Third Party Data Transfer Between Servers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data transfer methods in network file systems require data to traverse the network twice, leading to inefficiencies when using slower connections, especially in scenarios with low bandwidth or high latency, as they do not utilize direct faster paths between servers.
Innovation Solution
A data transfer system that allows a third-party client to initiate direct data transfers between two servers, using measurements of bandwidth and latency to determine if a direct transfer is more efficient, and supporting data compression and decompression to optimize network usage, while ensuring security credentials are maintained for authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If data is transferred through the client computer from source server to destination server, then the client can access and manage files, but the data traverses the network twice causing slow and inefficient transfer over low bandwidth or high latency connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server-side intermediary mechanism that allows the source server to directly transfer data to the destination server without routing through the client. The client sends a request to the source server, which then acts as an intermediary to establish a direct transfer path to the destination server, eliminating the need for data to traverse the client's slow connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The data transfer operation is segmented into two independent paths: one for control information (request and acknowledgment) that goes through the client, and another for actual data transfer that goes directly between servers. This segmentation allows the data transfer to proceed efficiently without being constrained by the client's connection speed.
2Productivity
If a direct fast path exists between source server and destination server, then data transfer efficiency improves, but current operating systems provide no way to utilize this direct path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the existing network file system protocol to provide dual functionality: traditional client-mediated transfer for compatibility and direct server-to-server transfer for efficiency. The same protocol framework supports both transfer modes, allowing systems to automatically select the appropriate path based on network conditions without requiring entirely new protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects the optimal data transfer path based on real-time network conditions and client requests. When a direct path is available and beneficial, the system activates it; when not available or unnecessary, it falls back to the traditional client-mediated approach. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between efficiency and complexity by only using the more complex direct path when beneficial.
Data Source
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AI summary
A data transfer system is described herein that allows data to be sent directly between two computing devices at the request of a third party client computer. The system allows a third party to initiate data transfers between computers in a network file system. This results in a significant speed increase because little to no data travels over the third party's potentially slower connection. The data transfer system provides a mechanism to determine if the direct transfer would be more efficient than two separate read and write operations, based on measurements of bandwidth and latency between each computing device. The data transfer system provides support for the source server to compress the data and the destination server to decompress the data at the direction of a third party client to further save network bandwidth.