The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 06, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 07, 2000
Vijay R. Basani, Nashua, NH (US);
Krishna Mangiapudi, Nashua, NH (US);
Lynne M. Murach, Methuen, MA (US);
Leroy R. Karge, Leominster, MA (US);
Vitaly S. Revsin, Andover, MA (US);
Azer Bestavros, Wayland, MA (US);
Mark E. Crovella, Scituate, MA (US);
Domenic J. LaRosa, Atkinson, NH (US);
Network Appliance Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and apparatus for efficient and reliable, control and distribution of data files or portions of files, applications, or other data objects in large-scale distributed networks. A unique content-management front-end provides efficient controls for triggering distribution of digitized data content to selected groups of a large number of remote computer servers. Transport-layer protocols interact with distribution controllers to automatically determine an optimized tree-like distribution sequence to group leaders selected by network devices at each remote site. Reliable store-and-forward transfer to clusters is accomplished using a unicast protocol in the ordered tree sequence. Once command messages and content arrive at all participating group leaders, local hybrid multicast protocols efficiently and reliably distribute them to the back-end nodes for interpretation and execution. Positive acknowledgement is then sent back to the content manager from each group leader, and the-updated content in each remote device autonomously goes “live” when the content change is locally completed.