Content delivery network
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of providing content to end users from a content delivery network, the method comprising:
- receiving, within a content delivery network comprising a plurality of delivery servers, a content item from a content provider, the content provider providing a web site;
returning a uniform resource indicator (URI) corresponding to the content item, the URI operative to identify a plurality of inventory servers in the content delivery network;
provisioning the content item to one or more of the delivery servers in the content delivery network, the one or more delivery servers each comprising computer hardware;
in response to the one or more delivery servers receiving the content item, providing to the plurality of inventory servers a message from each of the one or more delivery servers that have received the content item, the message announcing the receiving of the content item by a respective one of the delivery servers, the message comprising content location information identifying a location of the content item on the respective delivery server;
storing inventory information in an inventory of each of the plurality of inventory servers, the inventory information describing which of the one or more delivery servers hosts the content item and the content location information for the content item;
receiving, at one of the plurality of inventory servers, a request for the content item from an end user, the request specifying the URI, the end user having received the URI in response to accessing the web site of the content provider;
in response to receiving the request for the content item, accessing the inventory of the selected inventory server to determine a selected one of the one or more delivery servers that hosts the content item;
redirecting the request for the content item from the selected inventory server to the selected delivery server; and
providing the content item to the end user from the selected delivery server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A content delivery system for providing content from a content delivery network to end users may include a plurality of delivery servers that host one or more content items and an inventory server having an inventory of content. The inventory of content can indicate which of the delivery servers host the content items. The inventory server may receive a request for a content item from an end user system and may access the inventory of content to determine one or more delivery servers that host the content item. In response to this determination, the inventory server may redirect the request for the content item to a selected one of the delivery servers. The selected delivery server can then serve the content item to the end user system.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of providing content to end users from a content delivery network, the method comprising:
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receiving, within a content delivery network comprising a plurality of delivery servers, a content item from a content provider, the content provider providing a web site; returning a uniform resource indicator (URI) corresponding to the content item, the URI operative to identify a plurality of inventory servers in the content delivery network; provisioning the content item to one or more of the delivery servers in the content delivery network, the one or more delivery servers each comprising computer hardware; in response to the one or more delivery servers receiving the content item, providing to the plurality of inventory servers a message from each of the one or more delivery servers that have received the content item, the message announcing the receiving of the content item by a respective one of the delivery servers, the message comprising content location information identifying a location of the content item on the respective delivery server; storing inventory information in an inventory of each of the plurality of inventory servers, the inventory information describing which of the one or more delivery servers hosts the content item and the content location information for the content item; receiving, at one of the plurality of inventory servers, a request for the content item from an end user, the request specifying the URI, the end user having received the URI in response to accessing the web site of the content provider; in response to receiving the request for the content item, accessing the inventory of the selected inventory server to determine a selected one of the one or more delivery servers that hosts the content item; redirecting the request for the content item from the selected inventory server to the selected delivery server; and providing the content item to the end user from the selected delivery server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions configured to implement in one or more processors a method of provisioning content in a content delivery network, the method comprising:
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provisioning a content item to first delivery servers selected from a plurality of delivery servers, each of the plurality of delivery servers comprising computer hardware; returning, to a provider of the content item, a uniform resource indicator (URI) corresponding to the content item, the URI operative to identify a plurality of inventory servers in the content delivery network; in response to a selected one of the first delivery servers receiving the content item, providing to the plurality of inventory servers an inventory message from the selected delivery server, the inventory message comprising content location information identifying a location of the content item on the selected delivery server; and storing, with each of the plurality of inventory servers, an inventory in physical computer storage, the inventory indicating which of the first delivery servers hosts the content item, thereby enabling a user system accessing a selected one of the inventory servers with the URI to be redirected to one of the delivery servers that hosts the content item. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A content delivery system for providing content from a content delivery network to end users, the system comprising:
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a plurality of delivery servers in a content delivery network, the delivery servers comprising computer hardware, at least some of the delivery servers hosting one or more content items; and a plurality of inventory servers, each of the inventory servers comprising an inventory of content, the inventory of content indicating which of the delivery servers host the one or more content items, the inventory being established in the plurality of inventory servers by receiving inventory announcements from one or more of the delivery servers that host the one or more content items, the inventory announcements comprising location information corresponding to the one or more content items on the respective one or more delivery servers; each of the inventory servers operative to; receive a request for a selected one of the one or more content items from a user system, the request specifying a logical location of the selected content item, the logical location configured to address each of the plurality of inventory servers while allowing the user system to connect to one of the plurality of inventory servers; use the logical location of the content item to access the inventory of content to determine one or more of the delivery servers that host the selected content item, and redirect the request for the selected content item to a selected one of the delivery servers, such that the selected delivery server is operative to serve the selected content item to the user system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification