Signaling redirection for distributed session and resource management

• US 20070033282A1
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mao, Weidong, Compton, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/198,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23103 using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23116 involving data replication, e.g. over plural servers synchronization of replicated data G06F11/1658; error detection or correction by means of data replication G06F11/2053; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/10; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/27; replication or mirroring of data in data networks H04L67/1095
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65

Abstract

A system for on demand session and resource management in an on demand platform for the delivery of on demand digital assets involve a session manager, a plurality of resource managers, and a resource manager redirector. These components cooperate to provide a distributed and scalable system for on demand session and resource management. Redirection of session and resource signaling messages among various session and resource managers by the resource manager redirector allows the unavailability of devices or resources to remain transparent to the session manager. The resource manager redirector redirects messages from the session manager as appropriate.

Claims

1. A system for on demand session and resource management in an on demand platform for the delivery of on demand digital assets, the system comprising:

a session manager for managing on demand sessions;

a plurality of resource managers for managing resources associated with the on demand delivery of a digital asset to an on demand client during an on demand session;

a resource manager redirector between the session manager and the plurality of resource managers, the resource manager redirector interfacing, and redirecting messages from, the session manager to cause a redirected message to be routed to an appropriate resource manager;

wherein the session manager, the resource manager redirector, and the plurality of resource managers cooperate to form an architecture partitioned into logical components, each logical component interfacing with at least one other logical component through a defined interface, with the session manager being a separate logical component from the plurality of resource managers, the session manager and the plurality of resource managers cooperating to provide a distributed and scalable system for on demand session and resource management; and

wherein redirection of session and resource signaling messages among various session and resource managers by the resource manager redirector allows the unavailability of devices or resources to remain transparent to the session manager, with the resource manager redirector redirecting messages from the session manager as appropriate.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of resource managers includes a plurality of edge resource managers that manage edge devices, wherein the resource manager redirector is an edge resource manager redirector that redirects messages from the session manager to the appropriate edge resource managers.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the edge resource manager redirector is operative to discover the mappings between the edge devices and the edge resource managers, and to redirect messages to appropriate edge resource managers based on the mappings.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the edge resource managers maintain and advertise service group coverage, and the edge resource manager redirector updates the discovered mappings as needed to reflect the current service group coverage.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of resource managers includes a plurality of on demand resource managers that manage streaming servers, wherein the resource manager redirector is an on demand resource manager redirector that redirects messages from the session manager to the appropriate on demand resource managers.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the on demand resource manager redirector is operative to determine suitable streaming servers for a requested digital asset.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the on demand resource manager redirector is operative to retrieve a topology of an on demand resource manager domain to an edge resource manager domain.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the on demand resource manager redirector utilizes a cost function to select an appropriate on demand resource manager out of available on demand resource managers that have access to a suitable streaming server and have suitable location in the topology.

9. A system for on demand session and resource management in an on demand platform for the delivery of on demand digital assets, the system comprising:

a session manager for managing on demand sessions;

a plurality of resource managers for managing resources associated with the on demand delivery of a digital asset to an on demand client during an on demand session, the plurality of resource managers including a plurality of edge resource managers that manage edge devices and including a plurality of on demand resource managers that manage streaming servers;

an edge resource manager redirector between the session manager and the plurality of edge resource managers, the edge resource manager redirector interfacing, and redirecting messages from, the session manager to cause a redirected message to be routed to an appropriate edge resource manager;

an on demand resource manager redirector between the session manager and the plurality of on demand resource managers, the on demand resource manager redirector interfacing, and redirecting messages from, the session manager to cause a redirected message to be routed to an appropriate on demand resource manager;

wherein the session manager, the resource manager redirectors, and the plurality of resource managers cooperate to form an architecture partitioned into logical components, each logical component interfacing with at least one other logical component through a defined interface, with the session manager being a separate logical component from the plurality of resource managers, the session manager and the plurality of resource managers cooperating to provide a distributed and scalable system for on demand session and resource management; and

wherein redirection of session and resource signaling messages among various session and resource managers by the resource manager redirectors allows the unavailability of devices or resources to remain transparent to the session manager, with the resource manager redirector redirecting messages from the session manager as appropriate.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the edge resource manager redirector is operative to discover the mappings between the edge devices and the edge resource managers, and to redirect messages to appropriate edge resource managers based on the mappings.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the edge resource managers maintain and advertise service group coverage, and the edge resource manager redirector updates the discovered mappings as needed to reflect the current service group coverage.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the on demand resource manager redirector is operative to determine suitable streaming servers for a requested digital asset.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the on demand resource manager redirector is operative to retrieve a topology of an on demand resource manager domain to an edge resource manager domain.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the on demand resource manager redirector utilizes a cost function to select an appropriate on demand resource manager out of available on demand resource managers that have access to a suitable streaming server and have suitable location in the topology.