Accounting for network traffic

• US 8,751,605 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covina Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Hui, Stoica, Ion, Mccanne, Steven R., Zhan, Jibin, Ganjam, Aditya R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US11/698,762
• Time in Patent Office: 2,692 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• 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 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1042 using topology management mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1085 involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

Tracking distribution of content is disclosed. A path of a data transfer event associated with content distribution is discovered, wherein the transfer path is predetermined at least in part by a third party and wherein the path of transfer includes a plurality of network components. Information related to the data transfer event is associated with each of the plurality of network components. The information associated with each network component is recorded.

Claims

1. A system for delivering content in a content delivery network comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

receive a request from a first client to retrieve digital content;

select a second client known to have the digital content and known to be capable of serving the content at the time of the request, wherein the second client is chosen from a plurality of clients in one or more Internet service provider networks;

in response to receiving, via client software, an indication that the content delivery network has been granted permission by an Internet service provider associated with the second client to use the second client'"'"'s uplink bandwidth to upload content, instruct the second client to use the second client'"'"'s uplink bandwidth to upload at least a portion of the digital content to the first client in a data transfer; and

record information associated with the data transfer event for use in financial settlement between the content delivery network with the Internet service provider whose uplink bandwidth was utilized by the second client to upload content.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the content delivery network provides at least a portion of the information recorded.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second client provides at least a portion of the information recorded.

4. A method of delivering content in a content delivery network comprising:

receiving, via an interface, a request from a first client to retrieve digital content;

selecting a second client known to have the digital content and known to be capable of serving the content at the time of the request, wherein the second client is chosen from a plurality of clients in one or more Internet service provider networks;

in response to receiving, via client software, an indication that the content delivery network has been granted permission by an Internet service provider associated with the second client to use the second client'"'"'s uplink bandwidth to upload content, instructing the second client to use the second client'"'"'s uplink bandwidth to upload at least a portion of the digital content to the first client in a data transfer; and

recording information associated with the data transfer event for use in financial settlement between the content delivery network with the Internet service provider whose uplink bandwidth was utilized by the second client to upload content.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the content delivery network provides at least a portion of the information recorded.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the second client provides at least a portion of the information recorded.

7. A computer program product for tracking distribution of content, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a request from a first client to retrieve digital content;

selecting a second client known to have the digital content and known to be capable of serving the content at the time of the request, wherein the second client is chosen from a plurality of clients in one or more Internet service provider networks;

in response to receiving, via client software, an indication that the content delivery network has been granted permission by an Internet service provider associated with the second client to use the second client'"'"'s uplink bandwidth to upload content, instructing the second client to use the second client'"'"'s uplink bandwidth to upload at least a portion of the digital content to the first client in a data transfer; and

recording information associated with the data transfer event for use in financial settlement between the content delivery network with the Internet service provider whose uplink bandwidth was utilized by the second client to upload content.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the content delivery network provides at least a portion of the information recorded.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the second client provides at least a portion of the information recorded.