APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR RESILIENT CONTENT ACQUISITION

• US 20080263180A1
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hurst, Mark B., Larsen, Loren D., Powell, Kyle E.
• Application Number:
  US11/737,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

An apparatus includes a directive handling module configured to implement a directive, wherein the directive defines requirements for locating, establishing, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host, and a content acquisition module configured to acquire content over a network according to the directive. A system includes a client module having the apparatus, and a directive server configured to parse a content-related request and generate a directive in response to the request. The directive may be based upon potentially sensitive business, network, location, or other policies that remain securely maintained by the directive server. A method includes implementing a directive, defining requirements for locating, establishing, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host, and acquiring content over a network according to the directive.

Claims

1. An apparatus for resilient content acquisition, the apparatus comprising:

a directive handling module configured to implement a directive;

wherein the directive defines requirements for establishing, locating, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host; and

a content acquisition module configured to acquire content over a network according to the directive.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content acquisition module is further configured to transmit a directive server query to a directive server.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the directive handling module is further configured to receive the directive from the directive server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content acquisition module is further configured to locate the content, authorize the content, retrieve the content, display the content, and report statistics in accordance with the directive.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a directive server module configured to maintain a list of directive servers and to select a directive server for each directive request.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a server status module configured to maintain a status indicator for each of a plurality of content delivery network servers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a broadcast module configured to broadcast content availability over a network such that a second apparatus acquires the content from the apparatus over the network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a discovery module configured to discover available content on the network such that content is acquired from a second apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the directive is further configured to identify a plurality of backup remote hosts.

10. A system for resilient content acquisition, the system comprising:

a client module in communication with a network, the client module comprising;

a directive handling module configured to implement a directive;

wherein the directive defines requirements for establishing, locating, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host;

a content acquisition module configured to acquire content over the network according to the directive;

wherein the content acquisition module is further configured to communicate a directive server query with a directive server; and

wherein the directive server is configured to parse the content request and generate a directive in response to the content request.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the directive handling module is further configured to receive the directive from the directive server.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the content acquisition module is further configured to locate the content, authorize the content, retrieve the content, display the content, and report statistics in accordance with the directive.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a directive server module configured to maintain a list of directive servers and to select a directive server for each directive request.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a server status module configured to maintain a status indicator for each of a plurality of content delivery network servers.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a broadcast module configured to broadcast content availability over a local network such that a second apparatus acquires the content from the apparatus over the network.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a discovery module configured to discover available content on a network such that content is acquired from a second apparatus.

17. A method for resilient content acquisition, the method comprising:

implementing a directive;

defining requirements for locating, establishing, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host; and

acquiring content over a network according to the directive.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises transmitting a directive server query to a directive server.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises receiving the directive from the directive server.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises locating the content, authorizing the content, retrieving the content, displaying the content, and reporting statistics in accordance with the directive.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises maintaining a list of directive servers and selecting a directive server for each directive request.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises maintaining a status indicator for each of a plurality of content delivery network servers.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises broadcasting content availability over a local network such that a second apparatus acquires the content from the apparatus over the network.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises discovering available content on a network such that content is acquired from a second apparatus.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to carry out operations for resilient content acquisition, the operations comprising:

implementing a directive;

defining requirements for establishing, locating, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host; and

acquiring content over a network according to the directive.

26. The computer readable program of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a directive server query to a directive server.

27. The computer readable program of claim 26, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the directive from the directive server.

28. The computer readable program of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise locating the content, authorizing the content, retrieving the content, displaying the content, and reporting statistics in accordance with the directive.

29. The computer readable program of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining a list of directive servers and selecting a directive server for each directive request.

30. The computer readable program of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining a status indicator for each of a plurality of content delivery network servers.

31. The computer readable program of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise broadcasting content availability over a local network such that a second apparatus acquires the content from the apparatus over the network.

32. The computer readable program of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise discovering available content on a network such that content is acquired from a second apparatus.

33. An apparatus for resilient content acquisition, the apparatus comprising:

means for implementing a directive;

means for defining requirements for establishing, locating, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host; and

means for acquiring content over a network according to the directive.

34. An apparatus for resilient content delivery, the system comprising:

a parsing module configured to receive a content request from a source and identify content information;

a response module configured to generate a directive in response to the content information,

wherein the directive defines requirements for establishing, locating, and maintaining a network connection with a remote host; and

wherein the response module is further configured to communicate the directive with the source.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the content information is selected from a group consisting of host, domain, content request source, path, and content name.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the response module is further configured to update and communicate the directive with the source.