摘要 |
<p>Downloading of Internet files is optimized based on which of multiple locations is most efficient in providing the files. Identical or contiguous portions of a file are downloaded from different servers, and performance data such as a bit rate for each site is used to then select the optimal server to complete the download. An applet intercepts the request for the file from a web browser and determines the best server to provide the file. When the request is intercepted, it reads a list of available file transfer protocol (ftp) locations from which to download the file. The applet or other type of program pings each site to prioritize the list based on shortest response time. The throughput of the finally selected server is tracked as the file is downloaded. If the throughput drops below a desired throughput, the next best server is selected from the previous list, or the selection and tracking process is started again to determine if a faster server has become available due to changes in demand on the servers.</p> |