Distributed file system consistency mechanism extension for enabling internet video broadcasting
First Claim
1. In a computing system where a media file resides within a network file server and the media file is accessed remotely by a first application via a data network, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to request notification when the media file is accessed by performing the steps:
- receiving a first notification registration request at an intermediate node from a first upstream device for a media file residing within a network file server, wherein the first notification registration request includes a first file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server;
registering the first notification request that specifies the first file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server;
transmitting the first notification request to a downstream device via the data network;
wherein the downstream device is configured to receive the first notification request and to transmit a notification message based on the notification request in response to an access being performed on the media file;
receiving a second notification registration request at the intermediate node from a second upstream device for the media file residing within the network file server, wherein the second notification registration request includes a second file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server;
determining that the second file descriptor is the same as the first file descriptor; and
updating the registered first notification request to transmit the notification message received from the downstream device to the first upstream device and the second upstream device in response to an access being performed on the media file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The consistency callback mechanisms employed by local file systems such as NTFS and distributed file systems such as DDS, NFS and CIFS are extended to provide a shared memory foundation for efficiently broadcasting real-time high definition video from a source object to large numbers of viewers via the Internet. Distributed applications such as video viewing client applications establish connections to a common distributed file system object, and then each application registers with the underlying distributed file system to receive notifications whenever the video source modifies the source object. The data required to update images maintained by viewing clients is included in notification messages. The distributed file system employs a network of proxy cache nodes. Proxy cache nodes receive notification messages (complete with image update data) and update their cached images of the source object and then retransmit the notification messages towards the viewing clients using IP multicast techniques. In this manner, the distributed file system'"'"'s consistency mechanism efficiently employs network resources to enable the real-time distribution of video content streams.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. In a computing system where a media file resides within a network file server and the media file is accessed remotely by a first application via a data network, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to request notification when the media file is accessed by performing the steps:
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receiving a first notification registration request at an intermediate node from a first upstream device for a media file residing within a network file server, wherein the first notification registration request includes a first file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server; registering the first notification request that specifies the first file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server; transmitting the first notification request to a downstream device via the data network; wherein the downstream device is configured to receive the first notification request and to transmit a notification message based on the notification request in response to an access being performed on the media file; receiving a second notification registration request at the intermediate node from a second upstream device for the media file residing within the network file server, wherein the second notification registration request includes a second file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server; determining that the second file descriptor is the same as the first file descriptor; and updating the registered first notification request to transmit the notification message received from the downstream device to the first upstream device and the second upstream device in response to an access being performed on the media file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In a computing system where a media file resides within a network file server and the media file is accessed remotely by a first application via a data network, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to request notification when the media file is accessed by performing the steps:
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receiving a first notification registration request at an intermediate node from a first upstream node for a media file residing within a network file server, wherein the first notification registration request includes a first file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server; registering the first notification request that specifies the first file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server; transmitting the first notification request to a downstream node via the data network; wherein the downstream node is configured to transmit the first notification request through any intermediate nodes to the file server; wherein the file server is configured to receive the first notification request and to transmit a notification message based on the notification request in response to an access being performed on the media file; receiving a second notification registration request at the intermediate node from a second upstream node for the media file residing within the network file server, wherein the second notification registration request includes a second file descriptor for uniquely identifying the media file within the file server; determining that the second file descriptor is the same as the first file descriptor; updating the registered first notification request to transmit the notification message received from the downstream node to the first upstream node and the second upstream node in response to an access being performed on the media file; receiving the notification message at the intermediate node; and multicasting the notification message to the first upstream node and the second upstream node. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification