Method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data to respond to user access requests

• US 9,615,125 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Clement G., Chin, Danny, Lerman, Jesse S., Goode, Christopher W. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): IDOWU, OLUGBENGA O
• Application Number:
  US14/483,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 725 94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1012 Load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23103 using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23116 involving data replication, e.g. over plural servers synchronization of replicated data G06F11/1658; error detection or correction by means of data replication G06F11/2053; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/10; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/27; replication or mirroring of data in data networks H04L67/1095
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 : Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data in response to user access requests. The method includes receiving a request from at least one client for a title not resident in a storage server, where the title includes a play track having a plurality of chapters. The retrieval from a secondary storage device of play track portions proximate chapter delineation points is initiated, and bandwidth capacity and quality-of-service (QoS) parameters associated with the secondary storage device is determined. In the case of a client request to begin presentation of the title at one of the chapters, streaming of retrieved portions of the play track chapter to the client is initiated, masking latency associated with the secondary storage device is provided, and retrieval of at least unretrieved portions of the play track chapter and subsequent play track portions from the secondary storage device is initiated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, at a computing device, an initial portion of a first segment of a plurality of segments of a media content item and an initial portion of a second segment of the plurality of segments of the media content item, wherein the first segment occurs prior to the second segment of the media content item; and

after the storing and in response to receiving a request for the media content item from a device,

causing the initial portion of the first segment of the media content item to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the first segment of the media content item to be provided to the device from a secondary storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, at the computing device, an initial portion of each segment of a plurality of segments of a different media content item;

causing the initial portion of a segment, of the plurality of segments of the different media content item, to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the segment of the different media content item to be provided to the device from the secondary storage device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the segment of the different media content item is a segment other than an initial segment of the plurality of segments of the different media content item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the storing the initial portion of the first segment of the media content item, maintaining, at the computing device, storage of an initial portion of a different media content item and removing a remaining portion of the different media content item from the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the storing the initial portion of the first segment of the media content item, maintaining, at the computing device, storage of an initial portion of each segment of a plurality of segments of a different media content item and removing a remaining portion of each segment of the plurality of segments of the different media content item from the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving requests for a plurality of different media content items from a plurality of devices;

based on the requests, determining which media content items of a library stored in the secondary storage device are most likely to be requested by the plurality of devices;

removing, from the computing device, one or more media content items not determined most likely to be requested by the plurality of devices;

retrieving from the secondary storage device each initial portion of one or more media content items determined most likely to be requested by the plurality of devices; and

storing, at the computing device, each initial portion of the one or more media content items determined most likely to be requested by the plurality of devices.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that a particular media content item is ineligible for removal from the computing device while the particular media content item is being read, retrieved, migrated, or replicated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial portion of the second segment is configured to be longer than a latency in providing a remaining portion of the second segment of the media content item to the device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the storing and in response to receiving a request for the second segment of the media content item from the device,

causing the initial portion of the second segment of the media content item to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the second segment of the media content item to be provided to the device from the secondary storage device.

9. A method comprising:

storing, by a computing device, an initial portion of each segment of a plurality of segments of a media content item, wherein a first segment of the plurality of segments occurs prior to an initial portion of a second segment of the plurality of segments of the media content item; and

after the storing and in response to receiving a request for the first segment of the plurality of segments from a device,

causing the initial portion of the first segment to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the first segment to be provided to the device from a secondary storage device separate from the computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first segment is a segment other than an initial segment of the plurality of segments of the media content item.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the storing the initial portion of each segment of the plurality of segments of the media content item, maintaining, at the computing device, storage of an initial portion of a different media content item and removing a remaining portion of the different media content item from the computing device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the storing the initial portion of each segment of the plurality of segments of the media content item, maintaining, at the computing device, storage of an initial portion of each segment of a plurality of segments of a different media content item and removing a remaining portion of each segment of the plurality of segments of the different media content item from the computing device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that a set of media content items are likely to be requested based on a usage pattern of a plurality of devices; and

storing, at the computing device, an initial portion of each media content item of the set of media content items.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after the storing and in response to receiving a request for the second segment of the media content item from the device,

causing the initial portion of the second segment of the media content item to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the second segment of the media content item to be provided to the device from the secondary storage device.

14. A method comprising:

storing, at a computing device, an initial portion of a first media content item;

removing, at the computing device, a remaining portion of the first media content item;

after the removing, storing, at the computing device, an initial portion of each segment of a plurality of segments of a second media content item, wherein a first segment of the plurality of segments occurs prior to an initial portion of a second segment of the plurality of segments of the second media content item; and

after the storing the initial portion of each segment of the plurality of segments of the second media content item and in response to receiving a request for the first segment of the plurality of segments of the second media content item from a device,

causing the initial portion of the first segment of the second media content item to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the first segment of the second media content item to be provided to the device from a secondary storage device separate from the computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing, at the computing device, an initial portion of each segment of a plurality of segments of a third media content item;

in response to receiving a request for a particular segment of the plurality of segments of the third media content item from the device, causing the initial portion of the particular segment to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the particular segment to be provided to the device from the secondary storage device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

maintaining, at the computing device, storage of an initial portion of each segment of a plurality of segments of a third media content item and removing a remaining portion of each segment of the plurality of segments of the third media content item from the computing device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the remaining portion of the first segment of the second media content item is provided to the device from the secondary storage device without storing the remaining portion of the first segment of the second media content item in a storage component of the computing device.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

after the storing and in response to receiving a request for the second segment of the second media content item from the device,

causing the initial portion of the second segment of the second media content item to be provided to the device from the computing device; and

causing a remaining portion of the second segment of the second media content item to be provided to the device from the secondary storage device.