Reducing costs related to use of networks based on pricing heterogeneity

Abstract

A capability is provided for reducing the costs of data transfers for networks using pricing heterogeneity. For data to be transferred between an application of a first network and a user device, the data may be transferred directly without using a second network or indirectly using a second network including a transfer of the data between the first network and the second network. In a network-based file system, a first network is primarily used for write requests and a second network is primarily used for read requests, and a data block is transferred from the first network to the second network based on a determination that a threshold number of read requests for the data block have been received. The determination as to when to transfer data between networks may be determined based on various costs associated with the networks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the processor configured to:
 receive a read request for a data block at a first cloud; and 
 initiate transfer of the data block from the first cloud toward a second cloud based on a determination that a contiguous number of read requests received for the data block at the first cloud satisfies a threshold. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first cloud has a first read cost and a first write cost associated therewith, wherein the second cloud has a second read cost and a second write cost associated therewith, wherein the first write cost is less than or equal to the second write cost and the first read cost is greater than or equal to the second read cost. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the threshold is based on a transfer cost comprising a sum of the first read cost and the second write cost. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the threshold is based on the first read cost, the second read cost, and the second write cost. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the threshold is based on (r1+w2)/(r1−r2), wherein r1 is the first read cost, w2 is the second write cost, and r2 is the second read cost. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive, at the first cloud, a write request for the data block; and   propagate, from the first cloud toward the second cloud, a request to invalidate the data block in the second cloud.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the read request is received from a user device, wherein the processor is configured to:
 propagate the data block from the first cloud toward the user device.   
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving a read request for a data block at a first cloud; and   initiating transfer of the data block from the first cloud toward a second cloud based on a determination that a contiguous number of read requests received for the data block at the first cloud satisfies a threshold.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the first cloud has a first read cost and a first write cost associated therewith, wherein the second cloud has a second read cost and a second write cost associated therewith, wherein the first write cost is less than or equal to the second write cost and the first read cost is greater than or equal to the second read cost. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the threshold is based on a transfer cost comprising a sum of the first read cost and the second write cost. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the threshold is based on the first read cost, the second read cost, and the second write cost. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the threshold is based on (r1+w2)/(r1−r2), wherein r1 is the first read cost, w2 is the second write cost, and r2 is the second read cost. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, at the first cloud, a write request for the data block; and   propagating, from the first cloud toward the second cloud, a request to invalidate the data block in the second cloud.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the read request is received from a user device, wherein the method further comprises:
 propagating the data block from the first cloud toward the user device.   
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a processor, a read request for a data block at a first cloud; and   initiating, by the processor, transfer of the data block from the first cloud toward a second cloud based on a determination that a contiguous number of read requests received for the data block at the first cloud satisfies a threshold.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first cloud has a first read cost and a first write cost associated therewith, wherein the second cloud has a second read cost and a second write cost associated therewith, wherein the first write cost is less than or equal to the second write cost and the first read cost is greater than or equal to the second read cost. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the threshold is based on a transfer cost comprising a sum of the first read cost and the second write cost. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the threshold is based on the first read cost, the second read cost, and the second write cost. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the threshold is based on (r1+w2)/(r1−r2), wherein r1 is the first read cost, w2 is the second write cost, and r2 is the second read cost. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the first cloud, a write request for the data block; and   propagating, from the first cloud toward the second cloud, a request to invalidate the data block in the second cloud.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the read request is received from a user device, wherein the method further comprises:
 propagating the data block from the first cloud toward the user device.