System and method for using uniform resource locators to map application layer content names to network layer anycast addresses

• US 20020010737A1
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Online Video Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Online Video Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Bradley R., Garcia-Luna-Aceves, J. J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1483 using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A request for an information object at an address identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) is received; and the URL is mapped to a corresponding unicast address for the information object. Thereafter, the unicast address for the information object may be used as an anycast address.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for an information object at an address identified by a uniform resource locator (URL); and

mapping the URL to a corresponding unicast address for the information object.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the unicast address for the information object as an anycast address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request is received at an information object repository selected without regard as to whether the information object is actually stored at the information object repository.

4. The method of claims 3 further comprising instructing the selected information object repository to obtain a copy of the information object.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the information object repository is selected according to specified performance metrics.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the performance metrics comprise one or more of:

average delay from the selected information object repository to a source of the request, average processing delay at the selected information object repository, reliability of a path from the selected information object repository, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the selected information object repository.

7. An computer system configured to map a uniform resource locator (URL) for an information object to a network layer unicast address in response to a request for an information object at the URL.

8. The computer system of claim 7 being further configured to use the unicast address as an anycast address.

9. A network, comprising:

at lest one client configured to request an information object using a uniform resource locator (URL); and

a computer system configured to receive the request for the information object and to map the URL into a network layer unicast address.

10. The network of claim 9 wherein the computer system is further configured to use the network layer unicast address as an anycast address.

11. The network of claim 10 further comprising an information object repository coupled to respond to the request for the information object.

12. The network of claim 11 wherein the information object repository is selected without regard as to whether the information object is actually stored at the information object repository.

13. The network of claim 12 wherein the information object repository is selected according to specified performance metrics.

14. The network of claim 13 wherein the performance metrics comprise one or more of:

average delay from the selected information object repository to a source of the request, average processing delay at the selected information object repository, reliability of a path from the selected information object repository, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the selected information object repository.