Network Update Agent Selection for Bandwidth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software update systems in large computer networks face increased bandwidth and network overhead costs due to high traffic volumes when using remote servers for updates, and administrative group divisions often lead to inefficient distribution of updates across complex network topologies.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that employs a network administration server to select active and passive update agents within broadcast domains based on criteria such as CPU speed, memory, vulnerability, and user account, to efficiently distribute software updates within the network, reducing reliance on remote servers and optimizing traffic flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a remote server is used to update software on each computer in a local area network, then software updates can be distributed to all computers, but the network traffic increases significantly and bandwidth costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the update distribution system into multiple local update servers deployed across different network segments or broadcast domains. Each local update server handles update distribution for its specific segment, preventing single-point congestion and reducing overall network traffic by keeping updates local to each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local update servers within each broadcast domain or network segment, allowing updates to be distributed locally rather than fetching all updates from a remote server. This localizes the update quality and performance to each network segment, reducing cross-segment traffic and bandwidth consumption.
2Ease of operation
If administrative group divisions are used for update management, then centralized control is achieved, but update distribution becomes inefficient across complex network topologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network into multiple broadcast domains with local update servers in each domain, while maintaining centralized administrative control through the network administration server. This segmentation allows efficient local distribution within each domain while preserving centralized policy management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces local update servers as intermediary components between the remote administration server and end-user computers. These intermediaries receive updates from the administration server and distribute them locally within their broadcast domains, improving distribution efficiency while maintaining centralized control.
3Productivity
If local update servers are deployed in each broadcast domain, then network traffic is reduced and update speed increases, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs local update servers that can function in multiple roles: they can act as active agents to receive updates from the administration server, passive agents to receive updates from other update servers, or both. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components and simplifies the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic agent roles where update servers can transition between active and passive states based on network conditions, update availability, and performance requirements. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt to changing conditions without requiring complex static architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a system and method of updating active and passive agents in a network. The system includes a hardware processor configured to designate a unique identifier for each of a plurality of terminal node in a network of computing devices, broadcast the identifiers, collect criteria from the nodes, the criteria characterizing each node and a set of unique identifiers for other nodes in a same broadcast domain as the terminal node, generate a list of nodes that are active update agents and a list of nodes that are passive update agents based on the collected criteria, transmit one or more updates of a security application installed on the each terminal node to each terminal node that is an active update agent, and transmit from each terminal node that is an active update agent, the one or more updates to each terminal node that is a passive update agent.