Scalable wide-area upload system and method

Abstract

A server/overlay network architecture and related method prevent (i.e., minimize the likelihood of) overloads from many network clients all trying to upload data files to a common destination server on the network at about the same time. Before a client transfers its (his or her) data file to the common network destination, a unique identifier (generally much smaller than the data itself) for the data of that client is generated. The unique identifier, such as a one-way hash function, is transmitted to an authenticator trusted by the common destination. The authenticator time-stamps (i.e., stores time and date) the unique identifier, digitally signs a message incorporating the unique identifier and the time-stamp and sends the message to the client who sent the unique identifier. The client then sends the data file with its time stamp to one of a plurality of upload proxy servers. The proxy server sends a message to the common destination telling it to pick up the data file when ready. The common destination server thus avoids being overloaded by many clients transferring their rather large data files to it at the same time. The common destination server can check the time-stamp and unique identifier to insure that the data has not been altered after the time-stamp.

1 . A method of preventing upload overloads of data from a plurality of clients at different locations within a network to a common destination server in the network, the steps comprising: 
 providing a common destination server in a network, the common destination server set up to receive data from a plurality of clients:    providing a plurality of upload proxy servers remote from the common destination server;    each client sending data, which is intended for the common destination server, to at least a corresponding one of the upload proxy servers;    sending a message, which is smaller in size than the data of a client, to the common destination server to indicate that the corresponding one of the at least one upload proxy servers is holding data to be uploaded by the common destination server, and to upload data from the corresponding one of the upload proxy servers; and    uploading, by the common destination server, the data of a client at some time after the message such that a plurality of clients trying to send data to the common destination server at essentially the same time is less likely to overload the common destination server and its connection to the network.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, prior to the step of the clients sending data, a sponsor anticipating that a plurality of clients will send large amounts of different data intended for the common destination server in a relatively short time interval, performs the steps of: 
 establishing an authenticator for the anticipated large amounts of data; and    supplying to the authenticator criteria for receiving data from the plurality of clients.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of creating, by the authenticator, an event identifier (EID) corresponding to the anticipated plurality of clients sending large amounts of different data intended for the common destination server in a relatively short time interval and wherein the authenticator publishes the EID before the anticipated plurality of clients have sent large amounts of different data intended for the common destination server in a relatively short time.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the criteria for receiving data includes an encryption level to be used when each client is sending data towards the common destination server.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of, prior to each client sending data to at least one of the upload proxy servers: 
 generating a unique identifier corresponding to and dependent on data that each client intends to send to the common destination server, the unique identifier being smaller in size than the data of the client;    separately transmitting the unique identifiers from each client to at least one authenticator trusted by the common destination server; and    separately sending back to each client a message, digitally signed by the at least one authenticator, with the unique identifier sent by that client; and    the common destination server using the unique identifier for the data provided by each client to confirm that the data provided by each client has been unaltered after the generation of the unique identifier.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of separately time-stamping unique identifiers as received by an authenticator; and wherein the step of separately sending back to each client a message, digitally signed by the authenticator, with the unique identifier sent by that client includes a corresponding time-stamp; and the common destination server using the unique identifier for the data provided by each client to confirm that the data provided by each client existed as of the corresponding time-stamp and to insure that the data has been unaltered after the corresponding time-stamp.