System and method for resource management on a data network

• US 6,625,643 B1
• Filed: 11/13/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: McGinty, Michael, Colby, Kenneth W., Kenner, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/438,336
• Time in Patent Office: 1,410 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223-226, 709/231-232, 709/248, 709/249
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/746 Reaction triggered by a failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data

Abstract

A broadcast manager automatically commits resources and sets up network interconnections to produce a broadcast session on a data network. The broadcast manager automatically monitors usable network resources, tracks current data streams in the data network and tracks network resources that are used,by the current data streams to determine how resources are to be allocated. A system constructed according to the, invention may be used to provide multimedia distribution service that enables publishers to register multimedia presentations with the service and enables viewers to view these presentations.

Claims

1. A method of broadcasting at least one data stream over a data network, comprising the steps of:

scheduling a broadcast of at least one data stream over a data network to a plurality of recipients;

allocating network resources for the broadcast;

setting up network interconnections for the broadcast; and

automatically tracking at least one operation of at least one component in the data network to detect a component failure and, in response to a detected component failure, modifying network interconnections.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating step further comprises the step of monitoring usable resources to determine which resources may be allocated.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating step further comprises the step of tracking current data streams in the data network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating step further comprises the steps of tracking current data streams in the data network and tracking resources that are used by the current data streams.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining whether resources are available in order to determine whether a recipient may receive the data stream.

6. A method of broadcasting at least one data stream over a data network, comprising the steps of:

scheduling a broadcast of at least one data stream over a data network to a plurality of recipients;

automatically allocating network resources for the broadcast; and

automatically tracking at least one operation of at least one component in the data network to detect a component failure and, in response to a detected component failure, modifying network interconnections.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of setting up network interconnections to support the broadcast.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the automatically allocating step further comprises the step of monitoring usable resources to determine which resources may be allocated.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the automatically allocating step further comprises the step of tracking current data streams in the data network.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the automatically allocating step further comprises the steps of tracking current data streams in the data network and tracking resources that are used by the current data streams.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of determining whether resources are available in order to determine whether a recipient may receive the data stream.

12. A system for broadcasting at least one data stream over a data network, the system comprising:

a plurality of user terminals adapted to communicate with the data network;

a server adapted to communicate with the data network for providing at least one data stream over the data network;

a scheduler for scheduling a broadcast of the at least one data stream over the data network to the user terminals; and

at least one topology manager for allocating network resources, setting up network interconnections for the broadcast, and modifying the network interconnections upon detecting component failures.