WAN Optimization via User Behavior Pre-fetching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Branch office IT management faces challenges in balancing local-like application performance and manageability with deployment costs, often resulting in depleted bandwidth and increased end-user wait times due to reliance on WAN resources, which compromises user experience and productivity.

Innovation Solution

Implementing user-based WAN optimization by pre-fetching data and files likely needed during a work session using heuristics, such as recently edited files and user behavior patterns, and applying WAN optimization techniques like data compression and caching to reduce latency and improve bandwidth utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If more WAN bandwidth is added, then application performance improves, but cost increases disproportionately

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication performanceVSAvoidbandwidth cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching frequently accessed files and data to local caches before they are actually needed by users. This anticipatory caching of files, directories, and data structures eliminates the need for high-cost WAN bandwidth by preparing resources in advance during off-peak times or idle periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates local copies of frequently accessed files and data structures in the branch office cache memory. Instead of continuously accessing remote servers over the WAN, the system maintains local replicas of critical data, reducing WAN dependency and eliminating the need for expensive bandwidth increases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Quantity of substance

If branch office servers are consolidated to hub, then deployment cost reduces, but end-user wait time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment costVSAvoidend-user wait time

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces local cache servers as intermediary components between branch offices and central hub servers. These cache servers act as mediators that store frequently accessed data locally, reducing the frequency of remote server accesses and minimizing user wait times while maintaining the cost benefits of server consolidation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If WAN optimization solutions are implemented, then bandwidth utilization improves, but user behavior is not accounted for

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth utilizationVSAvoiduser behavior adaptation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor and analyze user access patterns, file retrieval behaviors, and data usage statistics. This feedback information is used to dynamically adjust pre-fetching strategies, cache invalidation policies, and optimization parameters, enabling the system to adapt to evolving user behaviors and preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static bandwidth optimization to dynamic, behavior-driven optimization. Cache policies, pre-fetching schedules, and data retention strategies are continuously adjusted based on real-time user behavior analysis, ensuring the system adapts to changing user needs and maximizes optimization effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8578018B2User-based wide area network optimization

Publication Date: 2013.11.05 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

An improved user experience at a local client computer that is coupled to one or more remote servers over a WAN is provided by an arrangement in which data and files that are likely to be needed by a user during a work session are identified through the application of one or more heuristics and then pre-fetched to be made available in advance of the session's start. The pre-fetching of the data and files may be performed as the client computer goes through its startup or boot process. When the startup is completed and the desktop applications become ready for use, the data and files that the user needs to immediately begin work are already available at the local client computer.