PUSH-PULL BASED CONTENT DELIVERY SYSTEM

• US 20130305299A1
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Voddler Group AB
• Original Assignee: Voddler Group AB
• Inventors: BERGSTROM, Mattias, DAVIDSSON, Hans, ZHOU, Yidan Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/921,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305299A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1057 involving pre-assessment of levels of reputation of peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1072 Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64723 Monitoring of network processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of network load traffic related reporting in data switching networks H04L43/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

QoS is built into a peer network within existing Internet infrastructure itself lacking QoS, by enabling a network peer to continuously discern the network'"'"'s ability to deliver to that peer a particular Content Object (distributed in groups of component Packages among neighboring VOD peers) within predetermined times.

Content Objects are divided into groups of component Packages and distributed to Clusters of neighboring network peers, enhancing QoS upon subsequent retrieval. Tracking Files (lists of network peers storing Package groups) and Tracking Indexes (lists of network peers storing Tracking Files) are generated to facilitate “on demand” Content Objects retrieval.

Dynamically monitoring network traffic (including VOD functionality, bandwidth and reliability) creates “distributed closed-loop feedback,” and in response, attributes of individual network peers (e.g., Trust Level and membership within a particular Cluster) are modified, and “content balancing” functions performed (e.g., redistribution of Package groups among network peers) enables maintaining high QoS.

Claims

1. A method in a digital content delivery system of modifying a distribution of copies of component packages of a linear content object divided into a set of component packages, wherein the digital content delivery system comprises a plurality of network nodes having copies of one or more component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object stored thereon, the method comprising:

in response to a request by a pulling network node of the plurality of network nodes for playback of the linear content object, retrieving the set of component packages of the linear content object for ordered playback of the linear content object on the pulling network node;

observing communications involving the pulling network node; and

in response to observing communications involving the pulling network node, modifying a distribution of copies of one or more component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object in the plurality of network nodes of the digital content delivery system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein observing communication involving the pulling network node comprises:

measuring the time for retrieval of component packages to the pulling network node,

and wherein modifying a distribution of copies of one or more component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object in response to observing communications involving the pulling network node comprises;

distributing further copies of one or more component packages of the linear content object to further network nodes of plurality of network nodes of the digital content delivery system on a condition that the time of retrieval of component packages to the pulling network node exceeds a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein observing communication involving the pulling network node comprises:

measuring the time for retrieval of component packages to the pulling network node,

and wherein modifying a distribution of copies of one or more component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object in response to observing communications involving the pulling network node comprises;

storing copies of one or more component packages of the linear content object in the pulling network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of component packages to the pulling network node exceeds a threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying a distribution of copies of one or more component packages of the linear content object in response to observing communications involving the pulling network node further comprises:

discarding copies of the one or more component packages of the linear content object from the pulling network node after playback in the pulling network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of component packages to the network node is less than or equal to the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein observing communication involving the pulling network node comprises:

measuring the time for retrieval of a component package to the pulling network node,

and wherein modifying a distribution of copies of one or more component packages of the linear content object in response to observing communications involving the pulling network node comprises;

storing a copy of a component package of the linear content object in the pulling network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of the package to the pulling network node exceeds a threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying a distribution of copies of one or more component packages of the linear content object in response to observing communications involving the pulling network node further comprises:

discarding a copy of a component package of the linear content object from the pulling network node after playback in the pulling network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of the package to the pulling network node is less than or equal to the threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further pulling network nodes of the plurality of network nodes requesting playback of the linear content object,

observing communications involving the further pulling network nodes;

in response to observing communications involving the further pulling network nodes, deriving information regarding a frequency of request of one or more component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object; and

in response to the derived information regarding a frequency of request of one or more component packages of the linear content object, modifying a distribution of copies of the one or more component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object in the plurality of network nodes of the digital content delivery system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further pulling network nodes of the plurality of network nodes requesting playback of the linear content object,

observing communications involving the further pulling network nodes;

in response to observing communications involving the further pulling network nodes, deriving information regarding a frequency of request of individual component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object; and

in response to the derived information regarding a frequency of request of individual component packages of the linear content object, modifying a distribution of copies of the individual component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object in the plurality of network nodes of the digital content delivery system.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

9. A network node for use in a digital content delivery system, wherein the digital content delivery system comprises a plurality of network nodes having copies of one or more component package of the set of component packages of the linear content object stored thereon, the network node comprising:

a content puller adapted for, in response to a request by the network node of the plurality of network nodes for playback of the linear content object, retrieving the set of component packages of the linear content object for ordered playback of the linear content object on the network node;

a network monitor adapted for observing communications involving the network node; and

a controller adapted for, in response to the network monitor observing communications involving the network node, modifying a distribution of copies of one or more component packages of the set of component packages of the linear content object in the plurality of network nodes of the digital content delivery system.

10. The network node of claim 9, wherein the network monitor is further adapted for:

measuring the time for retrieval of component packages to the network node,

and wherein the controller is further adapted for;

distributing further copies of one or more component packages of the linear content object to further network nodes of the digital content delivery system on a condition that the time of retrieval of component packages to the network node exceeds a threshold.

11. The network node of claim 9, wherein the network monitor is further adapted for:

measuring the time for retrieval of component packages to the network node,

and wherein the controller is further adapted for;

storing copies of one or more component packages of the linear content object in the network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of component packages to the network node exceeds a threshold.

12. The network node of claim 11, wherein the controller is further adapted for:

discarding copies of the one or more component packages of the linear content object from the network node after playback in the network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of component packages to the network node is less or equal to the threshold.

13. The network node of claim 9, wherein the network monitor is further adapted for:

measuring the time for retrieval of a package to the network node,

and wherein the controller is further adapted for;

storing a copy of a component package of the linear content object in the network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of the package to the network node exceeds a threshold.

14. The network node of claim 13, wherein the controller is further adapted for:

discarding a copy of a component package of the linear content object from the network node after playback in the network node on a condition that the time of retrieval of the package to the network node is less or equal to the threshold.