SELECTIVE CONTENT PRE-WARMING IN CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORKS BASED ON USER ACTIONS AND CONTENT CATEGORIZATIONS

• US 20140207912A1
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Thibeault, Jason, Nazario, Edgardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for streaming content over the Internet via a CDN to an end user system. Requests from end user systems for streaming content objects being handled by the CDN are tracked to identify, for each request the tracked requests, a first content object being requested. For each request of the tracked requests, a category of the requested first content object is identified. The identified category is stored. Aggregated data indicating an amount of requests being for content objects with a specific category is generated. A prediction is made that a second content object will be requested in the future based on the aggregated data and a category of the second content object. Access to the second content object is improved such that the second content object is set to be provided faster in response to a request for the second content object than would otherwise occur.

Claims

1. A content delivery network (CDN) for streaming content over the Internet to an end user system, the CDN comprising:

a content request interface that receives requests, using one or more processors, for streaming content objects to end user systems;

an edge server selection function that assigns, using one or more processors, each request to an edge server for streaming content to the end user system;

a streaming function that streams, using one or more processors, the requested streaming content object to the requesting end user systems; and

a content-request function, wherein the content-request function, using one or more processors;

tracks the requests for the streaming content objects to identify, for each request received by the content request interface, a first content object being requested,

identifies, for each request received by the content request interface, a category of the requested first content object, wherein the category of the requested first content object is identified based on an analysis of the subject matter of the first content object,

stores the identified category,

monitors, for each request received, a first portion of the request that was streamed to the requesting end user system, wherein the first portion is less than an entire content object,

generates aggregated data indicating an amount of requests being for content objects with a specific category,

predicts a second portion of a second content object that will be streamed by more than one end user system in the future based on;

the aggregated data,

a category of the second content object being the identified category, and

the second portion being characteristic of the first portion, wherein the second portion is other than a beginning of the second content object, and

causes access to the second portion of the second content object to be improved such that the second portion of the second content object is set to be provided faster in response to a request for the second content object than would otherwise occur.

2. The CDN for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 1, wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved includes causing the second content object to be cached at an edge server.

3. The CDN for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 1, wherein, for each request received by the content request interface, the category of the requested content object is identified based on metadata of the requested content object.

4. The CDN for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 1, wherein the content-request function further:

monitors, for each request received by the content request interface, what portion of the request was streamed to the requesting end user system, and

predicts that a portion of the second content object will be provided in response to future requests,

wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved comprises causing access to the portion of the second content object to be improved.

5. The CDN for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 1, wherein predicting that the second content object will be requested in the future comprises predicting that a particular user will request the second content object.

6. The CDN for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 5, wherein the content-request function further estimates an edge server that will be serving the user in the future, and wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved includes causing the second content object to be cached at the edge server.

7. The CDN for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 1, wherein predicting that the second content object will be requested comprises predicting that the second content object will be requested more than a threshold number of times.

8. The CDN for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 1, wherein the generated aggregated data is indicative of an amount of requests assigned to a specific point of presence (POP) of the CDN being for content objects with the specific category, and wherein the prediction comprises a prediction that the specific POP will receive a future request for the second content object.

9. A method for streaming content over the Internet via a CDN to an end user system, the method comprising:

tracking requests from end user systems for streaming content objects being handled by the CDN to identify, for each request the tracked requests, a first content object being requested;

identifying, for each request of the tracked requests, a category of the requested first content object, wherein the category of the requested first content object is identified based on an analysis of the subject matter of the first content object;

storing the identified category;

monitoring, for each request received, a first portion of the request that was streamed to the requesting end user system, wherein the first portion is less than an entire content object;

generating aggregated data indicating an amount of requests being for content objects with a specific category;

predicting that a second portion of a second content object that will be streamed, via the CDN, to more than one end user system in the future based on the aggregated data, a category of the second content object being the identified category, and the second portion being characteristic of the first portion, wherein the second portion is other than a beginning of the second content object; and

causing access to the second portion of the second content object to be improved such that the second portion of the second content object is set to be provided faster in response to a request for the second content object than would otherwise occur.

10. The method for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 9, wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved includes causing the second content object to be cached at an edge server in the CDN.

11. The method for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 9, wherein, for each request received by the content request interface, the category of the requested content object is identified based on metadata of the requested content object.

12. The method for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring, for each request of the tracked requests, what portion of the request was streamed to the requesting end user system; and

predicting that a portion of the second content object will be provided in response to future requests,

wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved comprises causing access to the portion of the second content object to be improved.

13. The method for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 9, wherein predicting that the second content object will be requested in the future comprises predicting that a particular user will request the second content object.

14. The method for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 13, further comprising estimating an edge server of the CDN that will be serve the user in the future, wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved includes causing the second content object to be cached at the edge server.

15. The method for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 9, wherein predicting that the second content object will be requested comprises predicting that the second content object will be requested more than a threshold number of times.

16. The method for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 9, wherein the generated aggregated data is indicative of an amount of requests assigned to a specific point of presence (POP) of the CDN being for content objects with the specific category, and wherein the prediction comprises a prediction that the specific POP will receive a future request for the second content object.

17. A system for streaming content over the Internet to an end user system, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or memories coupled with said one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are configured to;

track requests from end user systems for streaming content to identify, for each request the tracked requests, a first content object being requested;

identify, for each request of the tracked requests, a category of the requested first content object, wherein the category of the requested first content object is identified based on an analysis of the subject matter of the first content object;

store the identified category;

monitor, for each request received, a first portion of the request that was streamed to the requesting end user system, wherein the first portion is less than an entire content object;

generate aggregated data indicating an amount of requests being for content objects with a specific category;

predict that a second portion of a second content object that will be requested, via the CDN, by more than one end user system in the future based on the aggregated data, a category of the second content object being the identified category, and the second portion being characteristic of the first portion, wherein the second portion is other than a beginning of the second content object; and

cause access to the second portion of the second content object to be improved such that the second portion of the second content object is set to be provided faster in response to a request for the second content object than would otherwise occur.

18. The system for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 17, wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved includes causing the second content object to be cached.

19. The system for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 17, wherein, for each request received by the content request interface, the category of the requested content object is identified based on metadata of the requested content object.

20. The system for streaming content over the Internet to the end user system as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to:

monitor, for each request of the tracked requests, what portion of the request was streamed to the requesting end user system; and

predict that a portion of the second content object will be provided in response to future requests,

wherein causing access to the second content object to be improved comprises causing access to the portion of the second content object to be improved.