Framework supporting content delivery with content delivery services

• US 9,647,899 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Varney, Lewis Robert, Lipstone, Laurence R., Crowder, William, Swart, Andrew, Newton, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US13/714,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0808 with cache invalidating means G06F12/0815 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 : Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 : using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 : using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 : Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 : Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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 67/1078 : Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 : Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 : Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• 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 69/03 : Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A framework supporting content delivery includes a plurality of devices, each device configured to run at least one content delivery (CD) service of a plurality of CD services. The plurality of CD services include services supporting content delivery.

Claims

1. A content delivery (CD) system comprising a plurality of devices, each device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, each device configured to run at least one CD service of a plurality of CD services;

and wherein

at least some of said CD services running on said hardware;

produce event output relating to their respective operation, wherein at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least some of said CD services as event input,

obtain event input from one or more CD services,

produce, as their respective state output, state information, said state information being based on said event input from said one or more CD services,

maintain service configuration information specifying associations between CD service instances,

obtain state information from said CD services, and

modify said service configuration information to produce modified service configuration information based at least on the state information.

2. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said CD services comprise at least one of reducer services and collector services, and wherein said associations between CD service instances indicate at least one of reducer service instances and collector service instances to which CD service instances should provide their event output.

3. The CD system of claim 2 wherein said reducer services comprise a reducer network.

4. The CD system of claim 3 wherein said reducer network has a lattice topology.

5. The CD system of claim 2 wherein said collector services comprise a collector network having a lattice topology.

6. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said modified service configuration information indicates at least one or more other CD service instances to which CD service instances should provide their event output.

7. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said modified service configuration information is usable to cause at least some of said CD services to register with at least one or more other CD service instances.

8. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said modified service configuration information indicates at least one or more specific event streams of CD service instances that should be provided to at least one or more other CD service instances.

9. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said event output and state information comprise at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

10. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said state information comprises at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

11. The CD system of claim 1 wherein modifying said service configuration information is based on at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

12. The CD system of claim 1 wherein modifying said service configuration information is based on operator-provided configuration information.

13. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said CD services comprise reducer services, and wherein at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least some of said reducer services as event input, and wherein

at least some of said reducer services:

determine at least some of their respective reducer output based on event input from CD services, and

provide their respective reducer output to at least some CD services.

14. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said CD services comprise collector services, and wherein

at least some of said collector services:

obtain event input from one or more CD services,

produce, as their respective state output, state information, said state information being based on said event input from said one or more CD services, and

provide at least some of said state information to CD services to control operation or configuration of said CD services.

15. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said CD services comprise control services, and wherein

at least some of said control services:

produce control information based on said state information, wherein at least some of said control information is indicative of said modified customer configuration information, and

provide at least some of said control information to said CD services to control operation or configuration of said CD services, wherein at least some of said control information to control operation or configuration of said CD services was determined using specific event information produced by one or more CD services.

16. A device, operable in a content delivery (CD) system comprising a plurality of computers, each computer comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, each computer configured to run at least one CD service of a plurality of CD services, said device comprising:

hardware including memory and at least one processor, at least some of said CD services are configured to;

produce event output relating to their respective operation, wherein at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least some of said CD services as event input,

obtain event input from one or more CD services,

produce, as their respective state output, state information, said state information being based on said event input from said one or more CD services,

maintain service configuration information specifying associations between CD service instances,

obtain state information from said CD services, and

modify said service configuration information to produce modified service configuration information based at least on the state information.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said CD services comprise at least one of reducer services and collector services, and wherein said associations between CD service instances indicate at least one of reducer service instances and collector service instances to which CD service instances should provide their event output.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said reducer services comprise a reducer network.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said reducer network has a lattice topology.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein said collector services comprise a collector network having a lattice topology.

21. The device of claim 16 wherein said modified service configuration information indicates at least one or more other CD service instances to which CD service instances should provide their event output.

22. The device of claim 16 wherein said modified service configuration information is usable to cause at least some of said CD services to register with at least one or more other CD service instances.

23. The device of claim 16 wherein said modified service configuration information indicates at least one or more specific event streams of CD service instances that should be provided to at least one or more other CD service instances.

24. The device of claim 16 wherein said event output comprises at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

25. The device of claim 16 wherein said state information comprises at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

26. The device of claim 16 wherein modifying said service configuration information is based on at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

27. The device of claim 16 wherein modifying said service configuration information is based on operator-provided configuration information.

28. The device of claim 16 wherein said CD services comprise reducer services, and wherein at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least some of said reducer services as event input, and wherein

at least some of said reducer services are configured to:

determine at least some of their respective reducer output based on event input from CD services, and

provide their respective reducer output to at least some CD services.

29. The device of claim 16 wherein said CD services comprise collector services, and wherein

at least some of said collector services are configured to:

obtain event input from one or more CD services,

produce, as their respective state output, state information, said state information being based on said event input from said one or more CD services, and

provide at least some of said state information to CD services to control operation or configuration of said CD services.

30. The device of claim 16 wherein said CD services comprise control services, and wherein

at least some of said control services are configured to:

produce control information based on said state information, wherein at least some of said control information is indicative of said modified customer configuration information, and

provide at least some of said control information to said CD services to control operation or configuration of said CD services, wherein at least some of said control information to control operation or configuration of said CD services was determined using specific event information produced by one or more CD services.

31. A computer-implemented method, operable on a device in a content delivery (CD) system comprising a plurality of computers, each

computer comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, each computer configured to run at least one CD service of a plurality of CD services, said method comprising:

by at least some of said CD services running on said computers;

producing event output relating to their respective operation, wherein at

least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least some of said CD services as event input,

obtaining event input from one or more CD services,

producing, as their respective state output, state information, said state information being based on said event input from said one or more CD services,

maintaining service configuration information specifying associations between CD service instances,

obtaining state information from said CD services, and

modifying said service configuration information to produce modified service configuration information based at least on the state information.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said CD services comprise at least one of reducer services and collector services, and wherein said associations between CD service instances indicate at least one of reducer service instances and collector service instances to which CD service instances should provide their event output.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said reducer services comprise a reducer network having a lattice topology.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein said collector services comprise a collector network having a lattice topology.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said modified service configuration information indicates at least one or more other CD service instances to which CD service instances should provide their event output.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 further comprising:

causing at least some of said CD services to register with at least one or more other CD service instances based on said modified service configuration information.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said modified service configuration information indicates at least one or more specific event streams of CD service instances that should be provided to at least one or more other CD service instances.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said event output comprises at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said state information comprises at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein modifying said service configuration information is based on at least one of load information and health information of said one or more CD services.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein modifying said service configuration information is based on operator-provided configuration information.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said CD services comprise reducer services, and wherein at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least some of said reducer services as event input, and wherein the method further comprises:

by at least some of said reducer services;

determining at least some of their respective reducer output based on event input from CD services, and

providing their respective reducer output to at least some CD services.

43. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said CD services comprise collector services, and wherein the method further comprises:

by at least some of said collector services;

obtaining event input from one or more CD services,

producing, as their respective state output, state information, said state information being based on said event input from said one or more CD services, and

providing at least some of said state information to CD services to control operation or configuration of said CD services.

44. The computer-implemented method of claim 31 wherein said CD services comprise control services, and wherein the method further comprises:

by at least some of said collector services;

producing control information based on said state information, wherein at least some of said control information is indicative of said modified customer configuration information, and

providing at least some of said control information to said CD services to control operation or configuration of said CD services, wherein at least some of said control information to control operation or configuration of said CD services was determined using specific event information produced by one or more CD services.