Baton passing optimization scheme for load balancing/configuration planning in a video-on-demand computer system
First Claim
1. A video on demand computer system, comprising:
- a multimedia file server having memory for storing a limited number of videos;
a plurality of storage media connected to said multimedia file server, each of said storage media storing a plurality of videos; and
performance means, connected said multimedia file server, for performing selected ones of the videos for users responsive to received user performance request;
said multimedia file server including a central processing unit programmed to monitor numbers of videos being performed for each of the storage media and, based on the programmed monitoring operation, dynamically transferring the performance of a video in progress from one of the storage media to another storage media having a copy of the video in progress so as to balance the loads of the plurality of storage media wherein said central processing unit is further programmed to periodically perform a static reassignment of videos between said system memory and the storage media and between the storage media by transferring videos between memory and the storage media and between the storage media to optimize load balancing based on the user performance requests for each of the videos.
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Abstract
A video on demand computer system includes a plurality of storage media each storing a plurality of videos. The storage media are disks attached to a computer system. The computer system plays the videos on demand by reading out the videos from the disks as data steams to play selected ones of the videos for users responsive to received user performance requests. The computer system is programmed to monitor the numbers of videos being performed for each of the disks. Based on the monitoring function performed by the computer system, the computer system performs a load balancing function by transferring the performance of a video in progress from one of the disks to another disk having a copy of the video in progress. The computer system periodically performs a reassignment function to transfer videos between the disks to optimize load balancing based on the user performance requests for each of the videos. There are two phases to the load balancing performed by the computer system; a static phase and a dynamic phase. In the static phase, videos are assigned to memory and disks, and in the dynamic phase there is provided a scheme for playing videos with minimal and balanced loads on the disks. The static phase supports the dynamic phase which insures optimal real-time operation of the system. Dynamic phase load balancing is accomplished by a process of baton passing.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A video on demand computer system, comprising:
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a multimedia file server having memory for storing a limited number of videos; a plurality of storage media connected to said multimedia file server, each of said storage media storing a plurality of videos; and performance means, connected said multimedia file server, for performing selected ones of the videos for users responsive to received user performance request; said multimedia file server including a central processing unit programmed to monitor numbers of videos being performed for each of the storage media and, based on the programmed monitoring operation, dynamically transferring the performance of a video in progress from one of the storage media to another storage media having a copy of the video in progress so as to balance the loads of the plurality of storage media wherein said central processing unit is further programmed to periodically perform a static reassignment of videos between said system memory and the storage media and between the storage media by transferring videos between memory and the storage media and between the storage media to optimize load balancing based on the user performance requests for each of the videos. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of providing videos on demand in a multimedia computer system comprising the steps of:
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assigning videos to system memory and a plurality of storage media according to forecasts of demands for videos, each of said storage media storing a plurality of videos, said assigning including determining a number of copies of each video to be stored in said storage media with only one copy of any video on a single storage media; performing selected ones of the videos for users on demand in response to user performance request; monitoring numbers of videos being performed for each of the storage media; dynamically balancing the loads of said storage media by transferring the performance of a video in progress from one of the storage media to another storage media having a copy of the video in progress; and periodically performing a static reassignment of videos between said system memory and the storage media and between the storage media by transferring videos between memory and the storage media and between the storage media to optimize load balancing based on the user performance requests for each of the videos. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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Specification