Anycast transport protocol for content distribution networks

• US 10,051,089 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spatscheck, Oliver, Lee, Seungjoon, Rabinovich, Michael, Van der Merwe, Jacobus E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Henry
• Application Number:
  US15/650,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A cache server for providing content includes a processor configured to receive a first datagram from a client system sent to an anycast address, send a response datagram to the client system in response to the first datagram, receive a request datagram from the client system sent to the anycast address, and send a batch of content datagrams to the client system. The first datagram includes a universal resource locator corresponding to the content. The response datagram includes a content identifier for the content. The request datagram includes the content identifier, an offset, and a bandwidth indicator. The batch of content datagrams includes a portion of the content starting at the offset.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

providing, to a client system and in response to a first request datagram sent to an internet protocol address, a first content datagram including a portion of content, and

wherein the first request datagram includes a bandwidth indicator that is provided based on a timeout occurring while the client system is waiting to receive the portion of the content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the first request datagram sent to the internet protocol address.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a content identifier associated with the content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, with the first request datagram, an offset indicating a beginning of a next portion of the content.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise limiting a rate at which a batch of content datagrams are sent to the client system based on the bandwidth indicator.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise verifying an authenticity of the bandwidth indicator.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise identifying the portion of the content based on a content identifier included within the first request datagram.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing, to the client system, a batch of content datagrams associated with the content if the timeout has not occurred.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise limiting the batch of content datagrams to a predefined maximum number of content datagrams.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise setting the predefined maximum number of content datagrams based on network conditions.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise indicating a number of content datagrams within the batch.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise verifying, based on a content identifier included within the first request datagram, that the first request datagram was sent by the client system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise sending a response datagram including a content identifier to the client system.

14. A method, comprising:

transmitting, to a client system and in response to a first request datagram sent to an internet protocol address, a first content datagram including a portion of content, wherein the first content datagram is transmitted by utilizing instructions from a memory that are executed by a processor, and

wherein the first request datagram includes a bandwidth indicator that is provided based on a timeout occurring while the client system is waiting to receive the portion of the content.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving the first request datagram sent to the internet protocol address.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising resetting the bandwidth indicator to a base rate if the timeout was a result of a loss of a datagram due to a packet buffer overflow.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, with the first request datagram, an offset indicating a beginning of a next portion of the content.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising setting a maximum number of content datagrams based on network conditions.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting a content identifier associated with the content.

20. A computer-readable device comprising instructions, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

providing, to a client system and in response to a first request datagram sent to an internet protocol address, a first content datagram including a portion of content, and

wherein the first request datagram includes a bandwidth indicator that is provided based on a timeout occurring while the client system is waiting to receive the portion of the content.