CONFIGURATION AND CONTROL IN CONTENT DELIVERY FRAMEWORK

• US 20140222977A1
• Filed: 11/23/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandpiper CDN, LLC (Theseus LF Asset Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Varney, Lewis Robert, Lipstone, Laurence R., Crowder, William, Swart, Andrew, Newton, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,742,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0808 with cache invalidating means G06F12/0815 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 : Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 : using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 : using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 : Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 : Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 : Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 : Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 : Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 : Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 : Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A system has multiple service endpoints running on a plurality of devices, wherein each particular service endpoint consumes control resources specifying a configuration for the particular service endpoint. A method includes evaluating a configuration object using first external resource inputs to produce an evaluated configuration object; generating a template, the generating using the evaluated configuration object and second external resource inputs; rendering the template with a set of actual parameter values to produce a localized control resource, the rendering using third external resource inputs; and providing the localized control resource to at least one service endpoint in the system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, operable in a system comprising multiple service endpoints, said service endpoints running on a plurality of devices, wherein each particular service endpoint consumes control resources specifying a configuration for said particular service endpoint, the method operable on one or more devices comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, the method comprising:

(A) evaluating a configuration object using first external resource inputs to produce an evaluated configuration object;

(B) generating a template, said generating using said evaluated configuration object and second external resource inputs;

(C) rendering said template with a set of actual parameter values to produce a localized control resource, said rendering using third external resource inputs; and

(D) providing said localized control resource to at least one service endpoint in said system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first external resource inputs comprise global external resource inputs and said third external resource inputs comprise local external resource inputs.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least some of said first external resource inputs comprise global external resource inputs and said second external resource inputs and said third external resource inputs comprise:

information from a collector system, said information comprising information about at least some of said multiple service endpoints in said network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said information about at least some of said multiple service endpoints was determined, at least in part, by said collector system based on information obtained by said collector system during operation of said at least some of said multiple service endpoints.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the information obtained by said collector system during operation of said at least some of said multiple service endpoints comprises information about ongoing operation of said at least some of said multiple service endpoints.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first external resource inputs comprise:

information from a collector system, said information comprising information about at least some of said multiple service endpoints in said network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said evaluating in (A) is performed by a configuration service.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating in (B) is performed by a configuration service.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said rendering in (C) is performed by a control service.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing in (D) distributes said localized control resource via a caching network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuration object is a global configuration object (GCO).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuration object is layer configuration objects (LCO).

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing in (D) comprises:

providing said localized control resource in response to a request from a particular service endpoint.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(E) by a particular service endpoint, obtaining said localized control resource; and

(F) operating in accordance with configuration information in said localized control resource.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said localized control resource is subject to invalidation.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said rendering of said template comprises:

rendering said template with said set of actual parameters in (C) produces said localized control resource as a ground control resource directly consumable by a target service.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuration object was determined based on a user input.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating in (B) further comprises:

generating a localizable parameter set representing a family of control resources.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one service endpoint in (D) is a content delivery (CD) service selected from:

collector services, reducer services, control services, configuration services, delivery services, rendezvous services, caching services, and streaming services.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(E) invalidating said localized control resource.

21. A computer-implemented method, operable in a network comprising multiple service endpoints, said service endpoints running on a plurality of devices, wherein each service endpoint consumes control resources specifying local configuration for said service endpoint, the method operable on a device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, the method comprising, by a particular service endpoint:

(A) obtaining a localized control resource; and

(B) operating in accordance with information in said localized control resource, wherein

said localized control resource was formed by rendering a template with a set of actual parameter values, wherein said rendering used local external resource inputs.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said template was formed from an evaluated configuration object and first external resource inputs, said evaluated configuration object having been generated from a configuration object determined based on a user input.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said particular service endpoint obtains said localized control resource from a caching network.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said particular service endpoint obtains said localized control resource from a control service.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said particular service endpoint obtains said localized control resource from said control service via a caching network.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said particular service endpoint is a content delivery (CD) service selected from:

collector services, reducer services, control services, configuration services, delivery services, rendezvous services, caching services, and streaming services.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

(C) invalidating said localized control resource.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

in response to said invalidating in (C);

(D) obtaining a second localized control resource; and

(E) operating in accordance with information in said second localized control resource.

29. A system, operable in a network comprising multiple service endpoints, said service endpoints running on a plurality of devices, the system comprising:

(a) hardware including memory and at least one processor, and

(b) one or more services running on said hardware, wherein said one or more services are configured to;

(A) evaluate a configuration object using first external resource inputs to produce an evaluated configuration object;

(B) generate a template, said generating using said evaluated configuration object and second external resource inputs;

(C) render said template with a set of actual parameter values to produce a localized control resource, said rendering using third external resource inputs; and

(D) provide said localized control resource to at least one service endpoint in said system.

30. A computer program product having computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory computer readable media, the computer readable instructions including instructions for implementing a computer-implemented method, said method operable on one or more devices comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor and running one or more services on said hardware, said method operable in a network comprising multiple service endpoints, said service endpoints running on a plurality of devices, and said method comprising:

(A) evaluating a configuration object using first external resource inputs to produce an evaluated configuration object;

(B) generating a template, said generating using said evaluated configuration object and second external resource inputs;

(C) rendering said template with a set of actual parameter values to produce a localized control resource, said rendering using third external resource inputs; and

(D) providing said localized control resource to at least one service endpoint in said system.