Methods and systems for bandwidth amplification using replicated fragments

• US 20100095015A1
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patentvc Limited
• Original Assignee: Patentvc Limited
• Inventors: Thieberger, Gil, Zuckerman, Gal
• Application Number:
  US12/580,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/37 Decoding methods or techniques, not specific to the particular type of coding provided for in groups H03M13/03 - H03M13/35
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/3761 using code combining, i.e. using combining of codeword portions which may have been transmitted separately, e.g. Digital Fountain codes, Raptor codes or Luby Transform [LT] codes
• 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 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Bandwidth amplification using replicated fragments, including fractional-storage CDN servers storing erasure-coded fragments associated with content; and bandwidth amplification devices storing copies of sub-sets of the fragments stored on the servers in order to increase the system'"'"'s total fragment delivery bandwidth. Wherein the average bandwidth amplification device comprises much less storage space and bandwidth than the average server, and the content can be reconstructed from any combination of enough unique fragments regardless of whether these fragments were obtained from the servers or from the bandwidth amplification devices.

Claims

1. ) A method comprising:

receiving, by a fractional-storage CDN server, erasure-coded fragments associated with content;

storing the fragments on the CDN server;

copying at least some of the fragments stored on the CDN server to bandwidth amplification devices that are together approximately capable of providing a required bandwidth amplification factor; and

providing either the original fragments or the copies to assembling devices, to be used for content reconstruction together with any other unique erasure-coded fragments, at a throughput of up to the aggregated bandwidth of the CDN server and the bandwidth amplification devices.

2. ) The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining an indication, by an assembling device, whether to obtain the fragments from the CDN server or from at least one of its bandwidth amplification devices.

3. ) The method of claim 2, wherein the indication to obtain the fragments from at least one of the bandwidth amplification devices comprises the address of the bandwidth amplification device from which to request the fragment;

and further comprising requesting the fragment by the assembling device from the bandwidth amplification device; and

receiving the fragment by the assembling device from the bandwidth amplification device.

4. ) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving by the CDN server a fragment request from an assembling device, and deciding whether the CDN server or one of its bandwidth amplification devices is to reply.

5. ) The method of claim 4, further comprising forwarding the fragment request by the CDN server to the bandwidth amplification device, and providing the requested fragment by the bandwidth amplification device to the assembling device.

6. ) A system comprising:

fractional-storage CDN servers configured to store erasure-coded fragments associated with content; and

bandwidth amplification devices configured to store copies of sub-sets of the fragments stored on the CDN servers in order to increase the system'"'"'s total fragment delivery bandwidth;

wherein the average bandwidth amplification device comprises much less storage space and bandwidth than the average CDN server, and the content can be reconstructed from any combination of enough unique fragments regardless of whether these fragments were obtained from the CDN servers or from the bandwidth amplification devices.

7. ) The system of claim 6, wherein the CDN server is further configured to receive a fragment request from an assembling device, and to determine whether to provide the requested fragment to the assembling device, or to provide to the assembling device an address of one or more of the bandwidth amplification devices storing a copy of the requested fragment.

8. ) The system of claim 6, wherein the CDN server is further configured to receive a fragment request from an assembling device, and to determine whether to provide the requested fragment to the assembling device, or to forward the fragment request to one of the bandwidth amplification devices storing a copy of the requested fragment.

9. ) The system of claim 6, further comprising assembling devices configured to obtain the stored fragments using a fragment pull protocol.

10. ) The system of claim 6, further comprising assembling devices configured to obtain the stored fragments using sub-transmissions.

11. ) The system of claim 6, wherein some of the CDN servers are further configured to send some of their fragments to bandwidth amplification devices for replication.

12. ) The system of claim 11, wherein the CDN servers are configured to send fragments associated with different contents to different bandwidth amplification devices, for replication, according to the bandwidth demand of each content.

13. ) The system of claim 11, wherein the additional bandwidth provided to the system by the bandwidth amplification devices to which the fragments are sent is determined by the quantity and upload bandwidth capabilities of the bandwidth amplification devices.

14. ) The system of claim 11, further comprising a control server configured to determine which of the bandwidth amplification devices is to be accessible by each CDN server for bandwidth amplification.

15. ) The system of claim 6, wherein the fragments are copied to enough amplification devices to meet an increased demand for a specific content, and the erasure-coded fragments support source-selection diversity.

16. ) The system of claim 15, wherein when a CDN server cannot meet the throughput demand for fragments of a certain content, the CDN server is configured to copy the relevant fragments associated with the certain content on a number of bandwidth amplification devices that together with the CDN server can meet the fragment throughput demand.

17. ) The system of claim 6, wherein the content is video-on-demand streaming content, the fragments are associated with approximately sequential segments of the content, and the fragments are distributed to the CDN servers and copied to the bandwidth amplification devices prior to being obtained by assembling devices.

18. ) The system of claim 6, wherein the content is streaming content, the fragments are progressively made available from a streaming source, and received progressively on-the-fly by the CDN servers and the bandwidth amplification devices shortly after being available;

and further comprising assembling devices configured to obtain the fragments on-the-fly shortly after the fragments were received by the CDN servers and the bandwidth amplification devices.

19. ) A distributed streaming system, comprising:

fractional-storage CDN servers configured to progressively receive unique erasure-coded fragments associated with approximately sequential segments of streaming content to be distributed to assembling devices shortly after being received;

at least some of the servers are configured to distribute at least some of the received unique fragments, shortly after their reception, to bandwidth amplification devices, whereby the bandwidth amplification devices enable meeting fragment retrieval demands that are beyond the servers'"'"' own capabilities; and

shortly thereafter, the assembling devices are configured to obtain the fragments from approximately any combination of the servers and the bandwidth amplification devices that together provide enough fragments to progressively reconstruct the streaming content.

20. ) The distributed streaming system of claim 19, wherein the bandwidth amplification devices are located at the user premises, and the erasure-coded fragments support source-selection diversity.