System and method for controlling access to content carried in a caching architecture

• US 7,577,754 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Online Video Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ADARA Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Garcia-Luna-Aceves, J J, Smith, Bradley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqi; Mohammad A
• Application Number:
  US09/845,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,036 Days
• Field of Search: 709224-226, 709/105, 709/239, 709217-219, 709/242, 709/228, 709/238, 709/227, 709/245, 709/246, 705/50, 707/201, 370/390
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1483 using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A set of access control labels is assigned to each of a number of users of a caching infrastructure in a network. The labels are used in specifying access control lists for content of the users. Requests for the content are referred to selected information object repositories of the caching infrastructure without regard as to whether the content is actually stored at the information object repositories; and access to the content is controlled according to access lists developed according to the access control labels. Access to the content may be controlled by comparing information included in uniform resource locators (URLs) to the access control lists. Such information may be one or more digital signatures, for example, which identify one or more of: the source of the requests, and an owner of an information object being requested. The access control lists are preferably maintained corresponding to the access control labels, which may be hierarchical in nature. Each of the information object repositories of the caching infrastructure may store a copy of each of the access control lists. Access to content is denied if a request therefor is not authorized, otherwise, the content is returned to a requester thereof.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

directing a client'"'"'s request for an information object to an information object repository without regard as to whether the information object is actually stored at the information object repository, wherein the directing includes mapping an address of a client to the information object repository by executing a Web Information Locator by Distance (WILD) protocol; and

determining, according to information included in a uniform resource locator (URL) whether the client is authorized to receive the information object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information object repository is selected according to specified performance metrics.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the specified performance metrics comprise one or more of:

average delay from the information object repository to the client, average processing delays at the information object repository, reliability of a path from the information object repository to the client, available bandwidth in said path, and loads on the information object repository.

4. The method of claims 2 further comprising instructing the information object repository to obtain a copy of the information object.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the information included in the URL comprises information identifying the requesting client.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the information included in the URL further comprises information identifying an owner of the information object.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the information included in the URL comprises one or more digital signatures.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more digital signatures identify one or more of:

the requesting client, and an owner of the information object.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the information included in the URL is compared with an access list at the information object repository to determine whether the client is authorized to receive the information object.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising denying access to the information object if the client is not authorized to receive the information object, otherwise, returning the information object to the client.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the information included in the URL comprises multiple digital signatures and each digital signature is compared with an access list at the information object repository to determine whether the client is authorized to receive the information object.