METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING INTERFACING BETWEEN CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORKS

• US 20130094445A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: De Foy, Xavier, Liu, Hang, Doken, Serhad, Lotfallah, Osama, Rahman, Shamim Akbar
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for forwarding content delivery network interconnection (CDNI) signaling. A CDNI router content delivery network (CDN) may establish CDNIs with upstream and downstream CDNs. The CDNI router CDN may receive a CDNI route advertisement message from at least one of the upstream and downstream CDNs. The CDNI router CDN may update at least one end-user-based CDNI routing table based on Internet protocol (IP) address blocks in the CDNI route advertisement message. The CDNI router CDN may transmit an updated CDNI route advertisement message to at least one of the upstream and downstream CDNs. At least one of the upstream and downstream CDNs may update at least one end-user-based CDNI routing table based on the end user IP address blocks in the updated CDNI route advertisement message.

Claims

1. A method for use by a content delivery network interconnection (CDNI) router content delivery network (CDN) of forwarding CDNI signaling, the method comprising:

establishing a first CDNI with a first CDN;

establishing a second CDNI with a second CDN;

receiving a CDNI route advertisement message from at least one of the first and second CDNs, the CDNI route advertisement message including a set of end user Internet protocol (IP) address blocks;

updating at least one end-user-based CDNI routing table based on the IP address blocks in the CDNI route advertisement message; and

transmitting an updated CDNI route advertisement message to at least one of the first and second CDNs, wherein at least one of the first and second CDNs update at least one end-user-based CDNI routing table based on the end user IP address blocks in the updated CDNI route advertisement message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDNI route advertisement message includes a content identification (ID) in a CDNI header.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

comparing the content ID in the CDNI route advertisement message with a content routing table that stores content IDs; and

forwarding the CDNI route advertisement message to at least one matching recipient indicated by the content routing table.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDNI route advertisement message includes a set of routing entries.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each route entry includes an IP address block, a path length in number of hops, parameters used to select a route, and policy parameters associated with the selected route.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the end-user-based CDNI routing tables store a set of routing entries.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each route entry includes an IP address block, a path length in number of hops, parameters used to select a route, policy parameters associated with the selected route, and a next hop CDN identification (ID).

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the popularity of content based on delivery requests received by at least one of the first and second CDNs; and

distributing the content using a multicast or point-to-point (P2P) delivery method based on the determined popularity.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first CDN is an upstream CDN and the second CDN is a downstream CDN.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDNI router CDN comprises at least one CDNI router CDN and at least one intermediate CDN router.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second CDNs is an access CDN.

12. A method for use by an upstream content delivery network (CDN) of forwarding content delivery network interconnection (CDNI) signaling, the method comprising:

receiving a content request message from an end user;

accessing an end-user-based CDNI routing table to determine whether there is an access CDN serving the end user;

generating a CDNI request routing message;

transmitting the CDNI request routing message to at least one next hop indicated by a selected entry in the CDNI routing table, wherein the at least one next hop is at least one CDNI router, the CDNI router updates and forwards the CDNI request routing response message to the access CDN; and

receiving a CDNI request routing response message.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the CDNI request routing message includes a CDNI message header indicating a routing method code.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the routing method code indicates whether or not CDNI routing is to be performed on the CDNI request routing message.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the CDNI message header identifies a destination CDN and a source CDN.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the CDNI message header includes a time-to-live (TTL) field.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the CDNI request routing response message includes a CDNI message header indicating a routing method code.

18. A content delivery network interconnection (CDNI) router content delivery network (CDN) comprising:

an input configured to receive a CDNI route advertisement message, the CDNI route advertisement message including a set of routing entries, wherein each route entry includes an IP address block, a path length in number of hops, parameters used to select a route, and policy parameters associated with the selected route;

a processor configured to update at least one end-user-based CDNI routing table based on the IP address blocks in the CDNI route advertisement message; and

an output configured to transmit an updated CDNI route advertisement message.

19. The CDNI router CDN of claim 18 wherein the CDNI router CDN comprises at least one CDNI router CDN and at least one intermediate CDN router.

20. The CDNI router CDN of claim 18 wherein the CDNI route advertisement message includes a sender CDN identification (ID).

21. The CDNI router CDN of claim 18 wherein the CDNI route advertisement message includes an update flag set for subsequent updates after a first initial advertisement.