Patent ID: 7188188

Claim:
A method for prioritizing a server's responses to HTTP requests received by the server from a client via a computer network, the method comprising: defining a policy object at the server specifying (i) one or more conditions to be met in order to prioritize a HTTP request received by the server, and (ii) one or more flows, corresponding to the one or more conditions, that prioritize the server's processing of the HTTP request; registering to receive notices of HTTP requests; receiving notice of an HTTP request of the client; determining that the HTTP request satisfies the one or more conditions specified in the policy object; upon determining that the HTTP request satisfies the one or more conditions, generating a traffic control filter corresponding to the HTTP request for scheduling transmission of a response to the HTTP request, wherein the traffic control filter is generated in response to determining that the HTTP request satisfies the one or more conditions; upon generating the traffic control filter, generating and transmitting a response to the HTTP request using the one or more flows specified in the policy object that prioritize the server's processing of the HTTP request, wherein the response is transmitted according to a schedule specified by the traffic control filter; wherein the method further includes: for each packet, comparing endpoints of the packet with endpoints specified in the filter; and prioritizing the processing and transmission of any packet whose endpoints correspond to the endpoints of the filter based on the flow associated with the filter and a predefined flow discipline; and deleting the filter after completion of the HTTP request that satisfies the one or more conditions.