Content delivery network (CDN) content server request handling mechanism

• US 8,122,102 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wein, Joel M., Kloninger, John Josef, Karger, David R., Lisiecki, Philip A., Nottingham, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ibrahim, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US11/772,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/214, 709217-218, 709/226, 709/231, 709/244, 709/219, 707/769, 707/770
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30

Abstract

To serve content through a content delivery network (CDN), the CDN must have some information about the identity, characteristics and state of its target objects. Such additional information is provided in the form of object metadata, which according to the invention can be located in the request string itself, in the response headers from the origin server, in a metadata configuration file distributed to CDN servers, or in a per-customer metadata configuration file. CDN content servers execute a request identification and parsing process to locate object metadata and to handle the request in accordance therewith. Where different types of metadata exist for a particular object, metadata in a configuration file is overridden by metadata in a response header or request string, with metadata in the request string taking precedence.

Claims

1. A method of content delivery, comprising:

establishing a content delivery network on behalf of participating content providers, the content delivery network managed by a content delivery network service provider and comprising a plurality of content servers and a domain name service (DNS);

associating a content provider domain or subdomain with a domain managed by the content delivery network service provider so that DNS queries to the content provider domain or subdomain are resolved by the content delivery network domain name service;

resolving a DNS query to the content provider domain or subdomain to an IP address associated with a given content server in the plurality of content servers, wherein the DNS query is resolved by the content delivery network domain name service using the domain managed by the content delivery network service provider in lieu of the content provider domain or subdomain;

at the given content server of the plurality of content servers in the content delivery network, receiving a request for a piece of content;

determining whether the piece of content is available to be served from the given content server in the content delivery network;

if the piece of content is available to be served from the given content server, having the given content server issue a validation request to an origin server that is authoritative for the piece of content; and

upon receipt at the given content server of an indication that the origin server has validated the piece of content in response to the validation request, serving the piece of content from the given content server.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the content provider domain or subdomain is associated with the domain managed by the content delivery network service provider through a DNS canonical name.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein a cookie is associated with the validation request.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the validation request is an if-modified-since (IMS) request.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the validation request is associated with a cookie authentication scheme.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the validation request is associated with an HTTP authentication scheme.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the piece of content is one of:

a markup language page, an embedded object of a markup language page, a media file, and a software download.

8. The method as described claim 1 further including:

specifying a content control to be applied to the piece of content prior to serving the piece of content from the content delivery network; and

communicating the content control for the piece of content to the plurality of content servers in the content delivery network.

9. The method as described in claim 8 wherein the content control specifies that the validation request should be issued to the origin server.