Data client

• US 9,124,601 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Inventors: Stoica, Ion, Zhang, Hui, Zhan, Jibin, Ganjam, Aditya R., McCane, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US14/020,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/203, 709/228, 709/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1074 for supporting data block transmission mechanisms file transfer H04L67/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1076 Resource dissemination mechanisms or network resource keeping policies for optimal resource availability in the overlay network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1085 involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections

Abstract

Facilitating the distribution of content is disclosed. A request for content is received from a requesting peer. A peer type compatibility criteria is applied to an allocation process that allocates at least one sending peer to deliver the content to the requesting peer. The peer type compatibility criteria ensures that a lightweight peer is paired with a regular peer.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a request for content from a requesting peer; and

determine that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer;

in response to determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer, prohibit the requesting peer from being assigned a sending peer that is also classified as a lightweight peer, and assign at least one sending peer that is classified as a regular peer to deliver the content to the requesting peer;

wherein a regular peer is a peer that is able to accept incoming connection requests and initiate connections; and

wherein a lightweight peer is a peer that has a set of capabilities that is limited relative to the regular peer; and

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

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the lightweight peer is able to initiate connections but is unable to accept incoming connection requests.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the lightweight peer is limited in the sources from which it can receive content.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the lightweight peer is limited based at least in part on an access list.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the lightweight peer is unable to redirect content.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one regular peer comprises a content delivery network node.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the lightweight peer is a no-install client.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the sending peer is configured to send a connection request to the requesting peer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the requesting peer is configured to send a connection request to the sending peer.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the sending peer is configured to send a connection request to the requesting peer and wherein the requesting peer is configured to send a connection request to the sending peer.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the assigning includes assigning a plurality of sending peers that cooperate to deliver the content to the requesting peer.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a connection attempt involving the requesting peer and the sending peer is successful.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer includes classifying the requesting peer based at least in part on implementation information associated with the requesting peer.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer includes classifying the requesting peer based at least in part on an evaluation of functionality of the requesting peer.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for content from a requesting peer;

determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer;

in response to determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer, prohibiting the requesting peer from being assigned a sending peer that is also classified as a lightweight peer, and assigning at least one sending peer that is classified as a regular peer to deliver the content to the requesting peer;

wherein a regular peer is a peer that is able to accept connections and initiate connections; and

wherein a lightweight peer is able to initiate connections but is unable to accept connections.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer includes classifying the requesting peer based at least in part on implementation information associated with the requesting peer.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer includes classifying the requesting peer based at least in part on an evaluation of functionality of the requesting peer.

18. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a request for content from a requesting peer;

determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer;

in response to determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer, prohibiting the requesting peer from being assigned a sending peer that is also classified as a lightweight peer, and assigning at least one sending peer that is classified as a regular peer to deliver the content to the requesting peer;

wherein a regular peer is a peer that is able to accept connections and initiate connections; and

wherein a lightweight peer is able to initiate connections but is unable to accept connections.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer includes classifying the requesting peer based at least in part on implementation information associated with the requesting peer.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein determining that the requesting peer is a lightweight peer includes classifying the requesting peer based at least in part on an evaluation of functionality of the requesting peer.