COLLABORATION BETWEEN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND CONTENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

• US 20120226734A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Poese, Ingmar, Smaragkdakis, Georgios, Frank, Benjamin, Feldmann, Anja, Uhlig, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• 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 67/1021 based on client or server locations

Abstract

A method for enabling collaboration between an internet service provider (ISP) and another entity includes: gathering a domain name system (DNS) query; evaluating the DNS query wherein the evaluating comprises collecting candidate hosts suitable for delivering content in accordance with the DNS query; ranking the candidate hosts collected by the ISP; providing a first list of the ISP-ranked candidate hosts; forwarding the DNS query to the another entity; evaluating the DNS query wherein the evaluating comprises collecting candidate hosts suitable for delivering content in accordance with the DNS query; ranking the candidate hosts collected by the another entity; providing a second list of the another entity-ranked candidate hosts; matching the first list and the second list; and providing a matched list of ranked candidate hosts. The another entity is a content distribution system (CDN) or another ISP.

Claims

1. A method for enabling collaboration between an internet service provider (ISP) and another entity, the method comprising the steps of:

gathering a domain name system (DNS) query;

evaluating, by the ISP, the DNS query wherein the evaluating comprises collecting candidate hosts suitable for delivering content in accordance with the DNS query;

ranking, by the ISP, the candidate hosts collected by the ISP;

providing, by the ISP, a first list of the ISP-ranked candidate hosts;

forwarding, by the ISP, the DNS query to the another entity;

evaluating, by the another entity, the DNS query wherein the evaluating comprises collecting candidate hosts suitable for delivering content in accordance with the DNS query;

ranking, by the another entity, the candidate hosts collected by the another entity;

providing, by the another entity, a second list of the another entity-ranked candidate hosts;

matching the first list and the second list; and

providing a matched list of ranked candidate hosts;

wherein the another entity is a content distribution system (CDN) or another ISP.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first list and the second list are matched based on a predefined merging function.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another entity is the CDN and the method comprises the steps of:

augmenting, by the ISP, the DNS query with an internet protocol (IP) address of a collaboration service prior to forwarding the DNS query to the CDN; and

providing, by the CDN, the second list of the CDN-ranked candidate hosts to the collaboration service of the ISP using the IP address of the collaboration service.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another entity is the CDN and the ISP forwards the DNS query to an authorized DNS server of the CDN.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another entity is the CDN, and the method further comprises the step of:

establishing a communication channel between the ISP and the CDN.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another entity is the CDN, and the ISP forwards the first list together with the DNS query to the CDN.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

logging communication steps and results associated thereto.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another entity is the another ISP and the method further comprises the steps of:

mapping the candidate hosts of the first list to ingress points of the ISP;

identifying the another ISP being a neighboring ISP, and

establishing communication paths between the ISP and the another ISP.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

mapping the ingress points of the ISP to egress points of the another ISP.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

splitting the first list of candidate hosts by the another ISP.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising the steps of:

ranking, by the another ISP, the candidate hosts of the split first lists; and

providing, by the another ISP, the second list of the another ISP-ranked candidate hosts.

12. One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions for enabling collaboration between an internet service provider (ISP) and another entity, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, causing one or more processors to execute the steps of:

gathering a domain name system (DNS) query;

evaluating, by the ISP, the DNS query wherein the evaluating comprises collecting candidate hosts suitable for delivering content in accordance with the DNS query;

ranking, by the ISP, the candidate hosts collected by the ISP;

providing, by the ISP, a first list of the ISP-ranked candidate hosts;

forwarding, by the ISP, the DNS query to the another entity;

evaluating, by the another entity, the DNS query wherein the evaluating comprises collecting candidate hosts suitable for delivering content in accordance with the DNS query;

ranking, by the another entity, the candidate hosts collected by the another entity;

providing, by the another entity, a second list of the another entity-ranked candidate hosts;

matching the first list and the second list; and

providing a matched list of ranked candidate hosts;

wherein the another entity is a content distribution system (CDN) or another ISP.