Management of streaming media playlists

• US 7,886,068 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Anureita, Gupta, Mohit
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): THIAW, CATHERINE B
• Application Number:
  US11/262,370
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/203, 709210-219, 711118-146
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Various methods and apparatuses for storing a streaming media data play list in a cache memory are described. A streaming media data play list comprises a plurality of streaming media data entries associated with a single data pointer and the streaming media data entries comprise header data and payload data. In particular embodiments, a method for storing a streaming media data play list in a cache memory comprises receiving the streaming media data play list from a streaming media server, and storing the media data in the cache memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a caching server from a media data server, a streaming media data playlist comprising a plurality of streaming media data entries associated with a single data pointer, wherein the streaming media data entries are received in a recognizable pattern, the recognizable pattern defining an order for the plurality of streaming media data entries;

determining if the recognizable pattern is one of a media data server generated pattern and a client generated pattern, wherein the determining comprises determining whether metadata of the media server generated pattern has been modified based on a plurality of streaming media data entries of the media data server generated pattern, wherein metadata of a media server generated pattern is modified based on the recognizable pattern and wherein metadata of a client generated pattern is not modified based on the recognizable pattern;

identifying, by the caching server, a loop pattern in the streaming media data playlist;

breaking a connection between the caching server and the media data server as a result of identifying the loop pattern; and

if the recognizable pattern is a media data server generated pattern, storing the streaming media data play list in a cache memory in an order defined by the recognizable pattern, wherein a streaming media entry that repeats in the media data server generated pattern is stored only once, wherein an indication for the loop pattern is set by the caching server as a result of identifying the loop pattern.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the data pointer is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

3. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a unique validator string associated with each of the plurality of the streaming media data entries.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the unique validator string comprises a content descriptor list, the content descriptor list comprising an indication of a name, a duration, and a starting offset of the corresponding streaming media data entry.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein the unique validator string further comprises a file header of the corresponding streaming media data entry.

6. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising:

not storing at least a portion of a streaming media entry on the cache memory if the content descriptor list indicates that the portion has previously been stored on the cache memory.

7. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the content descriptor list further comprises an indication of the pattern in which the plurality of streaming media data entries are received.

8. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the content descriptor list further comprises an indication that a particular one of the plurality of media entries play in an infinite loop.

9. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the streaming media data entries comprise header data and payload data.

10. The method recited in claim 9, further comprising:

storing the payload data in a first plurality of data objects in the cache memory, wherein each data object of the first plurality of data objects stores a portion of the payload data.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein storing the payload data in a first plurality of data objects in the cache memory further comprises:

determining the content type and publishing point of the payload data to be cached.

12. A method for serving streaming media data from a cache memory comprising:

identifying a loop pattern in the streaming media data;

determining, by a caching server, if a recognizable pattern in which the streaming media data entries are received is a media data server generated pattern or a client generated pattern, wherein the determining comprises determining whether metadata of the media server generated pattern has been modified based on a plurality of streaming media data entries of the media data server generated pattern, the recognizable pattern defining an order for the plurality of streaming media data entries;

if the recognizable pattern is a media data server generated pattern, storing the streaming media data entries in the caching server in an the order defined by the recognizable pattern, wherein a streaming media entry that repeats in the media data server generated pattern is stored only once, wherein an indication for the loop pattern is set by the caching server as a result of identifying the loop pattern;

retrieving data associated with a streaming media data playlist comprising the plurality of streaming media data entries, wherein the plurality of streaming media data entries is accessible by a single data pointer; and

communicating the retrieved data to a client in the order defined by the recognizable pattern, wherein the retrieved data is communicated to a client in an infinite loop if the indication for the loop pattern is set for the streaming media data playlist.

13. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising:

retrieving a unique validator string associated with each of the plurality of the streaming media data entries.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the unique validator string stores an indication of an order in which the streaming media data entries are served to the client.

15. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the unique validator string comprises a content descriptor list comprising a name of the streaming media data entry associated with the unique validator string, a duration of the streaming media data entry, and a starting offset of the streaming media data entry.

16. A system to communicate a streaming media playlist, the system comprising:

a processor;

a cache memory coupled to the processor, the cache memory configured to store streaming media data entries; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a plurality of code modules for execution by the processor, the plurality of code modules comprising;

a code module to receive a plurality of streaming media data entries of the SSP associated with a single data pointer;

a code module to determine if a recognizable pattern in which the plurality of streaming media data entries are received is one of a media data server generated pattern and a client generated pattern, wherein the determining comprises determining whether metadata of the media server generated pattern has been modified based on a plurality of streaming media data entries of the media data server generated pattern, the recognizable pattern defining an order for the plurality of streaming media data entries; and

a code module to identify a loop pattern in the streaming media data playlist; and

a code module to store the plurality of streaming media data entries on the cache in an order defined by the recognizable pattern, if the recognizable pattern is a media data server generated pattern, wherein a streaming media data entry that repeats in the media data server generated pattern is stored only once, wherein an indication for the loop pattern is set in the cache by the code module as a result of identifying the loop pattern.

17. The system recited in claim 16, the plurality of code modules further comprising:

a code module to store a validator string corresponding to each of the plurality of streaming media data entries, wherein the validator string uniquely identifies the streaming media data entry to which it corresponds.

18. The system recited in claim 17, the plurality of code modules further comprising:

a code module to receive a data request from a first system requesting the SSP; and

a code module to retrieve, from the cache, a plurality of objects corresponding to the requested SSP.

19. A method of storing a server side playlist (SSP) comprising a plurality of media data entries in a cache, the method comprising:

receiving, at a caching server from a media data server, information comprising media data and header data corresponding to the plurality of media data entries, wherein the information is associated with a single data pointer;

generating a validator for each media data entry in the SSP, wherein the validator comprises an indication of a starting offset of the media data entry;

using the validators to determine if a recognizable pattern in which the information corresponding to the plurality of media data entries is received is one of a media data server generated pattern and a client generated pattern by determining whether the validators have been modified based on a plurality of streaming media data entries of the media data server generated pattern, the recognizable pattern defining an order for the plurality of streaming media data entries; and

determining that one or more of the plurality of media entries of the SSP play in an infinite loop based on the streaming media entries.

20. The method recited in claim 19, further comprising:

storing the plurality of media data entries in the cache as a plurality of objects, each object in the plurality of objects storing a portion of the media data entries.

21. The method recited in claim 19, wherein the validator further comprises an indication of an order in which the streaming media data entries are communicated to a client.