Real-Time Message Queuing For A Processing Ring

• US 20110082944A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Raciborski, Nathan F., Black, Bryan D., Rasor, Colin, Roersma, Jacob S., Swanson, Wylie, Tobey, Albert P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for gathering distributed information from a number of data agents for a messaging queue, which is coupled to a number of processing subscribers is disclosed. The data agents provide their gathered information to an interface defined by an API. The gathered data may be reformatted or further processed before adding the gathered information to the messaging queue. A number of processing subscribers listen to a content stream produced by the messaging queue to receive data they have subscribed to. Once the processing subscriber receives the content stream, the processing subscriber applies algorithms to the content stream to perform one or more other functions. For instance, the processing subscriber can feed back processed data into the messaging queue and/or perform an action based, at least in part, upon the content stream. Information in various degrees of processing and aggregation can be passed through any number of cycles in a processing ring to allow for a clearinghouse of information to flow in real time or near real time.

Claims

1. A content delivery network (CDN) for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information, the CDN comprising:

a first interface coupled to a first data agent, which supplies first data to the first interface;

a second interface coupled to a second data agent, which supplies second data to the second interface;

a messaging queue within the CDN that produces a stream, which is a function of the first data and the second data, wherein the messaging queue is coupled to the first interface and the second interface;

a third interface coupled to the messaging queue and a first processing subscriber, which receives the stream, wherein the first data and/or the second data is received in the stream by the first processing subscriber less than ten seconds after the first data and/or the second data is gathered by the first data agent and/or second data agent; and

a fourth interface coupled to the messaging queue and a second processing subscriber, which receives the stream, wherein the first data and/or the second data is received in the stream by the first processing subscriber less than ten seconds after the first data and/or the second data is gathered by the first data agent and/or second data agent.

2. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, further comprising an input adapter coupled between the first interface and the messaging queue, wherein the input adapter checks and/or reformats the first data.

3. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, wherein the first data is processed to obscure information before the first data reaches the stream.

4. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first data agent and/or the second data agent is:

outside the CDN, and

within a domain not under control of the CDN.

5. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first processing subscriber and the second processing subscriber is:

outside the CDN, and

within a domain not under control of the CDN.

6. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, further comprising a historic datastore that stores at least a portion of the messaging queue and allows query of the at least the portion.

7. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, further comprising processing rules, wherein the processing rules instruct the first processing subscriber how to process the stream.

8. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of the first through fourth interfaces use the same communication media.

9. The CDN for timely exchange of information for distributed processing of the information as recited in claim 1, wherein the messaging queue receives from the first processing subscriber third data, which is a function of the stream.

10. A method for aggregating information with a CDN for timely exchange of the information in a distributed fashion, the method comprising:

receiving first data from a first interface, which is coupled to a first data agent;

receiving second data from a second interface, which is coupled to a second data agent;

processing the first data and second data;

formulating a stream with a messaging queue of the CDN, which is a function of the first data and the second data, wherein the messaging queue is coupled to the first interface and the second interface;

sending the stream to a third interface, which is coupled to a first processing subscriber to receive the stream, wherein the first data and/or the second data is received in the stream by the first processing subscriber less than ten seconds after the first data and/or the second data is gathered by the first data agent and/or second data agent.

11. The method for aggregating information with the CDN for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the first interface is to a first point of presence (POP),

the second interface is to a second POP, and

the first POP is geographically distant from the second POP.

12. The method for aggregating information with the CDN for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 10, further comprising processing the stream with the first processing subscriber.

13. The method for aggregating information with the CDN for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 10, further comprising sending the stream to a fourth interface, which is coupled to a second processing subscriber to receive the stream, wherein the first data and/or the second data is received in the stream by the first processing subscriber less than ten seconds after the first data and/or the second data is gathered by the first data agent and/or second data agent

14. The method for aggregating information with the CDN for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 10, further comprising performing an action with the first processing subscriber based upon the stream.

15. The method for aggregating information with the CDN for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

processing the stream with the first processing subscriber; and

producing third data from the processing with the first processing subscriber, wherein the third data is coupled to the processing queue within the CDN.

16. The method for aggregating information with the CDN for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 10, further comprising receiving third data from a third interface coupled to the first processing subscriber, wherein the third data is a function of the stream.

17. A method for aggregating information with a distributed network of POPs for timely exchange of the information in a distributed fashion, the method comprising:

receiving first data from a first interface of a first POP, wherein the first interface is coupled to a first data agent;

receiving second data from a second interface of a second POP, wherein;

the second interface is coupled to a second data agent,

the distributed network of POPs comprise the first POP and the second POP, and

the first POP is geographically distant from the second POP;

processing the first data and second data;

formulating a stream with a messaging queue, which is a function of the first data and the second data, wherein the messaging queue is coupled to the first interface and the second interface; and

sending the stream to a third interface, which is coupled to a processing subscriber to receive the stream.

18. The method for aggregating information with the distributed network of POPs for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 17, wherein the first data and/or the second data is received in the stream by the processing subscriber less than ten seconds after the first data and/or the second data is gathered by the first data agent and/or second data agent.

19. The method for aggregating information with the distributed network of POPs for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 17, wherein the third interface is for a third POP, which is geographically distant from at least one of the first POP and the second POP.

20. A machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions configured to perform the machine-implementable method for aggregating information with the distributed network of POPs for timely exchange of the information in the distributed fashion as recited in claim 17.