Patent ID: 7324555

Claim:
A file distribution system for transfer of data objects comprising: a network of digital data file servers in communication with at least one client system for the transfer of the data objects to the client system; a scheduling apparatus for scheduling said transfer of the data objects from said digital data file servers to the client system, comprising: a file segmenting device to variably and dynamically segment data objects within said digital data file servers dependent upon an available transfer bandwidth, a predicted request loading, and an actual request loading; a client streaming device within said client to begin transfer of a first segment of said data object to said client system such that the client system begins processing of said data object prior to reception of a totality of said first segment; an ordered sequential transfer device to order and sequentially transfer segments of the data object to the client system and to assign a bandwidth to said transfer to prevent simultaneous transfer of all segments of the data object so as to allow transfer of the data objects to multiple systems; a preemption device to cease transfer of a first data object and allow transfer of a second data object that is more urgent than the first data object, whereby said preemption device allows persistent data object transfer of the first digital data object without resending said first digital data object; and a hierarchical caching controller to copy segments of any of the data objects from a central distribution server to any of the network of data file servers, whereby the caching controller selects scheduling of transfers from the central distribution server to any of the network of data file servers or from on data file server within the network of data file servers.