Modifying the congestion control algorithm applied to a connection based on request characteristics

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, over a transport connection between a client device and a server, a first request message;

determining characteristics of the first request message, including one or more contents of the first request message, the one or more contents of the first request message including a first header and a first pathname;

determining a first congestion control algorithm based on the determined characteristics of the first request message, including pattern matching a first keyword of the first pathname with elements of a plurality of congestion control rules;

applying the first congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to a transmission of a first response message to the first request message;

receiving, over the transport connection from the client device, a second request message;

determining characteristics of the second request message, including one or more contents of the second request message, the one or more contents of the second request message including a second header and a second pathname;

determining a second congestion control algorithm based on the determined characteristics of the second request message, including pattern matching a second keyword of the second pathname with the elements of the plurality of congestion control rules; and

applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to a transmission of a second response message to the second request message, wherein the second congestion control algorithm is different from the first congestion control algorithm.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection, determining that the transport connection is idle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to the transmission of the second response message comprises:

determining an expected bandwidth for the transport connection based on a history of the transport connection; and

initiating the second congestion control algorithm with a different value for a state variable based on the expected bandwidth and round-trip time for the transport connection.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the first request message comprises:

identifying that the first pathname in the first request message indicates the first request message is a request for first content having a first size greater than a threshold size; and

selecting the first congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the first content having the first size greater than the threshold size.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the second request message comprises:

identifying that the second pathname in the second request message indicates the second request message is a request for second content having a second size less than a threshold size; and

selecting the second congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the second content having the second size less than the threshold size.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the first request message comprises:

parsing the first header of the first request message to determine a first size of first content requested in the first request message; and

selecting the first congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the first content having the first size greater than a threshold size.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, over a transport connection between a client device and a server, a first request message;

determining characteristics of the first request message, including one or more contents of the first request message, the one or more contents of the first request message including a first header and a first pathname;

determining a first congestion control algorithm based on the determined characteristics of the first request message, including pattern matching a first keyword of the first pathname with elements of a plurality of congestion control rules

applying the first congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to a transmission of a first response message to the first request message;

receiving, over the transport connection from the client device, a second request message;

determining characteristics of the second request message, including one or more contents of the second request message, the one or more contents of the second request message including a second header and a second pathname;

determining a second congestion control algorithm based on the determined characteristics of the second request message, including pattern matching a second keyword of the second pathname with the elements of the plurality of congestion control rules; and

applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to a transmission of a second response message to the second request message, wherein the second congestion control algorithm is different from the first congestion control algorithm.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further causes said processor to perform operations comprising:

prior to applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection, determining that the transport connection is idle.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to the transmission of the second response message comprises:

determining an expected bandwidth for the transport connection based on a history of the transport connection; and

initiating the second congestion control algorithm with a different value for a state variable based on the expected bandwidth and round-trip time for the transport connection.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein determining the first congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the first request message comprises:

identifying that the first pathname in the first request message indicates the first request message is a request for first content having a first size greater than a threshold size; and

selecting the first congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the first content having the first size greater than the threshold size.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein determining the second congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the second request message comprises:

identifying that the second pathname in the second request message indicates the second request message is a request for second content having a second size less than a threshold size; and

selecting the second congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the second content having the second size less than the threshold size.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein determining the first congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the first request message comprises:

parsing the first header of the first request message to determine a first size of first content requested in the first request message; and

selecting the first congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the first content having the first size greater than a threshold size.

13. A apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium coupled with the processor that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause said processor to perform the following:

receive, over a transport connection between a client device and a server, a first request message;

determine characteristics of the first request message, including one or more contents of the first request message, the one or more contents of the first request message including a first header and a first pathname;

determine a first congestion control algorithm based on the determined characteristics of the first request message, including pattern matching a first keyword of the first pathname with elements of a plurality of congestion control rules

apply the first congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to a transmission of a first response message to the first request message;

receive, over the transport connection from the client device, a second request message;

determine characteristics of the second request message, including one or more contents of the second request message, the one or more contents of the second request message including a second header and a second pathname;

determine a second congestion control algorithm based on the determined characteristics of the second request message, including pattern matching a second keyword of the second pathname with the elements of the plurality of congestion control rules; and

apply the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to a transmission of a second response message to the second request message, wherein the second congestion control algorithm is different from the first congestion control algorithm.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause said processor to perform the following:

prior to applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection, determine that the transport connection is idle.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein applying the second congestion control algorithm to the transport connection for application to the transmission of the second response message comprises:

determining an expected bandwidth for the transport connection based on a history of the transport connection; and

initiating the second congestion control algorithm with a different value for a state variable based on the expected bandwidth and round-trip time for the transport connection.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein determining the first congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the first request message comprises:

identifying that the first pathname in the first request message indicates the first request message is a request for first content having a first size greater than a threshold size; and

selecting the first congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the first content having the first size greater than the threshold size.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein determining the second congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the second request message comprises:

identifying that the second pathname in the second request message indicates the second request message is a request for second content having a second size less than a threshold size; and

selecting the second congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the second content having the second size less than the threshold size.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein determining the first congestion control algorithm based on the characteristics of the first request message comprises:

parsing the first header of the first request message to determine a first size of first content requested in the first request message; and

selecting the first congestion control algorithm from a plurality of congestion control algorithms based on the first content having the first size greater than a threshold size.