Proxy server with byte-based include interpreter

• US 8,880,633 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Brookins, Nicholas S., Olugbile, Akinwale O., So, Ronnie, Ludin, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thanh Tammy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/329,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 709/217, 709/219, 709/231, 713/176
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/38 by adapting coding or compression rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

According to this disclosure, a proxy server is enhanced to be able to interpret instructions that specify how to modify an input object to create an output object to serve to a requesting client. Typically the instructions operate on binary data. For example, the instructions can be interpreted in a byte-based interpreter that directs the proxy as to what order, and from which source, to fill an output buffer that is served to the client. The instructions specify what changes to make to a generic input file. This functionality extends the capability of the proxy server in an open-ended fashion and enables it to efficiently create a wide variety of outputs for a given generic input file. The generic input file and/or the instructions may be cached at the proxy. The teachings hereof have applications in, among other things, the delivery of web content, streaming media, and the like.

Claims

1. Computer apparatus for delivering content to a client over a computer network, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry forming a processor;

computer memory;

an operating system;

an HTTP proxy that has an output buffer associated therewith; and

a byte-based interpreter associated with the HTTP proxy, the byte-based interpreter taking data from one or more sources and, using one or more actions, instructing the HTTP proxy as to what order, and from which source, to fill the output buffer to generate a response to a client HTTP request;

wherein the byte-based interpreter interprets byte-specific instruction that exhibit a syntax of a language an specify the one or more sources and the one or more actions to be taken to fill the output buffer;

and wherein the byte-based instructions interpreted by the byte-based interpreter were retrieved by the apparatus from another apparatus in response to any of (i) the client HTTP request and (ii) a previous client HTTP request to the HTTP proxy.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the syntax is XML-based.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, further including a cache for storing source data.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein the one or more actions are associated with a fragment that is stored for re-use in the cache.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein an action defines a byte range.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein an action is at least one of:

combine, insert, substitute, and remove.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein a source is associated with a piece of data to be placed in the output buffer as part of the response to the client HTTP request.

8. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the byte-based interpreter sorts actions as the response in the output buffer is being constructed.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the byte-based interpreter arranges bytes from the one or more sources.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein an action has conditional logic associated therewith.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the byte-based interpreter'"'"'s instructions to the HTTP proxy cause the HTTP proxy to create watermarked content for delivery to the client.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is deployed in a content delivery network operated by a content delivery network service provider.

13. A method for delivering content to a client over a computer network, the method comprising:

with a server that has circuitry forming a processor, computer memory, an operating system, and an HTTP proxy that has an output buffer associated therewith,

executing one or more instructions in a byte-based interpreter associated with the HTTP proxy, the byte-based interpreter;

taking data from one or more sources; and

using one or more actions, instructing the HTTP proxy as to what order, and from which source, to fill the output buffer to generate a response to a client HTTP request;

wherein the byte-based interpreter interprets byte-specific instructions that exhibit a syntax of a language and specify the one or more sources and the one or more actions to be taken to fill the output buffer;

and wherein the byte-specific instructions that are interpreted by the byte-based interpreter were retrieved by the server from another server in response to any of (i) the client HTTP request and (ii) a previous client HTTP request to the server.

14. The method as described in claim 13, further comprising:

caching for re-use any of source data and the one or more instructions.

15. The method as described in claim 13, wherein the syntax is XML-based.

16. The method as described in claim 13, wherein an action is at least one of:

combine, insert, substitute, and remove.

17. The method as described in claim 13, wherein a source is associated with a piece of data to be placed in the output buffer as part of the response to the client HTTP request.

18. The method as described in claim 13, wherein the byte-based interpreter arranges bytes from the one or more sources.

19. The method as described in claim 13, wherein an action has conditional logic associated therewith.

20. The method as described in claim 13, wherein the byte-based interpreter'"'"'s instructions to the HTTP proxy cause the HTTP proxy to create watermarked content for delivery to the client.