METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING LOAD DEPENDENT CONTENT

摘要

Methods and systems are provided for controlling the content of what (11) is downloaded from a server (10) as a function of a load indicator. Advantageously, this allows a larger number of users (18) to be served in a timely manner when there is congestion, either at the server itself, and/or on the network (12). The selection of what to download may be made at the server (10), or at a client terminal (14) which either initially has the functionality to make this selection, or which is downloaded code which gives it this functionality. The load indicator (8-1) may be indicative of server load, network load, or some other suitable load, and may be obtained using any suitable mechanism. For example, a test image may be downloaded (2-2) to a client computer (14), and the time taken to download the test image measured (2-3). This time can be used as measure of load. Alternatively, the load indicator may be obtained by reading directly how busy a router is (3-1), by monitoring how many requests are being served and how large each request is (4-1), and based upon this determining the load indicator, or by having a plurality of independent machines timing a download (5-1), and determining the load indicator on the basis of the timing for one of the independent machines physically closest to the customer's location.