Web Crawler Platform Coordination via Shared Namespace
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing web crawlers lack communication and coordination, leading to overlapping efforts and increased traffic on websites, which can slow down sites and result in blocking by content creators.
Innovation Solution
A distributed platform utilizing containerized web crawlers that register with a shared namespace, allowing for data and metadata sharing and redirection, reducing redundant data collection and improving crawling efficiency by using container portability and dynamic IP addressing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple web crawlers independently browse web pages without coordination, then each crawler can index web resources, but overlapping efforts increase traffic on websites and slow down sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent web crawlers into a coordinated distributed system where crawlers share discovered URLs and indexing results. The system combines the indexing capabilities of individual crawlers while eliminating redundant requests by maintaining a shared queue of URLs to visit, thus reducing overall traffic impact on websites.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where crawlers report their findings and the system learns from previous crawling results. When a crawler discovers a URL, the system records this information and directs subsequent crawlers to skip already-processed URLs, creating a feedback loop that prevents redundant traffic while maintaining continuous indexing productivity.
2Device complexity
If web crawlers operate independently without communication, then system simplicity is maintained, but redundant data collection occurs and crawling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal coordination system where all crawlers operate with the same URL queue and share common data structures. This multi-functional approach allows independent crawlers to benefit from centralized coordination, achieving high crawling efficiency through shared resources while maintaining relatively simple individual crawler architectures.
3Reliability
If web crawlers visit the same URLs repeatedly, then comprehensive indexing is achieved, but traffic on websites increases and site blocking may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and storing the list of discovered URLs in a shared data structure before actual crawling begins. This preliminary organization allows the system to systematically visit each URL exactly once in the coordinated sequence, ensuring complete indexing while preventing repeated visits that would increase traffic and risk blocking.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer program products for implementing a web crawler platform comprising one or more containerized web crawler programs working in tandem to synergistically index web resources and reduce redundancy experienced by multiple web crawlers independently indexing overlapping web resources. The platform provides a URL namespace, allowing crawlers to register with the platform and create URL endpoints for other crawlers to discover existing crawlers registered to the platform and identify web resources previously indexed. The platform provides crawler to crawler communication and exchanges of data and metadata obtained from web resources that have been previously indexed, allowing for crawlers to share existing data or metadata without having to directly crawl through the web resource. As web crawlers move between data centers of different geolocations, the crawler's registered URL is mapped to subsequent IP addresses, allowing for transparency and continuous identification by other crawlers registered with the platform.