Unified Web Hosting and Content Distribution System and Method for Assuring Predetermined Performance Levels

• US 20100036944A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marlow Technologies, Llc
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shur, David H., Van Der Merwe, Jacobus E., Douglis, Frederick, Sommer, Joseph M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A service model, integrated system, and method for enabling a service provider to deliver an integrated web hosting and content distribution service offering, which affords assured operational performance service levels, regardless of whether the customer'"'"'s web site is served by the service provider'"'"'s hosting center, the service provider'"'"'s content distribution network (CDN), by a third party web host, or by a third party CDN. A monitoring system of the primary service provider receives detailed capacity and health statistics from any CDN under the operational control of the primary service provider, receives aggregate capacity and health statistics from other CDNs not under the operational control of the primary service provider. A redirection system then decides to which web host, content distribution network, or combination thereof, user requests for content are directed in order that operational performance service levels are maintained.

Claims

1. A system for delivering an integrated web hosting and content distribution affording predetermined service performance levels, comprising:

a first web hosting server for a web site;

at least one content distribution network;

a redirection means for receiving DNS requests from access devices through a local DNS; and

monitoring means for monitoring operational performance parameters of the first web host and the at least one content distribution network, the redirection means and the monitoring means being under the operation control of a primary service provider,

wherein, based on signals from the monitoring means, the redirection means of the primary service provider returns a record to the local DNS indicating whether or not the first web hosting server is capable of meeting a predetermined operational performance threshold, and

the redirection means sending the local DNS a record including an IP address of the first web hosting server when a performance value is below a predetermined operational performance threshold, and

the redirection means sending the local DNS a different record causing the local DNS to make a subsequent DNS request to a DNS of the at least one content distribution network when the performance value is equal to or above the predetermined operational performance threshold.

2. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the first web hosting server and one of the at least one content distribution networks are operated under the control of the primary service provider.

3. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the first web hosting server and the at least one content distribution networks are monitored by, but not operated by, the primary service provider.

4. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the redirection means includes a redirection DNS.

5. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the redirection means provides application level redirection.

6. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring means of the primary service provider receives detailed capacity and health statistics of any of the at least one CDN under the operational control of the primary service provider, and receives aggregate capacity and health statistics from others of the at least one CDN not under the operational control of the primary service provider.

7. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the operational performance threshold is response time.

8. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, further comprising an integrated provisioning system.

9. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, further comprising a customer management interface.

10. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, further comprising an integrated customer billing and reporting system.

11. A method for delivering an integrated web hosting and content distribution service which affords predetermined operational performance levels, comprising the steps of:

providing a first web hosting server for a web site, at least one content distribution network, redirection means, and monitoring means, wherein at least the redirection means and the monitoring means are under operation control of a primary service provider;

receiving a DNS requests from access devices through a local DNS;

monitoring operational performance parameters of a first web host and at least one content distribution network, wherein, based on signals from the monitoring means,

the redirection means of the primary service provider returning a record to the local DNS indicating whether or not the first web hosting server is capable of meeting a predetermined operational performance threshold, the record including an IP address of the first web hosting server when a performance value is below a predetermined operational performance threshold, and

the redirection means sending the local DNS a different record causing the local DNS to make a subsequent DNS request to a DNS of the at least one content distribution network when the performance value is equal to or above the predetermined operational performance threshold.

12. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

operating the first web hosting server and one of the at least one content distribution networks under the control of the primary service provider.

13. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

monitoring the first web hosting server and one of the at least one content distribution network by the primary service provider, but not operating the first web hosting server and any of the at least one content distribution networks under the control of the primary service provider.

14. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, wherein the redirection means includes a redirection DNS.

15. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, wherein the redirection means provides application level redirection.

16. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

receiving detailed capacity and health statistics of any of the at least one CDN under the operational control of the primary service provider, and receiving only aggregate capacity and health statistics from others of the at least one CDN not under the operational control of the primary service provider.

17. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, wherein the operational performance threshold is available bandwidth.

18. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising an integrated provisioning system.

19. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising a customer management interface.

20. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing integrated customer billing and reporting.