Patent · US Expired

Reduction of network server loading

US6850968B1 · kind B1 · utility

21Cited by
22References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 23, 2000
Grant dateFeb 1, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 23, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L51/224
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Traffic handling load on network servers is moderated by attenuating POP checks at proxy servers located across the network. Attenuation of POP checks is accomplished by intercepting each POP check packet at a proxy server that is nominally local to where the user is located. The proxy server permits a given user's initial POP check to proceed on through the network to the mail server. Thereafter, though, the proxy server only permits that user's received POP checks to proceed onward according to a predetermined algorithm, e.g., at intervals of no less than fifteen minutes. Overly frequent POP checks by a user are responded to by the proxy server (rather than the mail server itself) with a response indicating that the user that he has no mail (despite not knowing deterministically whether that is a true statement). Additionally the proxy server may buffer and delay the POP transactions to effectively allow only a predetermined rate of POP checks. Bandwidth loading on the network is managed by pushing e-mail message traffic out to the edges of the network at times when bandwidth demand is low. To accomplish this, a user's e-mail is cached at the proxy server nearest to his presumed …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.