Systems and methods to uniquely identify assets in a federation

• US 8,244,915 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edgio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EdgeCast Networks (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Peters, Robert J., Kazerani, Alexander A
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US13/427,183
• Time in Patent Office: 145 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/249, 709/219, 709/220, 707/661, 707/802, 707/803, 707/821, 707/827
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Some embodiments provide different frameworks that implement conflict avoidance systems and methods for ensuring uniqueness in identifying assets for different customers that are deployed to server capacity of one or more distributed platforms participating in a federation. Specifically, different frameworks are provided whereby the distributed platforms authorize use of a domain before configuring the domain to identify assets of a customer. A method performed in one such framework includes receiving a domain that is specified for identifying assets of a first customer belonging to a first distributed platform of the federation. The method determines whether the domain conflicts with a domain that is configured by a second distributed platform of the federation. The method then communicates with the first distributed platform (i) to configure the received domain when there is no conflict and (ii) to prevent the first distributed platform from configuring the received domain when there is a conflict.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for uniquely identifying assets in a federation, the federation comprising a plurality of distributed platforms, each distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms operating a different set of servers for serving at least some of said assets, the computer-implemented method comprising:

configuring at least one server that is operated by a first distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms to distribute an asset for a first customer of the first distributed platform;

providing a first domain name to identify the asset in the first distributed platform;

configuring a second domain name as an alias for the first domain name such that a request that requests the first customer'"'"'s asset using the second domain name is aliased to request the first customer'"'"'s asset using the first domain name, wherein the second domain name is specified by the first customer;

allocating server capacity from at least one server of the first distributed platform for use by a second distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms to distribute an asset for a second customer of the second distributed platform; and

authorizing a third domain name that is specified by at least one of the second customer and the second distributed platform to ensure uniqueness to the second domain name.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising preventing configuration of the third domain name when the authorization identifies that the third domain name is not unique to the second domain name.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising configuring the third domain name as an alias for a fourth domain name when the authorization identifies that the third domain name is unique to the second domain name, and wherein a request that requests the second customer'"'"'s asset using the third domain name is aliased to request the second customer'"'"'s asset using the fourth domain name.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the fourth domain name is a distributed platform specified domain name and the third domain name is a customer specified domain name.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein configuring the third domain name comprises modifying Domain Name System (DNS) operation for the federation by entering a CNAME record specifying the third domain name as an alias to the fourth domain name.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein modifying DNS operation for the federation comprises modifying an authoritative DNS server for at least one of the first distributed platform and the second distributed platform.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising providing an interface for the second customer to specify a different domain name to identify the second customer'"'"'s asset when the third domain is not unique to the second domain name.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first customer and the second customer are the same entity utilizing the first distributed platform to deliver said asset and utilizing the second distributed platform to deliver at least one of said asset or a different asset.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first customer is a different entity than the second customer.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third domain name is specified by the second customer by interfacing with the second distributed platform independent of the first distributed platform.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one server that is operated by the second distributed platform is configured to distribute the second customer'"'"'s asset in conjunction with the at least one server that is operated by the first distributed platform.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one server that is operated by the first distributed platform is used to distribute the second customer'"'"'s asset without the second customer having interacted with the first distributed platform, and wherein the second customer interacts with the second distributed platform.

13. A method for uniquely identifying assets in a federation, the federation comprising a plurality of distributed platforms, each distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms operating a different set of servers for distributing at least some of said assets, the method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of custom specified addressing identifiers that are configured for requesting assets that are distributed by the set of servers operated by a first distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms;

allocating server capacity from at least one server that is operated by the first distributed platform to a second distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms for use by the second distributed platform to offload distribution of a particular asset from the second distributed platform to the first distributed platform;

receiving, from the second distributed platform, a custom specified addressing identifier for use in requesting the particular asset from the first distributed platform;

determining whether the custom specified addressing identifier for the particular asset conflicts with any of the monitored plurality of custom specified addressing identifiers; and

configuring the custom specified addressing identifier for the particular asset in the first distributed platform when there is no conflict.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each custom specified addressing identifier is an alias to a distributed platform specified addressing identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein configuring the custom specified addressing identifier comprises modifying traffic management operation of the federation to facilitate routing of a request for the particular asset by converting from the custom specified addressing identifier that is specified for the particular asset to a distributed platform specified addressing identifier that is aliased to by the customer specified addressing identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying the traffic management operation of the federation comprises modifying DNS operation of at least one of the first and second distributed platforms.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying the traffic management operation comprises configuring a DNS CNAME record to specify the custom specified addressing identifier for requesting the particular asset.

18. A computer-implemented method for uniquely identifying assets in a federation, the federation comprising a plurality of distributed platforms, each distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms operating a different set of servers for serving at least some of said assets, said computer-implemented method performed by a first distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms, said computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to configure a custom addressing identifier for use in requesting an asset that a customer of the first distributed platform has deployed to the first disturbed platform for distribution;

acquiring server capacity from at least one server that is operated by a second distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platform to at least partially offload distribution of the asset from the first distributed platform to the second distributed platform;

authorizing the custom addressing identifier for use in requesting the asset from the at least one server that is operated by the second distributed platform, wherein said authorizing verifies that the custom addressing identifier for the asset does not conflict with any addressing identifier already configured for use in requesting an asset from a server that is operated by the second distributed platform; and

initiating configuration of the custom addressing identifier when there is no conflict such that the asset of the first distributed platform customer may be requested from a server of the second distributed platform using the custom addressing identifier.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 further comprising preventing configuration of the custom addressing identifier when there is conflict between the custom addressing identifier and at least one addressing identifier already configured for use in requesting an asset from a server that is operated by the second distributed platform.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising providing an interface for the customer to specify an alternate custom specified identifier.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the customer addressing identifier is an alias to a distributed platform addressing identifier that identifies the at least one server of the second distributed platform that is provisioned to distribute the asset.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein initiating configuration comprises defining a CNAME record to modify DNS operation of the second distributed platform such that a request for the asset specifying the custom specified addressing identifier is aliased to the distributed platform addressing identifier.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, said program for uniquely identifying assets in a federation comprising a plurality of distributed platforms, each distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms operating a different set of servers for serving at least some of said assets, wherein said program instructs a microprocessor to perform sets of instructions for:

monitoring a plurality of CNAME records that each distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms has configured to address assets that are distributed by at least one server that is operated by that distributed platform, wherein each CNAME record of the plurality of CNAME records comprises a custom specified identifier that is an alias for a distributed platform defined identifier;

receiving a request to configure a particular custom specified identifier for use in requesting a particular asset that is provisioned for distribution by at least one server that is operated by a particular distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms;

verifying that the particular custom specified identifier does not conflict with any custom specified identifiers of the monitored plurality of CNAME records that are configured for addressing assets distributed by the set of servers that is operated by the particular distributed platform; and

issuing authorization enabling configuration of the particular custom specified identifier as part of a CNAME record for addressing the particular asset when no conflict is identified; and

issuing notification to prevent configuration of the particular custom specified identifier when the custom specified identifier is in conflict with a custom specified identifier of at least one CNAME record that is configured for addressing an asset that is distributed by at least one server that is operated by the particular distributed platform.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the set of instructions for issuing authorization enabling configuration comprises a set of instructions for authorizing entry of the CNAME record comprising the particular custom specified identifier to modify DNS operation of at least one of the federation and the first distributed platform.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the particular distributed platform is a first distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms, and wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for receiving a request to configure the particular custom specified identifier for use in requesting an asset that is provisioned for distribution by at least one server that is operated by a second distributed platform of the plurality of distributed platforms, and wherein the set of instructions for verifying comprises a set of instructions for verifying that the custom specified identifier does not conflict with any custom specified identifiers of the monitored plurality of CNAME records that are configured for addressing assets distributed by at least one server that is operated by the second distributed platform.