Hybrid Unicast/Anycast Content Distribution Network System

• US 20100121945A1
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spatscheck, Oliver, Van der Merwe, Jacobus, Gerber, Alexandre
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method includes receiving a request for an edge cache address, and comparing a requester address to an anycast group. The method can further include providing an anycast edge cache address when the requestor address is in the anycast group. Alternatively, the method can further include determining an optimal cache server, and providing a unicast address of the optimal cache server when the requester address is not in the anycast group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a requestor for an edge cache address;

comparing an address of the requestor to an anycast group; and

providing the edge cache address as an anycast address when the address of the requester is in the anycast group.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the anycast group includes addresses within a content delivery provider controlled network, addresses within a stable network, addresses within a contracted network, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving a second request from a second requester;

comparing a second address of the second requestor to the anycast group;

determining an optimal cache server; and

providing a unicast address of the optimal cache server to the second requester when the second address of the second requestor is not in the anycast group

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the optimal cache server is based on the second address of the second requester.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the optimal cache server depends on a network distance a network cost, an available bandwidth, an available server capacity, or any combination thereof.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a request for an edge cache address;

comparing an address of the requestor to an anycast group;

determining an optimal cache server; and

providing a unicast address of the optimal cache server when the address of the requester is not in the anycast group.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the anycast group includes addresses within a content delivery provider controlled network, addresses within a stable network, addresses within a contracted network, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the optimal cache server is based on the address of the requester.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the optimal cache server depends on a network distance a network cost, an available bandwidth, an available server capacity, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising

receiving a second request from a second requester;

comparing a second address of the second requester to the anycast group; and

providing an anycast address for the edge cache to the second requester when the second address of the second requester is in the anycast group.

11. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a request from a requestor for an edge cache address;

compare an address of the requester to an anycast group; and

provide the edge cache address as an anycast address when the address of the requestor is in the anycast group.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the anycast group includes addresses within a content delivery provider controlled network, addresses within a stable network, addresses within a contracted network, or any combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to determine an optimal cache server and provide a unicast address of the optimal cache server when the address of the requester is not in the anycast group.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to determine the optimal cache server based on the address of the requester.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to determine the optimal cache server based on a network distance a network cost, an available bandwidth, an available server capacity, or any combination thereof.

16. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a request from a requester for an edge cache address;

compare an address of the requestor to an anycast group;

determine an optimal cache server; and

provide a unicast address of the optimal cache server when the address of the requester is not in the anycast group.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the anycast group includes addresses within a content delivery provider controlled network, addresses within a stable network, addresses within a contracted network, or any combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to determine the optimal cache server based on the address of the requester.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to determine the optimal cache server based on a network distance a network cost, an available bandwidth, an available server capacity, or any combination thereof.

20. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions to manipulate a processor, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a request from a requestor for an edge cache address;

instructions to compare an address of the requestor to an anycast group; and

instructions to provide the edge cache address as an anycast address when the address of the requester is in the anycast group.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the anycast group includes addresses within a content delivery provider controlled network, addresses within a stable network, addresses within a contracted network, or any combination thereof.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20 further comprising instructions to determine an optimal cache server and provide a unicast address of the optimal cache server when the address of the requester is not in the anycast group.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the instructions to determine the optimal cache server use the address of the requester.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22 the instructions to determine the optimal cache server include instructions to determine a network distance a network cost, an available bandwidth, an available server capacity, or any combination thereof.