Role-specific sub-networks in a content delivery framework

• US 10,700,945 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2014
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Varney, Lewis Robert, Lipstone, Laurence R., Crowder, William, Swart, Andrew, Newton, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/583,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20150207695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,011 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0808 with cache invalidating means G06F12/0815 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 : Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 : using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 : using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 : Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 : Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 : Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 : Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 : Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• 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 69/03 : Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A method, operable in a content delivery network (CDN) having a plurality of content delivery (CD) services, includes making an association between a first property and at least one subnetwork of said content delivery framework; using said association to implement policies associated with said first property within the CDN, wherein the at least one subnetwork is responsible for at least one CD role for said first property; and modifying said association during operation of the CDN.

Claims

1. A method, in a content delivery network (CDN) having a plurality of content delivery (CD) services, the CDN serving content on behalf of a plurality of subscribers to the CDN, each of said plurality of subscribers having respective content associated therewith, the method comprising:

(A) making a first association between a first property and a first at least one subnetwork of said content delivery network, wherein said first property comprises content associated with a first subscriber to the CDN, and wherein said content comprises multiple resources associated with said first subscriber, and wherein, in accordance with said first association, the first at least one subnetwork is responsible for a first at least one CD role for said first property; and

then,

(B) responsive to a first at least one request for content associated with said first property, using said first association to perform said first at least one CD role using said first at least one subnetwork of said CDN to implement policies associated with said first property within the CDN; and

then

(C) modifying said first association during operation of the CDN to form a second association between said first property and a second at least one subnetwork of said CDN, wherein said second at least one subnetwork is distinct from said first at least one subnetwork, and wherein, in accordance with said second association, the second at least one subnetwork is responsible for said first at least one CD role for said first property, wherein

the first at least one subnetwork comprises at least one sub-CDN of said CDN, and wherein

the at least one sub-CDN uses components outside said at least one sub-CDN for at least some CDN functions for said first property, and wherein

the at least some CDN functions are distinct from said first at least one CD role for said first property, and wherein

the CD services are selected from;

storage services, rendezvous services, control services, collector services, and/or reducer services, and wherein

the first at least one CD role comprises providing CD services selected from;

storage services, rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services,

wherein the first at least one CD role comprises providing CD services selected from;

storage services, rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services, and

wherein the first at least one subnetwork comprises at least one of;

rendezvous services, collector services, reducer services, and/or control services.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first at least one subnetwork implements said first at least one CD role of said CDN.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first at least one CD role comprises (i) providing CD services selected from:

storage services, rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services; and

(ii) providing CD services selected from caching services and/or streaming services.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first at least one subnetwork comprises at least one service network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sub-CDN comprises at least one service network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one service network comprises a homogeneous subnetwork.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second at least one subnetwork consists of said at least one sub-CDN.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein multiple subnetworks of said CDN implement said first at least one CD role of said CDN.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said CD services are selected from:

cache services, streaming services, storage services, rendezvous services, collector services, reducer services, and/or control services.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first at least one subnetwork comprises:

(i) at least one of;

rendezvous services, collector services, reducer services, and/or control services, and

(ii) cache services.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(D) making a third association between a second property and said first at least one subnetwork of said content delivery network; and

then

(E) using said third association to implement policies associated with said second property within the CDN, wherein, in accordance with the third association, the first at least one subnetwork is responsible for a second at least one CD role for said second property; and

then

(F) modifying said third association during operation of the CDN.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said second property is associated with a second subscriber to the CDN, said second subscriber being distinct from said first subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said making a first association in (A) occurs before any request for content associated with said first property is processed by the CDN.

14. A method, in a content delivery network (CDN) having a plurality of content delivery (CD) services, the CDN serving content on behalf of a plurality of subscribers to the CDN, each of said plurality of subscribers having respective content associated therewith, the method comprising:

(A) making a first association between a property and a first at least one subnetwork of said content delivery network, wherein said property comprises content associated with a subscriber to the CDN, and wherein said content comprises multiple resources associated with said subscriber, the first at least one subnetwork comprising at least one sub-CDN of said CDN, wherein the first at least one subnetwork comprises at least one of;

a rendezvous services subnetwork, a collector services subnetwork, a reducer services subnetwork, and/or a control services subnetwork, and wherein, in accordance with the first association, the first at least one subnetwork is responsible for a first at least one CD role for said property; and

then,

(B) responsive to a first at least one request for content in said property, using said first association to perform said first at least one CD role using said first at least one subnetwork of said CDN to implement policies associated with said property within the CDN; and

then

(C) modifying said first association during operation of the CDN to form a second association between said property and a second at least one subnetwork of said CDN, wherein said second at least one subnetwork is distinct from said first at least one subnetwork, and wherein, in accordance with said second association, the second at least one subnetwork is responsible for said first at least one CD role for said property, wherein

the first at least one CD role comprises providing CD services selected from;

storage services, rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services, and wherein

the at least one sub-CDN uses components outside said at least one sub-CDN for at least some CD roles for said property,

wherein the first at least one subnetwork comprises at least one of;

a rendezvous services subnetwork, a collector services subnetwork, a reducer services subnetwork, and/or a control services subnetwork.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said making a first association in (A) occurs before any request for content associated with said property is processed by the CDN.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first at least one subnetwork comprises:

(i) at least one of;

a rendezvous services subnetwork, a collector services subnetwork, a reducer services subnetwork, and/or a control services subnetwork, and (ii) a cache services subnetwork.

17. A method, in a content delivery network (CDN) having a plurality of content delivery (CD) services, the CDN serving content on behalf of a plurality of subscribers to the CDN, each of said plurality of subscribers having respective content associated therewith, the method comprising:

(A) forming an association between a property and a first at least one role-specific sub-CDN, wherein, in accordance with said association, the first at least one role-specific sub-CDN is responsible for a first at least one CD role for said property, and wherein said first at least one role-specific sub-CDN is not responsible for a second at least one CD role for said property, said second at least one CD role being distinct from said first at least one CD role; and

then

(B) processing a first at least one request for content associated with said property in accordance with said association formed in (A); and

then

(C) modifying said association during operation of the CDN to form a modified association between said property and a second at least one role-specific sub-CDN, wherein said second at least one role-specific sub-CDN is distinct from said first at least one role-specific sub-CDN, and wherein, in accordance with said modified association, the second at least one role-specific sub-CDN is responsible for said first at least one CD role for said property; and

then

(D) processing a second at least one request for content associated with said property using said second at least one role-specific sub-CDN in accordance with said modified association, wherein the second at least one request is distinct from the first at least one request, wherein

the first at least one CD role comprises providing one or more CD services selected from;

rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services, and wherein

the second at least one CD role comprises providing one or more CD services selected from;

rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the first at least one CD role comprises (i) providing one or more CD services selected from;

rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services, and (ii) providing one or more CD services selected from caching services, streaming services, and/or storage services,

and wherein

the second at least one CD role comprises (x) providing one or more CD services selected from;

rendezvous services, controlling services, collecting services, and/or reducing services, and (y) providing CD services selected from caching services, streaming services, and/or storage services.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said forming an association in (A) occurs before any request for content associated with said property is processed by the CDN.