Anycast transport protocol for content distribution networks

• US 9,407,729 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spatscheck, Oliver, Lee, Seungjoon, Rabinovich, Michael, Van der Merwe, Jacobus E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsang, Henry
• Application Number:
  US14/750,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A cache server for providing content includes a processor configured to receive a first datagram from a client system sent to an anycast address, send a response datagram to the client system in response to the first datagram, receive a request datagram from the client system sent to the anycast address, and send a batch of content datagrams to the client system. The first datagram includes a universal resource locator corresponding to the content. The response datagram includes a content identifier for the content. The request datagram includes the content identifier, an offset, and a bandwidth indicator. The batch of content datagrams includes a portion of the content starting at the offset.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

transmitting, in response to a first request datagram sent to an anycast internet protocol address, a content datagram to a client system, wherein the content datagram includes a portion of content;

receiving, for a next portion of the content, a second request datagram sent to the anycast internet protocol address, wherein the second request datagram is received from the client system, wherein the second request datagram includes a bandwidth indicator that is based on a recent bandwidth for the portion of the content from the content datagram and based on a timeout; and

transmitting, to the client system and in response to the second request datagram, a next content datagram including the next portion of the content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from the client system, the first request datagram sent to the anycast internet protocol address.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the content datagram including the portion of the content, wherein portion of the content starts at an offset.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the next content datagram including the next portion of the content, wherein next portion of the content starts at a next offset calculated based on the offset.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise resetting the second bandwidth indicator to a base rate when the timeout occurs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a datagram sent to the anycast internet protocol address, wherein the datagram includes a universal resource locator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise providing, to the client system and in response to the datagram, a content identifier for the content, wherein the content is represented by the universal resource locator.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise verifying, based on the content identifier, that the first request datagram was sent by the client system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise verifying an authenticity of the bandwidth indicator based on a hash or bandwidth verification data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise limiting a rate at which the content datagram is transmitted to the client system.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting, in response to a first request datagram sent to an anycast internet protocol address, a content datagram to a client system, wherein the content datagram includes a portion of content;

receiving, for a next portion of the content, a second request datagram sent to the anycast internet protocol address, wherein the second request datagram is received from the client system, wherein the second request datagram includes a bandwidth indicator that is based on a recent bandwidth for the portion of the content from the content datagram and based on a timeout; and

transmitting, to the client system and in response to the second request datagram, a next content datagram including the next portion of the content, wherein the next content datagram is transmitted by utilizing instructions from memory that are executed by a processor.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating the recent bandwidth for the portion of the content from the content datagram.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, from the client system, the first request datagram sent to the anycast internet protocol address.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the content datagram including the portion of the content, wherein portion of the content starts at an offset.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the next content datagram including the next portion of the content, wherein next portion of the content starts at a next offset calculated based on the offset.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a datagram sent to the anycast internet protocol address, wherein the datagram includes a universal resource locator.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing, to the client system and in response to the datagram, a content identifier for the content, wherein the content is represented by the universal resource locator.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising verifying, based on the content identifier, that the first request datagram was sent by the client system.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising limiting a rate at which the next content datagram is transmitted to the client system.

20. A computer-readable device comprising instructions, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

transmitting, in response to a first request datagram sent to an anycast internet protocol address, a content datagram to a client system, wherein the content datagram includes a portion of content;

receiving, for a next portion of the content, a second request datagram sent to the anycast internet protocol address, wherein the second request datagram is received from the client system, wherein the second request datagram includes a bandwidth indicator that is based on a recent bandwidth for the portion of the content from the content datagram and based on a timeout; and

transmitting, to the client system and in response to the second request datagram, a next content datagram including the next portion of the content.