METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A CDN WITH GRANULAR QUALITY OF SERVICE

• US 20110078230A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonica SA
• Original Assignee: Telefonica SA
• Inventors: Sepulveda, Emilio
• Application Number:
  US12/567,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1004 Server selection for load balancing
• 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 67/1074 for supporting data block transmission mechanisms file transfer H04L67/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

In a method of providing granular quality of service in a hybrid content distribution network of classical distribution in a network via client-server plus very distributed mechanisms operating peer to peer inside the network, content is replicated in a large number of endpoint nodes, some of which are CPEs of broadband subscribers, and backed by a few storage servers to ensure content availability. Traffic is delivered by a mixture of P4P for choice of seeds and selection of good neighborhoods for quick content download. The ISP uses the unsold physical capacity of the link for CDN service and other underutilized resources, and enforces seeding at many nodes including broadband subscriber CPEs. By having a large farm of nano-datacenters distributed across the network, including the premises of broadband customers, the ISP can maintain and run a CDN. A tracker determines where to seed the content, depending on the number of broadband subscribers requesting the content, the geographical distribution of requested content, and the Service Level Agreement between content providers and the ISP. The tracker can seed a sufficient number of nodes to ensure redundancy.

Claims

1. A method of providing granular quality of service in a content distribution network to a content provider and to broadband customers consuming the content, wherein the content distribution network includes a plurality of servers and a plurality of network nodes and has an edge, wherein the servers account for and coordinate resources of the content distribution network, wherein the network nodes are registered with and finely distributed at the edge of the content distribution network, wherein content is seeded at and distributed from the network nodes at the edge of the content distribution network via bandwidth provided by an Internet Service Provider, and wherein the network nodes can be at the premises of broadband subscribers, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a list of commands in a virtual output tray for each of the network nodes at the edge of the content distribution network;

applying algorithms to information about the environment of the content distribution network, wherein the algorithms implement seeding strategies that maximize utilization of resources and minimize network transactions and aggregated throughput needed;

using the results of the algorithms to select network nodes for seeding;

storing seeding commands in the virtual output trays of the selected network nodes;

receiving a periodic report at the server from each of the selected network nodes;

responding to receipt of a report from one of the selected network nodes with the commands stored in the virtual output tray for the one selected network node, wherein the commands include a command to the selected one storage node to get a specified, uniquely-identified content file from the URL of a source network node at which content is stored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the information from the environment includes forecasts for content demand in some zones and forecasts about and knowledge of end users of content.

3. A system of providing granular quality of service in a content distribution network having an edge, comprising:

a plurality of storage nodes finely distributed across a plurality of network nodes at the edge of the content distribution network, wherein content is seeded at and distributed from the plurality of storage nodes, and wherein the network nodes can be at the premises of broadband subscribers;

means implemented by at least one server for determining where to seed digital content and how many seeds are required, based on the number of clients requesting the content, the geography of the requested content, the quality of service contracted by the CDN client and the redundancy and throughput required to ensure the contracted quality of service; and

means implemented by at least one server for enforcing seeding of CPEs designated to be seeded for content via at least one of;

(1) periodic reporting of the storage nodes to the at least one server, (2) unique IDs assigned to the content and content hashes, and (3) book-keeping statistics collected from the seeds.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the means for enforcing of seeding also collects book-keeping information for a subset of broadband customers at periodic intervals to confirm that downloads are occurring from the seed.