Selecting a content providing server in a content delivery network

• US 10,212,238 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandpiper CDN, LLC (Theseus LF Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johns, Kevin Christopher, Lawrence, Joseph Cajetan, Maslak, Joelle T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US14/137,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20140344331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for managing the distribution of content from a content distribution network (CDN). In general, the system receives a request for content from the CDN from a user of the network and determines a server within the CDN to provide the content to the user. In addition, the system of the present disclosure may determine a preferred server or group of servers from which the content is provided to the user. This preference may be based on information received from a Border Gateway Protocol feed or Interior Gateway Protocol feed and one or more business determinations, such as the cost of providing the content through the CDN and particular egress port associated with the CDN.

Claims

1. A method for providing a source of content distribution from a content distribution network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server of the content distribution network, a request from a requesting device for content associated with a content distribution network;

obtaining a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) feed of route information, the BGP feed comprising at least one Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with at least one network external to the content distribution network;

analyzing the BGP feed of route information to determine at least one egress port from the content distribution network to the at least one network external to the content distribution network;

obtaining a business cost associated with transmitting content through the at least one egress port, wherein the business cost includes at least a monetary cost of transmitting the content through the at least one egress port;

creating a first policy rule for selecting a source device within the content distribution network for providing content to the requesting device based at least on the BGP feed of route information and the business cost associated with transmitting content through the at least one egress port;

determining that the requesting device is not identified as a customer of the at least one network external to the content distribution network;

identifying the source device within the content distribution network for providing the requested content to the requesting device based at least on the first policy rule and the determination that the requesting device is not identified as a customer of the at least one network external to the content distribution network; and

causing the identified source device to provide the requested content to the requesting device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an Internal Gateway Protocol (IGP) feed of route information, the IGP feed comprising an identifier of at least one transmission route within the content distribution network, the identifier of the at least one transmission route associated with a content server of the content distribution network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

creating a second policy rule for selecting a source device within the content distribution network for providing content to the requesting device based at least on the IGP feed of route information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein identifying the source device operation further comprises basing the identification of the source device within the content distribution network for providing the requested content to the requesting device on the second policy rule.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the business cost is indicative of a monetary price for transmitting content through the egress port and the first policy rule is based at least on the monetary price for transmitting content through the egress port.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the second policy rule is based at least on a quality of service associated with the at least one transmission route within the content distribution network.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the source device is selected from a plurality of content servers associated with a particular egress port of the content distribution network.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the created first policy rule for selecting the source device is further based on one or more business agreements.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the created first policy rule for selecting the source device overrides a lowest latency rule for selecting the source device for providing the content to the requesting device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein a potential source device for providing the requested content to the requesting device is not identified as the source device when a monetary cost associated with providing the content from the potential source device exceeds a threshold.

8. A content distribution network comprising:

a plurality of content servers; and

a content distribution network component including a processor configured to execute processor executable instructions stored on a processor-readable medium to;

receive a request for content from a requesting device associated with a first external network to the content distribution network;

access a database configured to store a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) feed of route information, the BGP feed comprising at least one Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the requesting device;

analyze the BGP feed of route information to determine at least one egress port from the content distribution network to a second external network;

obtain a business cost associated with the at least one egress port, wherein the business cost includes at least a monetary cost of transmitting the content through the at least one egress port;

create a first policy rule for selecting one of the plurality of content servers for providing content to the requesting device based at least on the BGP feed of route information and the business cost associated with the egress port;

determine that the requesting device is not identified as a customer of the second external network;

select the one of the plurality of content servers within the content distribution network for providing the requested content to the requesting device based on the first policy rule and the determination that the requesting device is not identified as a customer of the second external network; and

cause the selected one of the content servers to provide the requested content to the requesting device.

9. The content distribution network of claim 8 wherein the database is further configured to store an Internal Gateway Protocol (IGP) feed of route information, the IGP feed comprising an identifier of at least one transmission route within the content distribution network from one of the plurality of content servers to the first external network.

10. The content distribution network of claim 9 wherein the content distribution network domain name server is further configured to:

create a second policy rule for selecting a source device within the content distribution network for providing content to the requesting device based at least on the IGP feed of route information.

11. The content distribution network of claim 10 wherein the selection of the one of the plurality of content servers within the content distribution network for providing the requested content to the requesting device is further based on the second policy rule.

12. The content distribution network of claim 8 wherein the business cost is indicative of a monetary price for transmitting content through the egress port and the first policy rule is based at least on the monetary price for transmitting content through the egress port.

13. The content distribution network of claim 8 wherein the content distribution network component is a domain name server of the content distribution network.

14. A system for operating a content distribution network, the system comprising:

a server comprising;

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium associated with the processor and including instructions stored thereon and executable by the processor to;

receive a request for content from a requesting device associated with a first external network to a content distribution network;

obtain Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) feed of route information associated with a second external network, the BGP feed comprising at least one Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the requesting device and an egress port from the content distribution network to the second external network associated with the at least one IP address;

determine at least one business cost associated with the at least one egress port, wherein the business cost includes at least a monetary cost of transmitting the content through the at least one egress port;

create a first policy rule for selecting one of the plurality of content servers for providing content to the requesting device based at least on the business cost associated with the at least one egress port;

determine that the requesting device is not identified as a customer of the second external network;

select a content provider within the content distribution network for providing the requested content to the requesting device, wherein the selection of the content provider is based at least on the first policy rule and the determination that the requesting device is not identified as a customer of the second external network; and

cause the selected content provider to provide the requested content to the requesting device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the content provider is a content server maintained by the content distribution network.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further executable to:

receive an Internal Gateway Protocol (IGP) feed of route information, the IGP feed comprising at least one transmission route within the content distribution network from at least one content provider of the content distribution network to the egress port; and

create a second policy rule for selecting a content provider within the content distribution network for providing content to the requesting device based at least on the IGP feed of route information, the second policy rule based on a shortest transmission path through the content distribution network.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the business cost is indicative of at least one of a monetary price for transmitting content through the egress port, a quality of service associated with providing the content from the content provider to the requesting device or a business agreement between a content distribution network operator and a third party.