Managing synchronized data requests in a content delivery network

• US 9,264,780 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Inventors: Stoica, Ion, Zhang, Hui, Ganjam, Aditya R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schell, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/181,391
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 714/47.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3082 the data filtering being achieved by aggregating or compressing the monitored data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04L 69/40 : for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 : Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 : Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 : Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 : directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Managing synchronized data requests is disclosed. Examples of synchronized data requests include viewer-induced synchronization, failure-induced synchronization, and player-induced synchronization. Information indicative of the potential occurrence of a detrimental amount of synchronized requests in a content delivery infrastructure is received. One or more remediation actions is automatically caused to occur.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor configured to;

aggregate data collected from a plurality of nodes, wherein the aggregate data is associated with a distribution of audiovisual content, and includes;

load information collected from a set of content sources; and

performance information collected from a plurality of clients;

anticipate, based on an evaluation of at least a portion of the aggregate data, the potential occurrence of a detrimental amount of synchronized attempts by clients to access a same audiovisual content item;

in response to the anticipating, perform one or more remediation actions to prevent one or more load thresholds from being violated, including sending a command to a client, wherein the command instructs the client to modify a behavior in obtaining the audiovisual content item; and

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

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the collected information comprises peak concurrent viewer information.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the collected information comprises join information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the collected information comprises join failure information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the collected information comprises connection interruption information.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the collected information comprises bitrate switching information.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the collected information further comprises historical information and wherein the one or more remediation actions occur based on a prediction.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of nodes further includes an authentication server.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the synchronized requests comprise viewer-induced requests.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the synchronized requests comprise failure-induced requests.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the synchronized requests comprise player-induced requests.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the command instructs the client to change a protocol with which it obtains content.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the command instructs the client to switch a source from which it obtains content.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the command instructs the client to reduce a retry rate.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the command instructs the client to reduce a bitrate.

16. A method, comprising:

aggregating data collected from a plurality of nodes, wherein the aggregate data is associated with a distribution of audiovisual content, and includes;

load information collected from a set of content sources; and

performance information collected from a plurality of client;

anticipating, based on an evaluation of at least a portion of the aggregate data, the potential occurrence of a detrimental amount of synchronized attempts by clients to access a same audiovisual content item;

in response to the anticipating, performing, using a set of one or more processors, one or more remediation actions to prevent one or more load thresholds from being violated, including sending a command to a client, wherein the command instructs the client to modify a behavior in obtaining the audiovisual content item.

17. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

aggregating data collected from a plurality of nodes, wherein the aggregate data is associated with a distribution of audiovisual content, and includes;

load information collected from a set of content sources; and

performance information collected from a plurality of client;

anticipating, based on an evaluation of at least a portion of the aggregate data, the potential occurrence of a detrimental amount of synchronized attempts by clients to access a same audiovisual content item;

in response to the anticipating, performing one or more remediation actions to prevent one or more load thresholds from being violated, including sending a command to a client, wherein the command instructs the client to modify a behavior in obtaining the audiovisual content item.