METHOD FOR INITIATING OR RECOVERING A MEDIA-ON-DEMAND SESSION, AND PROTOCOL REDIRECTOR

• US 20070118618A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kisel, Andrey, Molloy, Steve, Robinson, David
• Application Number:
  US11/561,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118618A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• 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 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6338 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A method for initiating or recovering a media-on-demand session in a distributed media-on-demand network consisting of N streaming nodes (203 . . . 204), the method having:

• • a. a first step wherein a client device (201) sends a setup request (251; 256) to a highly available redirector device (221) to request initiation or recovery of said session;
  • b. a second step wherein the redirector device (221) selects a streaming node (203; 204) for the session; and
  • c. a third step wherein the redirector device (221) instructs the client device (201) to use the selected media streaming node (203; 204) for that session.

A further distinctive feature is that the client device (201) requests media delivery from the selected media-streaming node either from the beginning (for initiation) or from the last position (for recovery).

Claims

1. Method for initiating or recovering a media-on-demand session in a distributed media-on-demand network consisting of N streaming nodes (203 . . . 204),

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said method comprises:

a. a first step wherein a client device (201) sends a setup request (251;

256) to a highly available redirector device (221) to request initiation or recovery of said session;

b. a second step wherein said redirector device (221) selects a streaming node (203;

204) for said session; and

c. a third step wherein said redirector device (221) instructs said client device (201) to use said streaming node (203;

204) for said session.

2. Method according to claim 1,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said redirector device (221) maintains or has access to a state of health of said N streaming nodes (203 . . . 204), said state of health enabling selection of a streaming node in said second step.

3. Method according to claim 2,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said N streaming nodes (203 . . . 204) regularly report heartbeats (232 . . . 242) to said redirector device (221) in order to enable maintaining said state of health.

4. Method according to claim 3,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said heartbeats (232 . . . 242) are posted to highly available persistent storage means (222) operationally integrated with said highly available redirector device (221).

5. Method according to claim 1,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said first step consists of sending a setup request (251) for playout of a media asset from the beginning of said media asset in case of initiating a session.

6. Method according to claim 1,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said first step consists of sending a setup request (256) for playout of a media asset from a position inside said media asset in case of recovering a session.

7. Method according to claim 1,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said setup request (251;

256) corresponds to an RTSP SETUP message.

8. Method according to claim 1,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said third step consists of sending a redirect message (252;

257) from said redirector device (221) to said client device (201), said redirect message (252;

257) being indicative for said streaming node (203;

204) selected.

9. A highly available redirector device (221) for use in a distributed media-on-demand network consisting of N streaming nodes (203 . . . 204),

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said redirector device (221) comprises:

a. receiving means for receiving from a client device (201) a setup request message (251;

256) to request initiation or recovery of a media-on-demand session;

b. selection means for selecting a streaming node (203;

204) for said session; and

c. instruction means for instructing said client device (201) to use said streaming node (203;

204) for said session.

10. A highly available redirector device (221) according to claim 9,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said redirector device (221) further is operationally coupled to:

d. highly available persistent storage means (222) for regularly receiving from said N streaming nodes (203 . . . 204) state of health information (232 . . . 242), said highly available persistent storage means (222) being operationally coupled to said selection means in said redirector device (221) in order to enable selecting said streaming node (203;

204) based on said state of health information.

11. A client device (201) for use in a distributed media-on-demand network consisting of N streaming nodes (203 . . . 204),

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said client device (201) comprises:

a. transmitting means for transmitting a setup request message (251;

256) to request initiation or recovery of a media-on-demand session to a highly available redirector device (221); and

b. receiving means for receiving from said redirector device (221) instructions (252;

257) indicative for the streaming node (203;

204) to be used for said session.