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Scalable, high performance and highly available distributed storage system for Internet content

  • US 7,472,178 B2
  • Filed: 04/01/2002
  • Issued: 12/30/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of content storage and delivery, operative in a content delivery network (CDN) deployed, operated and managed by a service provider on behalf of participating content providers, where the participating content providers are distinct from the service provider, comprising:

  • (a) deploying a content delivery network that comprises (i) a plurality of CDN content servers that are organized into sets, (ii) one or more CDN storage sites that are distinct from the plurality of content servers; and

    (iii) one or more CDN-managed domain name servers each of which is authoritative to resolve predetermined CDN-specific hostnames, where each such hostname has a first portion uniquely associated with a given participating content provider and a second portion associated with the service provider;

    (b) for a first participating content provider;

    (i) establishing a first content storage directory at a storage site;

    (ii) providing the first participating content provider with a first CDN-specific hostname for use in association with the first content storage directory, the first CDN-specific hostname having a first portion uniquely associated with the first participating content provider, and the second portion;

    (iii) receiving, via upload, and storing, in the first content storage directory at the storage site, first content, where the first content is one of;

    a web object, a media file, or a software download that the first participating content provider desires to be stored and delivered over the CDN;

    (c) for a second participating content provider distinct from the first content provider;

    (i) establishing a second content storage directory at a storage site;

    (ii) providing the second participating content provider with a second CDN-specific hostname for use in association with the second content storage directory, the second CDN-specific hostname having a first portion uniquely associated with the second participating content provider, and the second portion;

    (iii) receiving, via upload, and storing, in the second content storage directory at the storage site, second content, where the second content is one of;

    web object, a media file, or a software download that the second participating content provider desires to be stored and delivered over the CDN;

    (d) upon receipt by a CDN-managed domain name server of a DNS query associated with the first CDN-specific hostname;

    (i) identifying one or more CDN content servers;

    (ii) receiving a request for the first content at one of the identified content servers;

    (iii) if the first content is available to be served, serving the first content; and

    (iv) if the first content is not available to be served, obtaining a copy of the first content from the first content storage directory as needed to respond to the request for the first content;

    (e) upon receipt by a CDN-managed domain name server of a DNS query associated with the second CDN-specific hostname;

    (i) identifying one or more CDN content servers;

    (ii) receiving a request for the second content at one of the identified CDN content servers;

    (iii) if the second content is available to be served, serving the second content; and

    (iv) if the second content is not available to be served, obtaining a copy of the second content from the second content storage directory as needed to respond to the request for the second content;

    where the second portion is common to each of the first and second CDN-specific hostnames, and where the first CDN-specific hostname also has associated therewith a value that identifies the first content storage directory from which the copy of the first content can be obtained, and where the second CDN-specific hostname also has associated therewith a value that identifies the second content storage directory from which the copy of the second content can be obtained;

    wherein the one or more CDN storage sites include first and second CDN storage sites that are each located in different Internet-accessible locations and operate asynchronously and autonomously from one another.

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