Cisco Technology, Inc.

Actona Technologies Ltd.

Daniel Kaminsky

Israel Zvi Ben-Shaul

Shahar Glixman

Etai Lev-Ran

Israel Cidon

Vita Bortnikov

Idan Zach

Etai Lev Ran

Israel Ben Shaul

Danit Ben Kiki

Arivu Mani Ramasamy

Martin Cieslak

Mukund Trimbak Ingle

Siddharth Vajirkar

Leonid Vasetsky

Maxim S Martynov

Ophir Romano

Hamid R Amirazizi

Evgeny Panman

Etay Meiri

Boaz Jaschek

Boaz Sedan

Moshe Yosevshvili

A method for enabling access to a data resource, which is held on a file server () on a first local area network (LAN) (), by a client () on a second LAN (). A proxy receiver () on the second LAN () intercepts a request for the data resource submitted by the client () and transmits a message via a wide area network (WAN) () to a proxy transmitter () on the first LAN (), requesting the data resource. The proxy transmitter () retrieves a replica of the data resource from the file server () and conveys the replica of the data resource over the WAN () to the proxy receiver (), which serves the replica of the data resource from the proxy receiver () to the client () over the second LAN ().

Virtual file-sharing network

One embodiment comprises an apparatus for automatic proxy registration and discovery in a multi-proxy communication system. The apparatus executes a proxy server that is configured to provide optimized connections to remote proxy servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Wide Area Network (WAN). A file server, which is communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Local Area Network (LAN), is automatically discovered. An association record corresponding to the file server is created, where the association record identifies the file server and the proxy server and indicates that the proxy server is configured to provide the remote proxy servers with optimized connections to the file server. The association record is registered with a centralized database server, where the remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN.

Automatic proxy registration and discovery in a multi-proxy communication system

In various embodiments, data processing apparatus, software, or machine-implemented methods can optimize NFSv3 asynchronous write requests or MSRPC calls that traverse a wide area network, for example, by receiving, from a client, a first request directed to a server across a wide area network; determining whether a related second request has been received previously; when a related second request has been received previously, sending, to the client, a first reply to the second request and forwarding the first request to the server, and otherwise forwarding the first request to the server without sending any reply to the client for the first request. Sending local replies from a WAN optimizer induces the client to send continuous requests, improving throughput, but at least one client request remains unreplied to, and one server error reply is always reported to the client, facilitating correct error processing at the client.

Optimizing program requests over a wide area network

In one embodiment, a method for tracing a connection path from a source node to a destination node through a network having one or more transparent proxies includes generating a trace packet at the source node, transmitting the trace packet over the network towards the destination node, and receiving trace response packets in response to transmission of the trace packet. The trace response packets include a packet from the destination node and a packet from each of the transparent proxies in a data path from the source node to the destination node. Each of the packets from the transparent proxies includes an identifier of the transparent proxy transmitting the packet. The method further includes identifying the transparent proxies in the connection path based on information in the trace response packets. An apparatus for tracing a connection path is also disclosed.

Tracing connection paths through transparent proxies

A method and apparatus is disclosed for balancing throughput and compression in a network communication system. A message is received. A first compression mechanism is applied to the message to generate a first compressed message, where applying the first compression mechanism comprises gathering compression information. Based on the compression information, a compression metric associated with the first compressed message is computed. The compression metric is compared to a threshold value. A second compression mechanism is applied to the first compressed message to generate a second compressed message only when the compression metric does not exceed the threshold value. The second compressed message is then transmitted.

Techniques for balancing throughput and compression in a network communication system

A locking mechanism for a data resource is disclosed, which can operate across LANs and a WAN. The technique temporarily imposes an extended lock on the requested data resource. While the extended lock is in force, all lock and unlock requests issued by the same client for the resource are managed exclusively by the local server. Once the last lock has been released, or after a timeout interval, the extended lock is canceled. Traffic across the WAN is reduced to a minimum of one round trip.

Reducing round trips across a wide area network for resource locking by extended locking and delayed unlocking

A method is disclosed for reducing client-server messages. A first request to open a file is received. The first request includes first information that indicates a first access mode for opening the file. The first information is modified to indicate a most extended access mode for opening the file. The first request with the modified first information is sent to a file server that manages access to the file. A first response is received. The first response comprises second information which indicates a specific access mode for opening the file that is granted by the file server. The second information is stored in a cache. In response to a second request to close the file, the closing of the file is delayed.

Method and apparatus for reducing client-server messages associated with opening a file

Double-proxy remote data access system

A method and apparatus is disclosed for local access authorization of cached resources. A first request to perform an operation on a first object that is stored in a cache is received. An entity identifier associated with the entity that sent the first request, an operation identifier associated with the operation, and an Access Control List (ACL) associated with the first object are determined based on the first request. A record that includes at least the operation identifier, the ACL, and an authorization indicator is accessed. The authorization indicator indicates whether the entity has previously successfully performed the operation on any object in the cache that is associated with the ACL. Based on the authorization indicator included in the record, a determination is made whether to authorize the entity to perform the operation on the first object.

Method and apparatus for local access authorization of cached resources

A method is disclosed for accessing information based on Distributed File System (DFS) paths and for automatically and transparently modifying the DFS target server set with additional servers that are preferable to a client. A request to resolve a path to a file is sent to a DFS root node. A response is received from the DFS root node. The response includes one or more first DFS referrals. Each of the one or more first DFS referrals identifies a network entity and a directory that is exported by the network entity, where the file is stored in the directory. A second DFS referral is added to the response. The second DFS referral identifies a particular network entity and a particular directory that is exported by the particular network entity. The response is sent to the client.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Daniel Kaminsky