Parallel management of load servers, cache servers, and feed servers

• US 8,296,375 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Katzer, Robin D., Ng, Sei Y., Stone, M. Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Mirza, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US12/365,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A system of content delivery is provided. The system comprises cache servers, data loaders, and content feed servers. The cache servers store content. The data loaders communicate with the content cache servers, and each data loader writes updated content to each of the content cache servers. The data loaders schedule the retrieval of the updated content from content sources based on a refresh period. The data loaders arbitrate periodically to prevent duplication of file entries. The content feed servers are in communication with the content cache servers and each of the data loaders. Each feed server receives a request for content from an electronic device and requests the content from one of the content cache servers. When the content cache server replies that the requested content is not available, the feed server sends the request for the content to one of the data loaders.

Claims

1. A system of content delivery, comprising:

a plurality of content cache servers, each cache server storing a plurality of current content and sending requested content, where the current content is substantially the same at each of the cache servers;

a plurality of data loaders, each data loader in communication with each of the content cache servers, each data loader to retrieve an updated content from a content source and to write the updated content to each of the content cache servers, the data loaders to schedule retrieving the updated content from the content source based on a file entry comprising a refresh period for the updated content, the data loaders to arbitrate periodically to prevent duplication of file entries; and

a plurality of content feed servers, each feed server in communication with each of the content cache servers and each of the data loaders, each feed server to receive a request for content from an electronic device, to request the content from one of the content cache servers, and when the content cache server replies that the requested content is not available, to send the request for the content to one of the data loaders selected based on a round-robin selection process and to send a message to the electronic device to resend the request for content at a later time, wherein the message comprises the later time at which the electronic device is to resend the request for content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data loaders arbitrate file entries comprising the refresh period by sending copies of the file entries to each of the data loaders and expunging duplicate file entries.

3. The system of claim 1, where when the content cache server replies that the requested content is not available, the content feed server waits to receive a synchronous reply from the data loader containing the requested updated content and sends the updated content to the electronic device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the requested content comprises one of a stock quote, a weather report, a weather forecast, a sports score, and a news headline.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a media player.

6. A method of updating content, comprising:

fetching, by each of a plurality of data loaders, updated content from a content server;

writing, by each of the plurality of data loaders, the updated content to each of the plurality of cache servers, wherein the plurality of data loaders schedule retrieving the updated content from the content server based on a file entry comprising a refresh period for the updated content, and wherein the plurality of data loaders arbitrate periodically to prevent duplication of file entries;

receiving, by one of a plurality of content feed servers, a request to send content from an electronic device;

requesting, by the one of the plurality of content feed servers, the content from one of a plurality of cache servers, wherein each of the plurality of cache servers stores a plurality of current content and sends requested content, and wherein the current content is substantially the same at each of the plurality of cache servers; and

when the requested updated content is not present in the one of the plurality of cache servers, sending, by the one of the plurality of content feed servers, a message to the electronic device to resend the request at a later time, wherein the message comprises the later time at which the electronic device is to resend the request for content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a media player.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the request to send content is for receiving a really simple syndication (RSS) content feed.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein requesting the content from the one of the plurality of cache servers comprises selecting the one of the plurality of cache servers using a round-robin selection process.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the content comprises one or more of sports scores, current weather conditions, weather forecasts, stock quotes, and news headlines.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of data loaders stops fetching the updated content from the content server periodically after a pre-defined length of time.

12. A system of content delivery, comprising:

a plurality of content cache servers, each cache server storing a plurality of current content and sending requested content, where the current content is substantially the same at each of the cache servers;

a plurality of data loaders, each data loader in communication with each of the content cache servers, each data loader to retrieve an updated content from a content source and to write the updated content to each of the content cache servers, the data loaders to schedule retrieving the updated content from the content source based on a file entry comprising a refresh period for the updated content, the data loaders to arbitrate periodically to prevent duplication of file entries; and

a plurality of content feed servers, each feed server in communication with each of the content cache servers and each of the data loaders, each feed server to receive a request for content from an electronic device, to request the content from one of the content cache servers, and when the content cache server replies that the requested content is not available, to send the request for the content to one of the data loaders selected based on a universal reference locator (URL) of the requested content and to send a message to the electronic device to resend the request for content at a later time, wherein the message comprises the later time at which the electronic device is to resend the request for content.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the content feed servers communicate with the electronic device using hypertext transport protocol (HTTP).

14. The system of claim 12, wherein each data loader comprises an at least one file listing a plurality of universal reference locators and associated update intervals, wherein the data loader retrieves updated content from the content sources identified by the universal reference locators at times based on the update intervals.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data loader comprises a first file listing a first plurality of universal reference locators and associated update intervals, where the first universal reference locators do not change based on location and a second file listing a second plurality of universal reference locators and associated update intervals, where the second universal reference locators change based on location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data loaders use the first file and second file to resume periodic retrieval of updated content from the content sources after the data loader is rebooted.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein each data loader translates the updated content into an extensible mark-up language format before writing the updated content to each of the content cache servers.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a media player, and wherein the updated content in extensible mark-up language format promotes the electronic device presenting the updated content.