Patent ID: 7418518
Filing Date: 2008-08-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for transmitting a communication over the Internet, comprising: selecting one of a plurality of nodes of a first type; selecting one of a plurality of nodes of a second type; receiving a communication from a source at the selected node of a first type, wherein the communication was transmitted by the source in accordance with a first protocol; transmitting the communication from the selected node of a first type to the selected node of a second type, wherein the communication was transmitted by the selected node of a first type in accordance with an internode protocol; and transmitting the communication from the selected node of a second type to a destination, wherein transmitting the communication from the source to the destination is an end-to-end transmission, and transmitting the communication from the source to the destination via the selected node of a first type maximizes performance of the end-to-end transmission by optimizing a measure of communications performance for a sub-link between the source and the selected node of a first type and by using the internode protocol for a sub-link between the selected node of a first type and the selected node of a second type; wherein the selection of the node of a first type is based on a combination of factors including (i) a probability that the selected node of a first type has an object associated with the communication located in the cache, and (ii) a communication performance measure for at least one sub-link along the end-to-end transmission.