METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE DELIVERY OF DIGITAL DATA

• US 20090144412A1
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cachelogic Ltd.
• Inventors: FERGUSON, David, Amesbury, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1085 involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the delivery of digital data to an end user (902) from a network (900) comprising at least two different data sources (912a, 912b) is disclosed. Each of the at least two different data sources (912a, 912b) can deliver the digital data to the end network at at least one parameter and the data sources (912a, 912b) have substantially identical copies of the digital data comprising portions and are connected to the end user (902). The method comprises receiving (1011) a list of a subset of the at least two data sources (912a, 912b) and selecting (1012) on the basis of the list one or more of the subset of at least two data sources (912a, 912b). At least a portion of the digital data from the selected ones of the at least two data sources (912a, 912b) is delivered to the end user (902). The parameter for the delivery of the digital data to the end user (902) is monitored and the configuration (913) of the selected ones of the at least two data sources (912a, 912b) is adjusted (1015) on the basis of the monitored parameter such that a combined configuration of the configurations (913) of the selected ones of the at least two data sources (912a, 912b) matches the specification (905).

Claims

1. A method for the delivery of digital data to an end user from a network comprising at least two different data sources, each of the at least two different data sources having at least one parameter and whereby the at least two data sources have substantially identical copies of the digital data comprising portions and are connected to the end user, the method comprising:

receiving a list of a subset of the at least two data sources;

selecting on the basis of the list one or more of the subset of at least two data sources;

delivering at least a portion of the digital data from the selected ones of the at least two data sources to the end user;

monitoring the at least one parameter for the delivery of the digital data to the end user; and

adjusting a configuration of the selected ones of the at least two data sources on the basis of the monitored at least one parameter such that a combined configuration of the configurations of the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches a specification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a further one of the at least two data sources in case the combined configuration does not match the specification, such that the configuration of the further one of the data sources selected matches the specification.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving messages from the end user related to the receipt of the portions of the digital data by the end user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the configuration of the selected ones of the at least two data sources is further based on the messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration of any one of the selected ones of the at least two data sources comprises a target rate of delivery of the digital data to the end user from that one of the selected ones of the at least two data sources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises the cost of delivery of the digital data to the end user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least parameter comprises the rate of delivery of the digital data to the end user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches the specification if the at least one parameter exceeds or is equal to a contracted minimal bandwidth

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches the specification if the at least one parameter represents a least cost.

10. An apparatus for the delivery of digital data to an end user, the digital data comprising a plurality of portions, the apparatus comprising:

a network having at least two data sources 912a, 912b) supplying portions of the digital data at at least one parameter to the end user;

a tracker providing a list of a subset of the at least two data sources

a selection device for selecting on the basis of the list one or more of the at least two data sources to supply at least some of the portions of the digital data to the end user, such that a configuration of the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches a specification for the delivery of the digital data to the end user;

a monitoring device for monitoring the at least one parameter for the delivery of the digital data to the end user;

an adjusting device for adjusting on the basis of the monitored at least one parameter a configuration of at least one of the selected ones of the at least two data sources such that a combined configuration of the configurations of the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches a specification.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the selection device further selects further ones of the at least two data sources in case the combined configuration does not match the specification.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a receiving device for receiving messages from the end user related to the receipt of portions of the digital data by the end user.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the adjusting device further adjusts the configuration of the selected ones of the at least two data sources on the basis of the messages.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the monitoring device is located at the at least two data sources.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one parameter comprises the cost of delivery of the digital data to the end user.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one parameter includes the rate of delivery of the digital data to the end user.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the configuration of any one of the selected ones of the at least two data sources comprises a target rate of delivery of the digital data to the end user from the one of the selected ones of the at least two data sources.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the combined configuration of the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches the specification if the at least one parameter exceeds or is equal to a contracted minimal bandwidth

19. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the combined configuration of the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches the specification if the at least parameter represents a least cost.

20. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least two data sources comprise multiple types of data sources.

21. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least two data sources comprise at least two caches.

22. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the network is a content delivery network (CDN).

23. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the network is a peer-to-peer network and the at least two data sources comprise at least one peer connected to a network path.

24. A method for the selection of data sources for delivery of digital data from the data source to an end user, comprising:

receiving proposals for the delivery of the digital data to the end user from at least two of the data sources connected in a network and offering at a parameter bandwidth on connections from the data sources to an end user for the delivery of the digital data;

selecting on the basis of the parameter ones of the proposals and selecting at least one of the data sources corresponding to the selected ones of the proposals, such that a configuration of the selected one of the at least two data sources matches a specification for the delivery of the digital data to the end user; and

supplying a list of the selected ones of the at least two data sources to the end user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising selecting a further data source from the at least two data sources such that a combined configuration of the further data source with the selected ones of the at least two data sources corresponds to the specification for the delivery of the digital data to the end user, in case the configuration of the selected one of the at least two data sources does not correspond to the specification.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the selection of the further data source is based on further proposals.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising adjusting the configuration of one of the at least two data sources such that a combined configuration of the configurations of the selected ones of the at least two data sources matches the specification.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the parameter comprises a price for the bandwidth.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the configuration comprises the bandwidth offered.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the specification comprises a contracted minimal bandwidth for the delivery of the digital data

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the specification further comprises a contracted price for the delivery of the digital data

32. The method of claims 24, wherein the configuration of the selected one of the at least two data sources corresponding to selected one of the proposals matches the specification if the bandwidth offered exceeds or is equal to the contracted minimal bandwidth.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected one of the proposals has a lowest value for the parameter.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein a difference between the proposals is based at least partially on a different cost model for different ones of the connections.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein the cost model comprises availability of uploading capacities on the connections at the at least two data sources.

36. The method of claims 24, wherein the network is a content delivery network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein an operator of the content delivery network requests proposals form the at least two data sources.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein owners of the data sources can auction the proposals.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein the owners of the data sources make the proposals on a spot market

40. An apparatus for the selection of data sources for the delivery of digital data from the data source comprising:

a receiving device for receiving proposals on connections to an end user from the data sources connected in a network and offering bandwidth on the connections at a parameter for the delivery of the digital data;

a selection device for selecting at least one of the proposals on the basis of the parameter from the data sources and selecting ones of the data sources corresponding to the selected ones of the proposals, such that a configuration of the selected ones of the data sources matches a specification for the delivery of the digital data to the end user; and

a tracker for supplying a list of the selected ones of the data sources corresponding to the selected ones of the proposals to the end user.

41. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the selecting device further selects a further data source from the data sources such that a combined configuration of the further data source and the selected ones of the data sources corresponds to the specification for the delivery of the digital data to the end user in case the configuration of the selected ones of the data sources does not correspond to the specification.

42. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the selecting device bases the selection of the further data source on further proposals.

43. The apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising an adjusting device for adjusting the configuration of the selected ones of the data sources such that a combined configuration the selected ones of the data sources matches the specification.

44. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the parameter comprises a price for the bandwidth.

45. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the configuration comprises the bandwidth offered.

46. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the specification comprises a contracted minimal bandwidth for the delivery of the digital data.

47. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the specification further comprise a contracted price for the delivery of the digital data

48. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the configuration of the selected one of the at least two data sources corresponding to the selected one of the proposals matches the specification if the bandwidth offered exceeds or is equal to the contracted minimal bandwidth.

49. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the proposal selection device selects from among those ones of the proposals corresponding to the specification and having a lowest value for the parameter.

50. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein a difference between the proposals is based on a different cost model for the connections.

51. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the cost model comprises availability of uploading capacities on the connections at the at least two data sources.

52. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the network is a content delivery network.

53. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein an operator of the content delivery network can request proposals from the at least two data sources.

54. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein owners of the at least two data sources can auction their proposals.

55. A spot market trading device for the delivery of digital data from the data source comprising:

a receiving device for receiving proposals from bidders on connections to an end user from the data sources connected in a network and offering bandwidth on the connections at a parameter for the delivery of the digital data;

a selection device for selecting at least one of the proposals on the basis of the parameter from the data sources and selecting ones of the data sources corresponding to the selected ones of the proposals, such that a configuration of the selected ones of the data sources matches a specification for the delivery of the digital data to the end user; and

a tracker for supplying a list of the selected ones of the data sources corresponding to the selected ones of the proposals to the end user.