Patents by Inventor William E. Weihl
William E. Weihl has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10270817Abstract: A server in a distributed environment includes a process that manages incoming client requests and selectively forwards service requests to other servers in the network. The server includes storage in which at least one forwarding queue is established. The server includes code for aggregating service requests in the forwarding queue and then selectively releasing the requests, or some of them, to another server. The queuing mechanism preferably is managed by metadata, which, for example, controls how many service requests may be placed in the queue, how long a given service request may remain in the queue, what action to take in response to a client request if the forwarding queue's capacity is reached, etc. In one embodiment, the server generates an estimate of a current load on an origin server (to which it is sending forwarding requests) and instantiates the forward request queuing when that current load is reached.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2016Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William E. Weihl, Gene Shekhtman
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Publication number: 20160381088Abstract: A server in a distributed environment includes a process that manages incoming client requests and selectively forwards service requests to other servers in the network. The server includes storage in which at least one forwarding queue is established. The server includes code for aggregating service requests in the forwarding queue and then selectively releasing the requests, or some of them, to another server. The queuing mechanism preferably is managed by metadata, which, for example, controls how many service requests may be placed in the queue, how long a given service request may remain in the queue, what action to take in response to a client request if the forwarding queue's capacity is reached, etc. In one embodiment, the server generates an estimate of a current load on an origin server (to which it is sending forwarding requests) and instantiates the forward request queuing when that current load is reached.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2016Publication date: December 29, 2016Inventors: William E. Weihl, Gene Shekhtman
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Patent number: 9438482Abstract: A server in a distributed environment includes a process that manages incoming client requests and selectively forwards service requests to other servers in the network. The server includes storage in which at least one forwarding queue is established. The server includes code for aggregating service requests in the forwarding queue and then selectively releasing the requests, or some of them, to another server. The queuing mechanism preferably is managed by metadata, which, for example, controls how many service requests may be placed in the queue, how long a given service request may remain in the queue, what action to take in response to a client request if the forwarding queue's capacity is reached, etc. In one embodiment, the server generates an estimate of a current load on an origin server (to which it is sending forwarding requests) and instantiates the forward request queuing when that current load is reached.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2013Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William E. Weihl, Gene Shekhtman
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Patent number: 9009267Abstract: A content file purge mechanism for a content delivery network (CDN) is described. A Web-enabled portal is used by CDN customers to enter purge requests securely. A purge request identifies one or more content files to be purged. The purge request is pushed over a secure link from the portal to a purge server, which validates purge requests from multiple CDN customers and batches the requests into an aggregate purge request. The aggregate purge request is pushed from the purge server to a set of staging servers. Periodically, CDN content servers poll the staging servers to determine whether an aggregate purge request exists. If so, the CDN content servers obtain the aggregate purge request and process the request to remove the identified content files from their local storage.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2012Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Alexander Sherman, Philip A. Lisiecki, Joel M. Wein, Don A. Dailey, John A. Dilley, William E. Weihl
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Patent number: 8972461Abstract: Content is dynamically assembled at the edge of the Internet, preferably on content delivery network (CDN) edge servers. A content provider leverages an “edge side include” (ESI) markup language that is used to define Web page fragments for dynamic assembly at the edge. Dynamic assembly improves site performance by caching objects that comprise dynamically-generated pages at the edge of the Internet, close to the end user. Instead of being assembled by an application/web server in a centralized data center, the application/web server sends a page template and content fragments to a CDN edge server where the page is assembled. Each content fragment can have its own cacheability profile to manage the “freshness” of the content. Once a user requests a page, the edge server examines its cache for the included fragments and assembles the page on-the-fly.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2013Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Daniel M. Lewin, Andrew T. Davis, Samuel D. Gendler, Marty Kagan, Jay G. Parikh, William E. Weihl
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Publication number: 20140052811Abstract: Content is dynamically assembled at the edge of the Internet, preferably on content delivery network (CDN) edge servers. A content provider leverages an “edge side include” (ESI) markup language that is used to define Web page fragments for dynamic assembly at the edge. Dynamic assembly improves site performance by caching objects that comprise dynamically-generated pages at the edge of the Internet, close to the end user. Instead of being assembled by an application/web server in a centralized data center, the application/web server sends a page template and content fragments to a CDN edge server where the page is assembled. Each content fragment can have its own cacheability profile to manage the “freshness” of the content. Once a user requests a page, the edge server examines its cache for the included fragments and assembles the page on-the-fly.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2013Publication date: February 20, 2014Applicant: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Daniel M. Lewin, Andrew T. Davis, Samuel D. Gendler, Marty Kagan, Jay G. Parikh, William E. Weihl
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Patent number: 8572132Abstract: Content is dynamically assembled at the edge of the Internet, preferably on content delivery network (CDN) edge servers. A content provider leverages an “edge side include” (ESI) markup language that is used to define Web page fragments for dynamic assembly at the edge. Dynamic assembly improves site performance by caching objects that comprise dynamically-generated pages at the edge of the Internet, close to the end user. Instead of being assembled by an application/web server in a centralized data center, the application/web server sends a page template and content fragments to a CDN edge server where the page is assembled. Each content fragment can have its own cacheability profile to manage the “freshness” of the content. Once a user requests a page, the edge server examines its cache for the included fragments and assembles the page on-the-fly.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2012Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew T. Davis, Samuel D. Gendler, Marty Kagan, Jay G. Parikh, William E. Weihl, Anne E. Lewin
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Publication number: 20130232249Abstract: A server in a distributed environment includes a process that manages incoming client requests and selectively forwards service requests to other servers in the network. The server includes storage in which at least one forwarding queue is established. The server includes code for aggregating service requests in the forwarding queue and then selectively releasing the requests, or some of them, to another server. The queuing mechanism preferably is managed by metadata, which, for example, controls how many service requests may be placed in the queue, how long a given service request may remain in the queue, what action to take in response to a client request if the forwarding queue's capacity is reached, etc. In one embodiment, the server generates an estimate of a current load on an origin server (to which it is sending forwarding requests) and instantiates the forward request queuing when that current load is reached.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2013Publication date: September 5, 2013Applicant: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William E. Weihl, Gene Shekhtman
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Patent number: 8438291Abstract: Business applications running on a content delivery network (CDN) having a distributed application framework can create, access and modify state for each client. Over time, a single client may desire to access a given application on different CDN edge servers within the same region and even across different regions. Each time, the application may need to access the latest “state” of the client even if the state was last modified by an application on a different server. A difficulty arises when a process or a machine that last modified the state dies or is temporarily or permanently unavailable. The present invention provides techniques for migrating session state data across CDN servers in a manner transparent to the user. A distributed application thus can access a latest “state” of a client even if the state was last modified by an application instance executing on a different CDN server, including a nearby (in-region) or a remote (out-of-region) server.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2010Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew T. Davis, Jay G. Parikh, Srikanth Thirumalai, William E. Weihl, Mark Tsimelzon
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Patent number: 8423662Abstract: An edge server in a distributed processing environment includes at least one process that manages incoming client requests and selectively forwards given service requests to other servers in the distributed network. According to the invention, the edge server includes storage (e.g., disk and/or memory) in which at least one forwarding queue is established. The server includes code for aggregating service requests in the forwarding queue and then selectively releasing the service requests, or some of them, to another server. The forward request queuing mechanism preferably is managed by metadata, which, for example, controls how many service requests may be placed in the queue, how long a given service request may remain in the queue, what action to take in response to a client request if the forwarding queue's capacity is reached, and the like.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2004Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William E. Weihl, Gene Shekhtman
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Patent number: 8392912Abstract: An application deployment model for enterprise applications to enable applications to be deployed to and executed from a globally distributed computing platform, such as an Internet content delivery network (CDN). According to the invention, application developers separate their Web application into two layers: a highly distributed edge layer and a centralized origin layer. In a representative embodiment, the edge layer supports a servlet container that executes a Web tier, typically the presentation layer of a given Java-based application. Where necessary, the edge layer communicates with code running on an origin server to respond to a given request. In an alternative embodiment, the edge layer supports a more fully-provisioned application server that executes both Web tier (e.g., presentation) and Enterprise tier application (e.g., business logic) components.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2006Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Thomas Davis, Jay Parikh, Srinivasan Pichai, Eddie Ruvinsky, Daniel Stodolsky, Mark Tsimelzon, William E. Weihl
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Publication number: 20130007282Abstract: A method and system of load balancing application server resources operating in a distributed set of servers is described. In a representative embodiment, the set of servers comprise a region of a content delivery network. Each server in the set typically includes a server manager process, and an application server on which edge-enabled applications or application components are executed. As service requests are directed to servers in the region, the application servers manage the requests in a load-balanced manner, and without any requirement that a particular application server spawned on-demand.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Andrew T. Davis, Nate Kushman, Jay G. Parikh, Srinivasan Pichai, Daniel Stodolsky, Ashis Tarafdar, William E. Weihl
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Publication number: 20130007228Abstract: A content file purge mechanism for a content delivery network (CDN) is described. A Web-enabled portal is used by CDN customers to enter purge requests securely. A purge request identifies one or more content files to be purged. The purge request is pushed over a secure link from the portal to a purge server, which validates purge requests from multiple CDN customers and batches the requests into an aggregate purge request. The aggregate purge request is pushed from the purge server to a set of staging servers. Periodically, CDN content servers poll the staging servers to determine whether an aggregate purge request exists. If so, the CDN content servers obtain the aggregate purge request and process the request to remove the identified content files from their local storage.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Alexander Sherman, Philip A. Lisiecki, Joel M. Wein, Don A. Dailey, John Dilley, William E. Weihl
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Patent number: 8266305Abstract: A content file purge mechanism for a content delivery network (CDN) is described. A Web-enabled portal is used by CDN customers to enter purge requests securely. A purge request identifies one or more content files to be purged. The purge request is pushed over a secure link from the portal to a purge server, which validates purge requests from multiple CDN customers and batches the requests into an aggregate purge request. The aggregate purge request is pushed from the purge server to a set of staging servers. Periodically, CDN content servers poll the staging servers to determine whether an aggregate purge request exists. If so, the CDN content servers obtain the aggregate purge request and process the request to remove the identified content files from their local storage.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2006Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Alexander Sherman, Philip A. Lisiecki, Joel M. Wein, Don A. Dailey, John Dilley, William E. Weihl
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Patent number: 8266293Abstract: A method and system of load balancing application server resources operating in a distributed set of servers is described. In a representative embodiment, the set of servers comprise a region of a content delivery network. Each server in the set typically includes a server manager process, and an application server on which edge-enabled applications or application components are executed. As service requests are directed to servers in the region, the application servers manage the requests in a load-balanced manner, and without any requirement that a particular application server spawned on-demand.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2012Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew T. Davis, Nate Kushman, Jay G. Parikh, Srinivasan Pichai, Daniel Stodolsky, Ashis Tarafdar, William E. Weihl
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Publication number: 20120166650Abstract: A method and system of load balancing application server resources operating in a distributed set of servers is described. In a representative embodiment, the set of servers comprise a region of a content delivery network. Each server in the set typically includes a server manager process, and an application server on which edge-enabled applications or application components are executed. As service requests are directed to servers in the region, the application servers manage the requests in a load-balanced manner, and without any requirement that a particular application server spawned on-demand.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2012Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Andrew T. Davis, Nate Kushman, Jay G. Parikh, Srinivasan Pichai, Daniel Stodolsky, Ashis Tarafdar, William E. Weihl
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Patent number: 8166079Abstract: The disclosed technique enables a content provider to dynamically assemble content at the edge of the Internet, preferably on content delivery network (CDN) edge servers. Preferably, the content provider leverages an “edge side include” (ESI) markup language that is used to define Web page fragments for dynamic assembly at the edge. Dynamic assembly improves site performance by catching the objects that comprise dynamically generated pages at the edge of the Internet, close to the end user. The content provider designs and develops the business logic to form and assemble the pages, for example, by using the ESI language within its development environment. Instead of being assembled by an application/web server in a centralized data center, the application/web server sends a page template and content fragments to a CDN edge server where the page is assembled. Each content fragment can have its own cacheability profile to manage the “freshness” of the content.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2010Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Daniel M. Lewin, Anne E. Lewin, legal representative, Andrew T. Davis, Samuel D. Gendler, Marty Kagan, Jay G. Parikh, William E. Weihl
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Patent number: 8131835Abstract: A method and system of load balancing application server resources operating in a distributed set of servers is described. In a representative embodiment, the set of servers comprise a region of a content delivery network. Each server in the set typically includes a server manager process, and an application server on which edge-enabled applications or application components are executed. As service requests are directed to servers in the region, the application servers manage the requests in a load-balanced manner, and without any requirement that a particular application server spawned on-demand.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2010Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew T. Davis, Nate Kushman, Jay G. Parikh, Srinivasan Pichai, Daniel Stodolsky, Ashis Tarafdar, William E. Weihl
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Patent number: 7958249Abstract: A file transport mechanism according to the invention is responsible for accepting, storing and distributing files, such as configuration or control files, to a large number of field machines. The mechanism is comprised of a set of servers that accept, store and maintain submitted files. The file transport mechanism implements a distributed agreement protocol based on “vector exchange.” A vector exchange is a knowledge-based algorithm that works by passing around to potential participants a commitment bit vector. A participant that observes a quorum of commit bits in a vector assumes agreement. Servers use vector exchange to achieve consensus on file submissions. Once a server learns of an agreement, it persistently marks (in a local data store) the request as “agreed.” Once the submission is agreed, the server can stage the new file for download.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2010Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Alexander Sherman, Andrew D. Berkheimer, Philip A. Lisiecki, William E. Weihl, Joel M. Wein
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Publication number: 20100293281Abstract: Business applications running on a content delivery network (CDN) having a distributed application framework can create, access and modify state for each client. Over time, a single client may desire to access a given application on different CDN edge servers within the same region and even across different regions. Each time, the application may need to access the latest “state” of the client even if the state was last modified by an application on a different server. A difficulty arises when a process or a machine that last modified the state dies or is temporarily or permanently unavailable. The present invention provides techniques for migrating session state data across CDN servers in a manner transparent to the user. A distributed application thus can access a latest “state” of a client even if the state was last modified by an application instance executing on a different CDN server, including a nearby (in-region) or a remote (out-of-region) server.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2010Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Mark Tsimelzon, Srikanth Thirumalai, Andrew T. Davis, Jay G. Parikh, William E. Weihl