steps for a plurality of one or more multicast packets.
A non-volatile computer readable medium or volatile computer readable medium, excluding network circuits, including instructions for distributing web content objects across a network of information processing units and intermediate nodes, the non-volatile computer readable medium or volatile computer readable medium, excluding network circuits, comprising instructions for:
- receiving a multicast packet containing address information for a set of destinations;
- determining the “next hops” for those destinations;
- replicating the multicast packet for each “next hop”;
- sending one or more ACKs or NAKs or both between an intermediate node and another node of a network for reliably delivering a multicast packet to a destination information processing unit;
- forwarding a copy of the multicast packet to each “next hop”;
- and
- repetitively executing the determining, replicating and forwarding steps for each newly received multicast packet.
An intermediate node for distributing web content objects across a network of information processing units and intermediate nodes, the intermediate node comprising:
- a reception unit for receiving a multicast packet containing address information for a set of destinations;
- a determination unit for determining a “next hop” for each of the destinations;
- a copying unit for replicating the multicast packet for each of the “next hops”;
- a processor for sending one or more ACKs or NAKs or both between the intermediate node and another node of a network for reliably delivering a multicast packet to a destination information processing unit;
- a forwarding unit for forwarding a copy of the multicast packet to each of the “next hops”;
- and
- a repeater unit for repetitively executing the determining, replicating and forwarding for a plurality of multicast packets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.