Patent ID: 7734807

Claim:
A method for operating a server operable to transmit files to destinations on a computer network, the method comprising: querying a router unit to monitor bandwidth usage of a communication link connecting the server to a wide area network; determining a current state of bandwidth usage in response to results of querying the router unit; and serving stored files from the server to the wide area network via the communication link in compliance with a rule set defining rules for limiting serving of files from the server depending on file type and the current state of the bandwidth usage, so as to not permit serving of specified file types from the server during periods when the bandwidth usage exceeds a threshold amount relative to a finite bandwidth of the communication link, while permitting serving of the specified file types from the server when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the threshold amount; wherein a type for each of the files is assigned based on at least a corresponding file name for each file such that the type indicates whether the files are configured to be aggregated into a larger file.