Meta content distribution network

• US 20020161835A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Hilliard, William J., Ball, Keith, Baker, Tamara
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32512 of different type, e.g. internal and external devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32529 of different type, e.g. internal and external devices

Abstract

A method for responding to a request for a file, comprising receiving a request for a file at a selection server for the selection server to select one of a plurality of content distribution networks based upon predetermined selection criteria, the request by a client system to a file server, the selection server, file server client system, and content distribution networks all connected to an Internet; and responding to the request by providing the file from the selected content distribution network to the client system.

Claims

1. A method for responding to a request for a file, comprising:

receiving a request for a file at a selection server for the selection server to select one of a plurality of content distribution networks based upon predetermined selection criteria, the request by a client system to a file server, the selection server, file server client system, and content distribution networks all connected to an Internet; and

responding to the request by providing the file from the selected content distribution network to the client system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein responding to the request further comprises:

verifying that the selected content distribution network contains the requested file; and

if the selected content distribution network does not contain the requested file, providing the requested file from the file server to the selected content distribution network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to responding to the request:

providing information identifying the selected content distribution network from the selection server to the file server; and

forwarding the request from the file server to the selected content distribution network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the client system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein responding to the request further comprises:

verifying that the selected content distribution network contains the requested file; and

if the selected content distribution network does not contain the requested file, providing the requested file from the file server to the selected content distribution network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to responding to the request:

forwarding the request from the selection server to the selected content distribution network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the file server.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein responding to the request further comprises:

verifying that the selected content distribution network contains the requested file; and

if the selected content distribution network does not contain the requested file, providing the requested file from the file server to the selected content distribution network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selection criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the client system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the file server.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selection criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responding to the request by forwarding the request to the selected content distribution network for the selected content distribution network to provide the requested file to the client system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the selection criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

12. A method for responding to a request for a file, comprising:

receiving a request for a file at a selection server, the request by a client system to a file server, the selection server, file server and client system connected to an Internet;

selecting one of a plurality of content distribution networks connected to the Internet based upon predetermined selection criteria, the selected content distribution network having access to the requested file; and

providing information identifying the selected content distribution network to the file server.

16. A method for a file server to respond to a request for a file, comprising:

receiving a request for a file at a file server connected to an Internet;

forwarding the request to a selection server connected to the Internet to select one of a plurality of content distribution networks connected to the Internet based upon predetermined selection criteria; and

receiving information from the selection server identifying the selected content distribution network.

20. A network, comprising:

a selection server for receiving a request for a file by a client system to a file server and for selecting one of a plurality of content distribution networks based upon predetermined selection criteria; and

a file server for receiving information from the selection server identifying the selected content distribution network.

21. The network of claim 20, wherein the selection criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

22. The network of claim 20, wherein the selection server comprises:

a selection server for receiving the request from the client system.

23. The network of claim 22, wherein the selection server comprises:

a selection server for forwarding the request from the selection server to the selected content distribution network.

24. The network of claim 20, wherein the selection server comprises:

a selection server for receiving the request from the file server.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the selection criteria are selected from among the group of criteria comprising geographical location of the file server, geographical location of the content distribution networks, availability of the requested file on the content distribution networks, available bandwidth for providing the file in response to the request, prior performance of the content distribution networks, available bandwidth at the content distribution networks, price charged by the content distribution networks, type of file requested, service level guarantees, and customer preference weighting.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the selection server comprises:

a selection server for receiving the request from the client system.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the selection server comprises:

a selection server for forwarding the request from the selection server to the selected content distribution network.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the selection server comprises:

a selection server for receiving the request from the file server.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the selection server further comprises:

a selection server for providing information to the file server identifying the selected content distribution network.

25. A system, comprising:

a selection server connected to an Internet for receiving a request for a file by a client system to a file server connected to the Internet; and

logic connected to the selection server for selecting one of a plurality of content distribution networks based upon predetermined selection criteria.