System and method for increasing the effective bandwidth of a communications network
A system and method for increasing the effective bandwidth of a communications network is provided by overlaying a “super” transport and caching structure over the conventional TCP/IP communications network, for example, the Internet, which increases the transfer rate of information in the communications network. The “super” transport and caching structure includes software or hardware or both added to at least two modules separated by a communications link in the communications network. The net result is that the users of the communications network have their time to access and/or retrieve information significantly reduced, and the communications network, particularly a large network, e.g., the Internet, becomes an efficient means of performing commercial transactions by both businesses and individuals.
1. A method for compressing data by a first computer system for transfer to a second computer system via a communications network, said method comprising:
selecting a section of data by said first computer system;
determining a cost value for each compression algorithm of a plurality of compression algorithms based on a plurality of system operating conditions associated with said first computer system;
selecting a compression algorithm from said plurality based on a smallest cost value; compressing said section using said selected compression algorithm, and sending said compressed section of data to said second computer system.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said cost value comprises a sum of a time to compress said section plus a time to transfer said compressed section to said second computer.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first computers system operating conditions includes available processing cycles of said first computer system.
4. A method for compressing data by a first computer system for transfer to a second computer system via a communications network, comprising:
selecting a section of data by said first computer system;
determining a data format of said section;
compressing said section using a compression algorithm, said compression algorithm automatically selected from a plurality of compression algorithms each comprising a cost value, wherein said compression algorithm is selected based on said data format and said cost value; and
sending said compressed section to said second computer.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said data format comprises a selection from a group consisting of image, binary, text, flash, graphics, video, audio, and word processing formats.
6. The method of claim 4 further comprising storing said section of data in a file format corresponding to a reduced file size compared to other file formats.
7. A method of transferring application data via a communications network, the method comprising:
establishing a first Virtual Private Network of a plurality of Virtual Private Networks between a first computer of a plurality of computers and a second computer of said plurality of computers by using a centralized permission table comprising said first computer's address and said second computer's address, wherein said plurality of Virtual Private Networks is provided by said plurality of computers connected together by a public communications network;
establishing a second Virtual Private Network of said plurality of Virtual Private Networks between said first computer and a third computer of said plurality of computers by using said centralized permission table further comprising said third computer's address;
establishing a TCP connection between said first computer system and said second computer system;
receiving at said first computer system a plurality of packets from a plurality of source addresses, wherein said plurality of packets have a common destination, wherein each packet comprises application data;
extracting from said plurality of packets, information comprising said application data;
selecting a section of said information by said first computer system;
determining a cost value for each compression algorithm of a plurality of compression algorithms using said first computer's system operating conditions;
selecting a compression algorithm from said plurality based on a smallest cost value;
compressing said section using said selected compression algorithm;
creating a new packet comprising said compressed section;
sending said new packet to said second computer system over said TCP connection;
disconnecting said TCP connection;
receiving a request by said first computer to retrieve data from a data storage;
retrieving a first data item from said data storage by said first computer; and
said first computer concurrently sending said first data item to said third computer while
retrieving a second data item from said data storage.