Method for content distribution in a network supporting a security protocol

• US 7,149,803 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rubin, Aviel D., Rabinovich, Michael, Douglis, Frederick, Spatscheck, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Philip C.
• Application Number:
  US09/877,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 713/201, 370/395.32
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of providing content distribution services while minimizing the processing time required for security protocols such as the Secure Sockets Layer.

Claims

1. A method of operating a content distribution network switch in a content distribution network comprising the steps of:

receiving a packet from a client associated with a secure communication connection;

extracting information from the packet to identify a cache server in the content distribution network that maintains state information on the secure communication connection, wherein the information extracted from the packet comprises a session identifier used to compute a label identifying the cache server;

directing the packet towards the identified cache server;

wherein the label identifying the cache server is computed from the session identifier by a function f(SID) where SID is the session identifier; and

wherein the function f(SID)=SID MOD n+1 where n is the number of cache servers that can store the state information on the secure communication connection.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the secure communication connection is a Secure Sockets Layer connection.

3. A method of operating a cache server in a content distribution network comprising the steps of:

selecting a session identifier that may be utilized by a content distribution network switch to direct packets associated with a secure communication connection to the cache server;

negotiating a secure communication connection with a client;

maintaining state information for said secure communication connection by said cache server;

wherein the session identifier is used to compute a label identifying the cache server using a function f(SID) where SID is the session identifier; and

wherein the function f(SID)=SID MOD n+1 where n is the number of cache servers that can store the state information on the secure communication connection.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the secure communication connection is a Secure Sockets Layer connection.