摘要 |
A method and arrangement for scheduling the transmission of data files among a plurality of interconnected computers is disclosed. When a first computer desires to transmit data files to a second computer, the first sends a short duration message to the second defining a future time when transmission will occur. If this future time is available on the second computer, a short duration acknowledgment message is returned to the first. If the future time is not available on the second computer, no acknowledgment message is returned. The first computer transmits the data files to the second at the future time, if an acknowledgment message has been received. Such data file transmission does not occur if no acknowledgment message has been received. However, the first computer may send a new request specifying a different future time. Alternatively, a request message may contain a plurality of future times for data file transmission. In this situation, the acknowledgment message from the second computer will specify the one of those future times at which data file transmission is to occur.
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