Method and system for managing objects distributed in a network

• US 20060206609A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vvond, LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Ganesan, Prasanna, Rossmann, Alain, Miranz, Tony, Matloub, Shahriyar
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Various techniques for a library with a significant number of titles are disclosed. A user may select and order a title whenever desired and play back the title fairly instantly. The library is dynamically updated in accordance with a schedule. According to one aspect of the techniques, whenever an ordered title is played back, a beginning portion of the data pertaining to the title is activated to be played back first. The beginning portion of the data is locally cached while the remaining portion of the data is supplied by other designated devices. To facilitate the management of the remaining portion of data for each of the titles in the library, the titles are partitioned into a number of groups or bands. The amount of the remaining portion of the data to be locally cached for each title is determined by a band the title belongs to. Further, as new titles are added in, the titles in each band are updated by retiring relatively unpopular titles to a lower band.

Claims

1. A system for managing objects distributed in a network, the system comprising:

a plurality of boxes, respectively coupled to the network, each providing a library of titles, each of the titles represented by a header and a number of segments, each of the boxes including a storage space to locally cache the header, and none, or one or more of the segments for each of the titles; and

a computing device configured to provide a response after receiving a request from one of the boxes (“

an ordering box”

hereinafter), the request including an order of one of the titles, the response including source information identifying a set of supplying boxes that are designated to provide missing segments pertaining to the title, if not all of the segments are locally cached in the ordering box.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein a file pertaining to the ordered title is divided into a sequence of data blocks that is further partitioned into the header and a remaining portion.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the file is a collection of data together with any auxiliary data, if there is such auxiliary data.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the data blocks in the header are consecutive, the remaining portion is fragmented into the segments, and the data blocks in each of the segments are nonconsecutive.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the library is partitioned into a number of bands, each for a number of titles based on popularity thereof, one of the bands (a “

top band”

hereinafter) including some of the titles that are most demanded, another one of the bands (a “

low band”

hereinafter) including some of the titles that are least demanded.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the number of segments for the titles in the top band is more than the number of segments for the titles in the low band, leading to more distributed copies for each of the titles in the top band than that for each of the titles in the low band.

7. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the boxes stores a segment for only a percentage of the titles in the low band.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the percentage of the titles in a box are determined based on statistics of viewing behavior of the box or inputs from a user.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the percentage of the titles in a box are determined based on a learning engine that dynamically records some or all of:

i) a set of programs a user has been watching so far from the box;

ii) the programs that user has rated on the box;

iii) particular items on a wish list created by the user for future watching;

or

iv) browsing activities.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein different one of the boxes stores a predefined number of segments for a different percentage of the titles in the low band.

11. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein a playback of one of the titles in the top band causes the source information to include a lower number of the supplying boxes than that for a playback of one of the titles in the low band.

12. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the number of segments for the titles declines from one of the bands to another one of the bands.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein only a percentage of the titles in the bands other than the top band have one or more segments therefor.

14. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein, whenever a title in a higher band is retired, the title is moved to a lower band, there is an increase or decrease in the number of segments for the title.

15. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein a title added in a higher band causes a movement of some other title from that the higher band to a lower band, subsequently causing another title in the lower band to move to an even lower band, until a title in a lowest band is discarded from the library.

16. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the boxes includes a library management module that is configured to control what segments for each of the titles in the library to be locally cached in accordance with the computing device.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the computing device is configured to determine what box to cache what segments based on one or more factors that are selected from a group consisting of a time zone, a geographical location, an available network bandwidth, demographics and latency information.

18. A method for managing objects distributed in a network, the system comprising:

determining how a plurality of titles in a library are organized into a plurality of bands, a file pertaining to each of the titles including a header and several segments, one of the bands (a “

top band”

hereinafter) including some of the titles that are most demanded, another one of the bands (a “

low band”

hereinafter) including some of the titles that are least demanded; and

determining how many of the segments are stored in each box for each of the titles in one of the bands.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the header for each of the titles is stored in each box regardless of which one of the bands the each of the titles belongs to.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the number of the segments for the titles in the top band is more than the number of the segments for the titles in the low band, leading to more distributed copies for each of the titles in the top band than that for each of the titles in the low band.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein each box stores a predefined number of segments for only a percentage of the titles in the low band.