Acquiring multi-media content

• US 9,560,133 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gladwin, S. Christopher, Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thammavong, Prasith
• Application Number:
  US13/464,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 711/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/108 Parity data distribution in semiconductor storages, e.g. in SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1035 Keeping track, i.e. keeping track of data and parity changes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1105 Decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass networks security protocols H04L9/40; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module receiving a first sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of multi-media content was encoded using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices is partitioned into the first sub-set of encoded data slices and a second sub-set of encoded data slices. The method continues with the DS processing module sending accessing information when the second sub-set of encoded data slices is to be requested. The method continues with the DS processing module receiving, in response to the accessing information, at least one of the encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices such that a decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been received.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

receiving, based on a partial download schedule of a distribution scheme, a first sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of multi-media content was encoded using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices is partitioned into the first sub-set of encoded data slices and a second sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the first sub-set of encoded data slices include less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices, and wherein the second sub-set of encoded data slices are unavailable based on the partial download schedule of the distribution scheme;

determining whether to request the second sub-set of encoded data slices after the partial download schedule of the distribution scheme has completed and when the second sub-set of encoded data slices is made available based on the distribution scheme;

when the second sub-set of encoded data slices is to be requested, sending accessing information regarding the second sub-set of encoded data slices; and

receiving, in response to the accessing information, at least one of the encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices such that the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first sub-set of encoded data slices comprises:

receiving a distribution of the first sub-set of encoded data slices to a plurality of potential accessing devices.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining whether one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices has a slice error; and

when the slice error exists;

identifying one or more slice names corresponding to the one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices having the slice error; and

requesting the one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices having the slice error from one or more devices of a user group based on the one or more slice names.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to request the second sub-set of encoded data slices comprises:

determining when the multi-media content is available for purchase; and

when the multi-media content becomes available for purchase, indicating that the second sub-set of encoded data slices is to be requested.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to request the second sub-set of encoded data slices comprises at least one of:

determining whether a storage time frame of the first sub-set of encoded data slices has expired and, when the storage time frame has expired, indicating that the second sub-set of encoded data slices is not going to be requested; and

determining a probability that the second sub-set of encoded data slices will be requested and, when the probability is likely that the second sub-set of encoded data slices will be requested, indicating that the second sub-set of encoded data slices is to be requested.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

temporarily storing the first sub-set of encoded data slices prior to sending the accessing information; and

when the second sub-set of encoded data slices is not to be requested, facilitating deletion of the first sub-set of encoded data slices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first sub-set of encoded data slices comprises at least one of:

receiving a message that includes the first sub-set of encoded data slices from at least one of a dispersed storage (DS) processing unit, a user device, and an intermediate edge device of a dispersed storage network (DSN);

receiving the first sub-set of encoded data slices in accordance with a registered user program of a network; and

sending a request message for the first sub-set of encoded data slices.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining whether to forward one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices to a user device; and

forwarding the one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the user device to the user device when forwarding.

9. A dispersed storage (DS) module comprises:

a first module, when operable within a computing device, causes the computing device to;

receive, based on a partial download schedule of a distribution scheme, a first sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein a data segment of multi-media content was encoded using a dispersed storage error coding function to produce a set of encoded data slices, wherein the set of encoded data slices is partitioned into the first sub-set of encoded data slices and a second sub-set of encoded data slices, wherein the first sub-set of encoded data slices include less than a decode threshold number of encoded data slices, and wherein the second sub-set of encoded data slices are unavailable based on the partial download schedule of the distribution scheme;

a second module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

determine whether to request the second sub-set of encoded data slices after the partial download schedule of the distribution scheme has completed and when the second sub-set of encoded data slices is made available based on the distribution scheme;

a third module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

when the second sub-set of encoded data slices is to be requested, send accessing information regarding the second sub-set of encoded data slices; and

a fourth module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

receive, in response to the accessing information, at least one of the encoded data slices of the second sub-set of encoded data slices such that the decode threshold number of encoded data slices have been received.

10. The DS module of claim 9, wherein the first module is operable to receive the first sub-set of encoded data slices by:

receiving a distribution of the first sub-set of encoded data slices to a plurality of potential accessing devices.

11. The DS module of claim 9 further comprises:

a fifth module, when operable within the computing device, causes the computing device to;

determine whether one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices has a slice error; and

when the slice error exists;

identify one or more slice names corresponding to the one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices having the slice error; and

request the one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices having the slice error from one or more devices of a user group based on the one or more slice names.

12. The DS module of claim 9, wherein the second module is operable to determine whether to request the second sub-set of encoded data slices by:

determining when the multi-media content is available for purchase; and

when the multi-media content becomes available for purchase, indicating that the second sub-set of encoded data slices is to be requested.

13. The DS module of claim 9, wherein the second module is further operable to determine whether to request the second sub-set of encoded data slices by at least one of:

determining whether a storage time frame of the first sub-set of encoded data slices has expired and, when the storage time frame has expired, indicating that the second sub-set of encoded data slices is not going to be requested; and

determining a probability that the second sub-set of encoded data slices will be requested and, when the probability is likely that the second sub-set of encoded data slices will be requested, indicating that the second sub-set of encoded data slices is to be requested.

14. The DS module of claim 9, wherein the second module is further operable to:

temporarily store the first sub-set of encoded data slices prior to sending the accessing information; and

when the second sub-set of encoded data slices is not to be requested, facilitate deletion of the first sub-set of encoded data slices.

15. The DS module of claim 9, wherein the first module is further operable to receive the first sub-set of encoded data slices by at least one of:

receiving a message that includes the first sub-set of encoded data slices from at least one of a dispersed storage (DS) processing unit, a user device, and an intermediate edge device of a dispersed storage network (DSN);

receiving the first sub-set of encoded data slices in accordance with a registered user program of a network; and

sending a request message for the first sub-set of encoded data slices.

16. The DS module of claim 9, wherein the first module is further operable to:

determine whether to forward one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices to a user device; and

forward the at least some of the one or more of the first sub-set of encoded data slices to the user device when forwarding.