Crowd based content delivery

• US 9,083,652 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Lyon, Barrett Gibson
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US13/244,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 709/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation

Abstract

Crowd based content delivery is disclosed. In some embodiments, managing content delivery includes receiving a specification from a resource provider of an availability of a content delivery service at the resource provider, selecting the resource provider to service requests for a content item, facilitating caching of the content item at the resource provider, and redirecting a request for the content item to the resource provider for servicing.

Claims

1. A method for managing content delivery within a network, comprising:

receiving at a resource manager computer system coupled to the network and configured to facilitate servicing of requests for a content item published by a node of the network registered with the resource manager computer system as a resource consumer a specification of a resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item;

receiving at the resource manager computer system a specification from a node of the network registered with the resource manager computer system as a resource provider of a resource provider policy for using a content delivery service available at the resource provider;

determining using a processor of the resource manager computer system that the resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item and the resource provider policy for using the available content delivery service are compatible;

selecting, by the resource manager computer system, the resource provider to service at least a subset of requests for the content item;

facilitating caching of the content item at the resource provider; and

redirecting, by a content redirect action of a communication protocol supported by the network, a received client request for the content item to the resource provider for servicing, wherein the resource provider is configured to service the client request by providing the content item to the requesting client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource provider policy includes a price for providing the content delivery service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an account of the resource provider at the resource manager computer system, wherein terms and conditions for providing one or more resources, including the resource provider policy for the content delivery service, are specified and editable by the resource provider with respect to the account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing configuration software to the resource provider to configure the resource provider as a proxy server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an account of a resource consumer at the resource manager computer system, wherein terms and conditions for procuring one or more resources, including the resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item, are specified and editable by the resource consumer with respect to the account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource consumer policy comprises a first resource consumer policy and the content item comprises a first content item and further comprising a specification of a second resource consumer policy for servicing requests for a second content item published by the consumer that is different form the first resource consumer policy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource provider comprises one of a plurality of resource providers having different resource provider policies for using available resources that are managed by the resource manager computer system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource consumer comprises one of a plurality of resource consumers having different resource consumer policies for procuring computing services that are managed by the resource manager computer system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating caching of the content item at the resource provider comprises instructing the resource provider to pre-fetch the content item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content item is cached at the resource provider in response to receiving the redirected request.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring, by the resource manager computer system, an ability of the resource provider to service requests for the content item.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the resource manager computer system, from the resource provider log data associated with servicing the redirected request.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising billing the resource consumer for the content delivery service provided by the resource provider and reimbursing the resource provider for servicing the redirected request.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a fee for facilitating a transaction between the resource consumer that publishes the content item and the resource provider that services the redirected request for the content item.

15. A system for managing content delivery within a network, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a specification from a node of the network registered with the system as a resource consumer to facilitate servicing of requests for a content item published by the resource consumer based on a resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item;

receive a specification from a node of the network registered with the system as a resource provider of a resource provider policy for using a content delivery service available at the resource provider;

determine that the resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item and the resource provider policy for using the available content delivery service are compatible;

select the resource provider to service at least a subset of requests for the content item;

facilitate caching of the content item at the resource provider; and

redirect, by a content redirect action of a communication protocol supported by the network, by a received client request for the content item to the resource provider for servicing, wherein the resource provider is configured to service the client request by providing the content item to the requesting client; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory is further configured to store an account of the resource provider, wherein terms and conditions for providing one or more resources, including the resource provider policy for the content delivery service, are specified and editable by the resource provider with respect to the account.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory is further configured to store an account of the resource consumer, wherein terms and conditions for procuring one or more resources, including the resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item, are specified and editable by the resource consumer with respect to the account.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the resource provider comprises one of a plurality of resource providers having different resource provider policies for using available resources that are managed by the resource manager.

19. A computer program product for managing content delivery within a network, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a specification from a node of the network registered as a resource consumer to facilitate servicing of requests for a content item published by the resource consumer based on a resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item;

receiving a specification from a node of the network registered as a resource provider of a resource provider policy for using a content delivery service available at the resource provider;

determining that the resource consumer policy for servicing requests for the content item and the resource provider policy for using the available content delivery service are compatible;

selecting the resource provider to service at least a subset of requests for the content item;

facilitating caching of the content item at the resource provider; and

redirecting, by a content redirect action of a communication protocol supported by the network, a received client request for the content item to the resource provider for servicing, wherein the resource provider is configured to service the client request by providing the content item to the requesting client.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the resource provider comprises one of a plurality of resource providers having different resource provider policies for using available resources that are managed by the resource manager.