Unified web hosting and content distribution system and method for assuring predetermined performance levels

• US 7,657,622 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marlow Technologies, Llc
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Douglis, Frederick, Sommer, Joseph M., Shur, David H., Van Der Merwe, Jacobus E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin; Yemane
• Application Number:
  US10/743,430
• Time in Patent Office: 2,233 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A service model, integrated system, and method for enabling a service provider to deliver an integrated web hosting and content distribution service offering, which affords assured operational performance service levels, regardless of whether the customer'"'"'s web site is served by the service provider'"'"'s hosting center, the service provider'"'"'s content distribution network (CDN), by a third party web host, or by a third party CDN. A monitoring system of the primary service provider receives detailed capacity and health statistics from any CDN under the operational control of the primary service provider, receives aggregate capacity and health statistics from other CDNs not under the operational control of the primary service provider. A redirection system then decides to which web host, content distribution network, or combination thereof, user requests for content are directed in order that operational performance service levels are maintained.

Claims

1. A system for delivering an integrated web hosting and content distribution affording a predetermined service operational performance level to an individual client, comprising:

a first web hosting server for a web site;

at least one content distribution network;

a redirection means for receiving DNS requests from access devices through a local DNS; and

monitoring means for monitoring operational performance parameters of the first web hosting server and the at least one content distribution network, wherein the redirection means and the monitoring means are, and the at least one content distribution network being under operational control of a primary service provider, of the individual client;

wherein, based on signals from the monitoring means, the redirection means of the primary service provider returns a record to the local DNS indicating whether or not the first web hosting server is capable of meeting the predetermined operational service performance level for each DNS request received from the local DNS, and

the redirection means sending the local DNS a record including an IP address of the first web hosting server for each DNS request received from the local DNS when a performance value is below a predetermined operational performance level threshold, and

the redirection means sending the local DNS a different record causing the local DNS to make a subsequent DNS request to a DNS of the at least one content distribution network for each DNS request received from the local DNS when the performance value is equal to or above the predetermined operational performance level threshold.

2. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the first web hosting server and one of the at least one content distribution networks are operated under the control of the primary service provider.

3. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the first web hosting server and the at least one content distribution networks are monitored by, but not operated by, the primary service provider.

4. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the redirection means includes a redirection DNS.

5. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the redirection means provides application level redirection.

6. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring means of the primary service provider receives detailed capacity and health statistics of any of the at least one CDN under the operational control of the primary service provider, and receives aggregate capacity and health statistics from others of the at least one CDN not under the operational control of the primary service provider.

7. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the operational performance level threshold is response time.

8. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, further comprising an integrated provisioning system.

9. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, further comprising a customer management interface.

10. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, further comprising an integrated customer billing and reporting system.

21. The system for delivering an integrated service according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operational service performance level is agreed to between the primary service provider and the individual client.

11. A method for delivering an integrated web hosting and content distribution service which affords a predetermined service operational performance level to an individual client, comprising the steps of:

providing a first web hosting server for a web site, at least one content distribution network, redirection means, and monitoring means, wherein at least the redirection means and the monitoring means, and the at least one content distribution network are under operational control of a primary service provider, of the individual client

receiving a DNS requests from access devices through a local DNS;

monitoring operational performance parameters of a first web host and at least one content distribution network, wherein, based on signals from the monitoring means,

the redirection means of the primary service provider returning a record to the local DNS for each DNS request received from the local DNS indicating whether or not the first web hosting server is capable of meeting said predetermined service operational performance level, the record including an IP address of the first web hosting server for each DNS request received from the local DNS when a performance value is below a predetermined operational performance level threshold, and

the redirection means sending the local DNS a different record causing the local DNS to make a subsequent DNS request to a DNS of the at least one content distribution network for each DNS request received from the local DNS when the performance value is equal to or above the predetermined operational performance level threshold.

12. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

operating the first web hosting server and one of the at least one content distribution networks under the control of the primary service provider.

13. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

monitoring the first web hosting server and one of the at least one content distribution network by the primary service provider, but not operating the first web hosting server and any of the at least one content distribution networks under the control of the primary service provider.

14. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, wherein the redirection means includes a redirection DNS.

15. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, wherein the redirection means provides application level redirection.

16. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

receiving detailed capacity and health statistics of any of the at least one CDN under the operational control of the primary service provider, and receiving only aggregate capacity and health statistics from others of the at least one CDN not under the operational control of the primary service provider.

17. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, wherein the operational performance level threshold is available bandwidth.

18. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising an integrated provisioning system.

19. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising a customer management interface.

20. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing integrated customer billing and reporting.

22. The method for delivering an integrated service according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined operational service performance level is agreed to between the primary service provider and the individual client.