Shared content delivery infrastructure

• US 8,572,208 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farber, David A., Greer, Richard E., Swart, Andrew D., Balter, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US11/806,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,344 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• 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 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1025 : Dynamic adaptation of the criteria on which the server selection is based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 : Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 : Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 : Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of processing requests for resources in a system in which a plurality of content providers provide multiple resources. Content providers offload the serving of some of their resources to a shared content delivery network (CDN) formed by a plurality of servers. The CDN is shared among the content providers. Some of a content provider'"'"'s content may be served from an origin server associated with that content provider, while requests for other content from that content provider are served from the shared CDN.

Claims

1. A method of processing requests for resources in a system in which a plurality of content providers provide multiple resources, the method comprising:

(A) in a shared content delivery network (CDN) comprising a plurality of repeater servers configured to serve resources on behalf of subscribers to the CDN, configuring at least a first repeater server with at least one table comprising information for use in identifying content providers that are subscribers to the CDN, said at least one table identifying at least a first content provider and a second content provider as subscribers to the CDN, said second content provider being distinct from said first content provider;

(B) responsive to receipt by the first repeater server of a first request from a first client for a first resource, said first resource being associated with the first content provider, said first request including at least a first name, said first name identifying said first content provider, said first repeater server;

(B)(1) using at least a portion of the first name and the at least one table to determine that the first resource is associated with the first content provider; and

(B)(2) serving said first resource to the first client; and

(C) responsive to receipt by the first repeater server of a second request from a second client for a second resource, said second resource being associated with the second content provider, and said second request including at least a second name distinct from said first name, said second name identifying said second content provider, said first repeater server;

(C)(1) using at least a portion of the second name and the at least one table to determine that the second resource is associated with the second content provider; and

(C)(2) serving said second resource to the second client.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the first resource is a first embedded object referenced in a first web page associated with the first content provider, said first web page having been served to the first client from a first origin server associated with the first content provider.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein the second resource is a second embedded object referenced in a second web page associated with the second content provider, said second web page having been served to the second client from a second origin server associated with the second content provider.

4. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

providing said shared CDN.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the first content provider is associated with a first domain and the second content provider is associated with a second domain, distinct from the first domain.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one table lists at least one identifier for each content provider that subscribes to the shared CDN, wherein the at least one table comprises at least a first identifier associated with the first content provider and a second identifier associated with the second content provider, the method further comprising:

when the first repeater server does not have a copy of the first resource, said first repeater server using at least a portion of the first identifier to request a copy of the first resource from another server and replicating the first resource on the first repeater server prior to serving the first resource to the first client; and

when the first repeater server does not have a copy of the second resource, said first repeater server using at least a portion of the second identifier to request a copy of the second resource from another server and replicating the second resource on the first repeater server prior to serving the second resource to the second client.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the first repeater server obtains a copy of the first resource from a peer repeater server in the CDN.

8. A method as in claim 6 wherein the first repeater server obtains a copy of the first resource from a first origin server associated with the first content provider.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first request comprises an HTTP Request and the first name is contained in an HTTP header associated with the first request, and wherein the second request comprises an HTTP Request and the second name is contained in an HTTP header associated with the second request, and wherein:

the act of requesting the first resource by the first repeater server comprises using at least the first name and information contained in the at least one table to locate the first resource; and

the act of requesting the second resource by the first repeater server comprises using at least the second name and information contained in the at least one table to locate the second resource.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the first name comprises a first hostname associated with the first content provider and the second name comprises a second hostname associated with the second content provider.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least one table lists at least one origin server associated with each content provider that subscribes to the shared CDN, and wherein:

the act of requesting the first resource by the first repeater uses at least the first name and the at least one table to identify an origin server from which the first resource can be obtained; and

the act of requesting the second resource by the second repeater server uses at least the second name and the at least one table to identify an origin server from which the second resource can be obtained.

12. A method as in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, wherein the system comprises the Internet, and wherein the first request is based, at least in part, on a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes said first name, and wherein the second request is based, at least in part, on a second URL that includes said second name.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein

the first resource is a resource selected from the group comprising static and dynamic:

video content, audio content, text, image content, web pages, HTML files, XML files, files in a markup language, documents, hypertext documents, data files, and embedded resources; and

the second resource is a resource selected from the group comprising static and dynamic;

video content, audio content, text, image content, web pages, HTML files, XML files, files in a markup language, documents, hypertext documents, data files, and embedded resources.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the shared CDN comprises at least a first repeater selector mechanism and a second repeater selector mechanism, the method further comprising:

by the first repeater selector mechanism, selecting the first repeater server to serve the first resource to the first client; and

by the second repeater selector mechanism, selecting the first repeater server to serve the second resource to the second client.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

the step of selecting by the first repeater selector mechanism comprises a step for determining a Group Reduction Table and a Link Cost Table;

wherein said Group Reduction Table and said Link Cost Table are operable for use in selecting the first repeater server to serve the first resource to the first client and a step for redirecting the first client to the first repeater server.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first request comprises an HTTP Request and the first name is contained in an HTTP header associated with the first request, and wherein the second request comprises an HTTP Request and the second name is contained in an HTTP header associated with the second request.

17. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of repeater servers is configured to record activity related to serving resources therefrom on behalf of content providers that subscribe to the shared CDN, the method further comprising:

responsive to the act (B)(1) of serving the first resource, the first repeater server recording at least information related to the serving of at least the first resource on behalf of the first content provider; and

responsive to the act (B)(1) of serving the second resource, the first repeater server recording at least information related to the serving of at least the second resource on behalf of the second content provider.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the information recorded by the first repeater server related to the serving of at least the first resource comprises a first timestamp associated with serving the first resource in response to the first request, and wherein the information recorded by the first repeater server related to the serving of at least the second resource comprises a second timestamp associated with serving the second resource in response to the second request.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

collecting first information related to the serving of at least the first resource by at least some repeater servers in the shared CDN that have served the first resource during a first given period in time, the first given period in time including a first time specified in the first timestamp, said first information being derived at least in part from the recorded information related to the serving of at least the first resource in response to the first request; and

collecting second information related to the serving of at least the second resource by at least some repeater servers in the shared CDN that have served the second resource during a second given period in time, the second given period in time including a second time specified in the second timestamp, said second information being derived at least in part from the recorded information related to the serving of at least the second resource in response to the second request.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one table lists at least one origin server associated with each content provider that subscribes to the shared CDN, further comprising:

replicating, at the first repeater server, a copy of the first resource from a first origin server associated with the first content provider and identified using information contained in the at least one table; and

replicating, at the first repeater server, a copy of the second resource from a second origin server associated with the second content provider and identified using information contained in the at least one table.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

by the first repeater server, receiving an updated table from a master repeater server and replacing the at least one table with the updated table.

22. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first client is distinct from the second client.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the first client comprises a first processor requesting the first resource on behalf of a first end user and wherein the second client comprises a second processor requesting the second resource on behalf of a second end user.

24. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first client and the second client are distinct from the plurality of repeater servers.

25. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuring act (A) comprises providing, by a master repeater, the at least one table to at least the first repeater server.

26. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one table configured with the first repeater server comprises an internal table.

27. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first request comprises a first HTTP request and the second request comprises a second HTTP request.

35. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one table lists at least one origin server associated with each content provider that subscribes to the shared CDN, the method further comprising:

replicating, at the first repeater server, a copy of the first resource from a first origin server associated with the first content provider and identified using information contained in the at least one table; and

replicating, at the first repeater server, a copy of the second resource from a second origin server associated with the second content provider and identified using information contained in the at least one table.

28. A method of processing requests for resources in the Internet, wherein multiple content providers provide multiple resources to multiple clients, the method comprising:

(A) providing a shared content delivery network (CDN), said CDN including a plurality of repeater servers configured to serve resources on behalf of subscribers to the shared CDN,

wherein at least a first repeater server is configured with at least one table including information for use in identifying content providers that are subscribers to the shared CDN, and

(B) in response to receipt by the first repeater server of a first request for a first resource, said first resource being associated with a first content provider, said first content provider being a subscriber to the shared CDN, said first repeater server;

(B)(1) using at least information included with the first request and the at least one table to determine that the first resource is associated with the first content provider; and

;

(B)(2) serving the first resource; and

(C) wherein in response to receipt by the first repeater server of a second request for a second resource, requested by a second client, said second resource being associated with a second content provider distinct from said first content provider, said second content provider being a subscriber to the shared CDN, said first repeater server;

(C)(1) using at least information included with the second request and the at least one table to determine that the second resource is associated with the second content provider; and

(C)(2) serving the second resource.

29. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein each of the repeater servers is configured to record activity related to serving resources therefrom, the method further comprising:

responsive to the first resource being served, recording information related to the serving of at least the first resource; and

responsive to the second resource being served, recording information related to the serving of at least the second resource.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein the recorded information related to the serving of at least the first resource comprises a first timestamp associated with serving the first resource in response to the first request, and wherein the recorded information related to the serving of at least the second resource comprises a second timestamp associated with serving the second resource in response to the second request.

31. A method as recited in claim 30, further comprising:

collecting first information related to the serving of at least the first resource by at least some repeater servers in the shared CDN that have served the first resource on behalf of the first content provider during a first given period in time, the first given period in time including a first time specified in the first timestamp, said first information being derived at least in part from the information recorded by the first repeater server; and

collecting second information related to the serving of at least the second resource by at least some repeater servers in the shared CDN that have served the second resource during a second given period in time, the second given period in time including a second time specified in the second timestamp, said second information being derived at least in part from the information recorded by the first repeater server.

32. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the first request comprises an HTTP header having a first name, and wherein the second request comprises an HTTP header having a second name.

33. A method as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

when the first repeater server does not have the first resource, said first repeater server using at least the first name and information contained in the at least one table to obtain the first resource and replicating the first resource on the first repeater server prior to serving the first resource; and

when the first repeater server does not have the second resource, said first repeater server using at lest the second name and information contained in the at least one table to obtain the second resource and replicating the second resource on the first repeater server prior to serving the second resource.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the first name comprises a first hostname associated with the first content provider and the second name comprises a second hostname associated with the second content provider, the method further comprising:

the first repeater server obtaining the copy of the first resource using at least in part the first hostname; and

the first repeater server obtaining the copy of the second resource using at least in part the second hostname.

36. A method as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

by the first repeater server, receiving an updated table from a master repeater server and replacing the at least one table with the updated table.

37. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the first client is distinct from the second client.

38. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein the first client comprises a first processor requesting the first resource on behalf of a first end user and wherein the second client comprises a second processor requesting the second resource on behalf of a second end user.

39. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the first client and the second client are distinct from the plurality of repeater servers.

40. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the at least one table configured with the first repeater server comprises an internal table.

41. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the first request comprises a first HTTP request and the second request comprises a second HTTP request.