Connection management and optimization for services delivered over networks

• US 8,825,811 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gonzales, Cesar A., Lee, Kang-Won, Sathaye, Sumedh W., Verma, Dinesh, Westerink, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Azizul
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAJEE-ULLAH, TARIQ S
• Application Number:
  US13/421,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20130246577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

Content delivery by a network node is optimized. The network node is communicatively coupled between multiple end user devices and at least one content service provider. A request for a media streaming service available from the content service provider is intercepted from a first requestor device. It is determined if the media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization based on at least one service rule specific to the media streaming service. It is determined if a second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service from the content service provider. In response to the media streaming service being received by the second requestor device, delivery optimization of the media streaming service is performed by replicating the media streaming service for delivery to the first requestor device. The replicated media streaming service is sent to the first requestor device.

Claims

1. A method, with a network node, for optimizing content delivery in a network, the network comprising the network node communicatively coupled between a plurality of end user devices and at least one content service provider, the method comprising:

intercepting, at the network node, a request from a first requestor device for a media streaming service available from a content service provider;

determining, by the network node, if the media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization based on at least one service rule that is specific to the media streaming service;

based on determining that the media streaming service is registered, determining, by the network node, if a second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service from the content service provider;

based on determining that the media streaming service is currently received, performing delivery optimization of the media streaming service by replicating the media streaming service for delivery to the first requestor device;

sending the replicated media streaming service from the network node to the first requestor device;

identifying a service object representing the media streaming service from a plurality of service state information, the service object comprising at least a flow object comprising an identifier of a unique content stream of the media streaming service, a first session object identifying a first session that has been established for the second requestor device to receive the unique content stream, and a first requestor object comprising a unique identifier of the second requestor device and an indication that the second requestor device is a first requestor of the media streaming service or a subsequent requestor of the media streaming service;

adding a second requestor object associated with the first requestor device to the service object, the second requestor object comprising a unique identifier of the first requestor device and an indication that the first requestor device requested the media streaming service subsequent to the second requestor device; and

adding a second session object associated with the first requestor device to the service object, the second session object identifying a second session that has been established for the first requestor device to receive the unique content stream identified in the flow object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service over a first communication link that connects the content service provider and the second requestor device, and

the replicated media streaming service is sent to the first requestor device over a second communication link that connects the network node and the first requestor device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the media streaming service is registered comprises:

identifying at least one condition within the at least one service rule;

obtaining at least one value from the request;

determining if the value satisfies the condition;

based on determining that the value satisfies the at least one condition, determining if the media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization; and

based on determining that the value fails to satisfy the at least one condition, determining that the media streaming service is not registered for delivery optimization.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one condition is at least one of a required service identifier and a required content service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service comprises:

analyzing the set of service state information;

determining if the set of service state information comprises the service object representing the media streaming service;

based on determining that the set of service state information comprises the service object, determining that the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service; and

based on determining that the set of service state information does not comprise the service object, determining that the second requestor device is not currently receiving the media streaming service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service further comprises determining if the first requestor object identifies the second requestor device as a first requestor of the media streaming service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on determining that the media streaming service is not registered, passing the request from the network node to the content service provider.

8. The method of claim of claim 1, further comprising:

intercepting, at the network node, a second request from a third requestor device for a second media streaming service from the content service provider;

determining, by the network node, if the second media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization;

based on determining that the second media streaming service is registered, determining, by the network node, if a fourth requestor device is currently receiving the second media streaming service from the content service provider;

based on determining that the second media streaming service is currently received, performing delivery optimization of the second media streaming service by replicating the second media streaming service for delivery to the third requestor device; and

sending the replicated second media streaming service from the network node to the third requestor device.

9. An information processing system for optimizing content delivery in a network, the information processing system comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a connection manager communicatively coupled to the processor and the memory, wherein the connection manager is configured to perform a method comprising;

intercepting a request from a first requestor device for a media streaming service available from a content service provider;

determining if the media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization based on at least one service rule that is specific to the media streaming service;

based on determining that the media streaming service is registered, determining if a second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service from the content service provider;

based on determining that the media streaming service is currently received, performing delivery optimization of the media streaming service by replicating the media streaming service for delivery to the first requestor device;

sending the replicated media streaming service to the first requestor device;

identifying a service object representing the media streaming service from a plurality of service state information, the service object comprising at least a flow object comprising an identifier of a unique content stream of the media streaming service, a first session object identifying a first session that has been established for the second requestor device to receive the unique content stream, and a first requestor object comprising a unique identifier of the second requestor device and an indication that the second requestor device is a first requestor of the media streaming service or a subsequent requestor of the media streaming service;

adding a second requestor object associated with the first requestor device to the service object, the second requestor object comprising a unique identifier of the first requestor device and an indication that the first requestor device requested the media streaming service subsequent to the second requestor device; and

adding a second session object associated with the first requestor device to the service object, the second session object identifying a second session that has been established for the first requestor device to receive the unique content stream identified in the flow object.

10. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service over a first communication link that connects the content service provider and the second requestor device, and

the replicated media streaming service is sent to the first requestor device over a second communication link that connects the connection manager and the first requestor device.

11. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein determining if the media streaming service is registered comprises:

identifying at least one condition within the at least one service rule;

obtaining at least one value from the request;

determining if the value satisfies the condition;

based on determining that the value satisfies the at least one condition, determining if the media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization; and

based on determining that the value fails to satisfy the at least one condition, determining that the media streaming service is not registered for delivery optimization.

12. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein determining if the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service comprises:

analyzing the set of service state information;

determining if the set of service state information comprises the service object representing the media streaming service;

based on determining that the set of service state information comprises the service object, determining that the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service; and

based on determining that the set of service state information does not comprise the service object, determining that the second requestor device is not currently receiving the media streaming service.

13. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

based on determining that the media streaming service is not registered, passing the request to the content service provider.

14. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

intercepting a second request from a third requestor device for a second media streaming service from the content service provider;

determining if the second media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization;

based on determining that the second media streaming service is registered, determining if a fourth requestor device is currently receiving the second media streaming service from the content service provider;

based on determining that the second media streaming service is currently received, performing delivery optimization of the second media streaming service by replicating the second media streaming service for delivery to the third requestor device; and

sending the replicated second media streaming service to the third requestor device.

15. A computer program product tangibly embodying computer readable non-transitory instructions which, when implemented, cause a computer to carry out the steps of a method for optimizing content delivery in a network, the method comprising:

intercepting, at a network node, a request from a first requestor device for a media streaming service available from a content service provider;

determining, by the network node, if the media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization based on at least one service rule that is specific to the media streaming service;

based on determining that the media streaming service is registered, determining, by the network node, if a second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service from the content service provider;

based on determining that the media streaming service is currently received, performing delivery optimization of the media streaming service by replicating the media streaming service for delivery to the first requestor device;

sending the replicated media streaming service from the network node to the first requestor device;

identifying a service object representing the media streaming service from a plurality of service state information, the service object comprising at least a flow object comprising an identifier of a unique content stream of the media streaming service, a first session object identifying a first session that has been established for the second requestor device to receive the unique content stream, and a first requestor object comprising a unique identifier of the second requestor device and an indication that the second requestor device is a first requestor of the media streaming service or a subsequent requestor of the media streaming service;

adding a second requestor object associated with the first requestor device to the service object, the second requestor object comprising a unique identifier of the first requestor device and an indication that the first requestor device requested the media streaming service subsequent to the second requestor device; and

adding a second session object associated with the first requestor device to the service object, the second session object identifying a second session that has been established for the first requestor device to receive the unique content stream identified in the flow object.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service over a first communication link that connects the content service provider and the second requestor device, and

the replicated media streaming service is sent to the first requestor device over a second communication link that connects the network node and the first requestor device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determining if the media streaming service is registered comprises:

identifying at least one condition within the at least one service rule;

obtaining at least one value from the request;

determining if the value satisfies the condition;

based on determining that the value satisfies the at least one condition, determining if the media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization; and

based on determining that the value fails to satisfy the at least one condition, determining that the media streaming service is not registered for delivery optimization.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determining if the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service comprises:

analyzing a set of service state information;

determining if the set of service state information comprises a service object representing the media streaming service;

based on determining that the set of service state information comprises the service object, determining if the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service; and

based on determining that the set of service state information does not comprise the service object, determining that the second requestor device is not currently receiving the media streaming service.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein determining that the second requestor device is currently receiving the media streaming service further comprises determining if the first requestor object identifies the second requestor device as a first requestor of the media streaming service.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

based on determining that the media streaming service is not registered, passing the request from the network node to the content service provider.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

intercepting, at the network node, a second request from a third requestor device for a second media streaming service from the content service provider;

determining, by the network node, if the second media streaming service is registered for delivery optimization;

based on determining that the second media streaming service is registered, determining, by the network node, if a fourth requestor device is currently receiving the second media streaming service from the content service provider;

based on determining that the second media streaming service is currently received, performing delivery optimization of the second media streaming service by replicating the second media streaming service for delivery to the third requestor device; and

sending the replicated second media streaming service from the network node to the third requestor device.