Devices and methods supporting content delivery with adaptation services with provisioning

• US 9,722,882 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• 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: Newton, Christopher, Lipstone, Laurence R., Crowder, William, Varney, Lewis Robert, Swart, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): ALGIBHAH, HAMZA N
• Application Number:
  US13/715,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• 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 device supporting content delivery is configured to run at least one content delivery (CD) service of a plurality of CD services. The plurality of CD services include adaptation services with provisioning.

Claims

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

adaptation services and control services, and wherein at least some of said plurality of computers run control services,

said device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor and;

an initial device configuration, said device configuration including initial contact information; and

an adaptation service configured to provision and control CD services on said device, said adaptation service being a CD service, said adaptation service being configured;

(a) to contact said control services using said initial contact information, and

(b) to obtain configuration information from said control services, the configuration information specifying a first service configuration, said first service configuration including a first one or more services to be run on the device;

(c) to determine, using said configuration information from said control services, whether the adaptation service needs updating,

(d) if it is determined in (c) that said adaptation service needs updating, to update the adaptation service, and

(e) to provision CD services on the device according to the first service configuration.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein

said CD services further include collector services, and wherein (A) at least some of said CD services produce event output relating to their respective operation;

and wherein (B) at least some of said computers run collector services, and wherein (C) at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least one other CD service, said at least one other CD service comprising at least one collector service; and

wherein (D) at least one of said collector services provides state information to said control services, said state information being based on said event input from said CD services, and wherein (E) at least some of said control services provide control information to said CD services, at least some of said control information being based on state information from at least one collector service.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said CD services further include reducer services, wherein at least some of said computers run reducer services, said at least some of said computers running reducer services comprise a reducer services network;

and wherein at least some of said reducer services in said reducer services network provide event output to at least some collector services, said event output being based on event output from said at least some of said CD services,

and wherein said at least one other service to which event output is provided comprises at least one reducer service from said reducer services network.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said adaptation service is further configured:

(f) to attempt to start the CD services on the device according to the first service configuration.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the service configuration information obtained from the control services is generated by said control services.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said service configuration information is generated by said control services based on at least some event output from at least some CD services in said system.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said at least some CD services in said system that produced said at least some event output include a service running on said particular device.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said adaptation service is configured to provision CD services on said device by, as needed, obtaining and installing software necessary to run said CD services on said device.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein said adaptation service ascertains needed CD services for said device based on said service configuration information obtained from said control services.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said initial device configuration and said adaptation service are provisioned on said particular device in an out-of-band process.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the CD services on said device comprise one or more CD services selected from:

adaptation services, rendezvous services, collector services, reducer services, control services, and delivery services.

12. A computer-implemented method,

operable in a system comprising a plurality of computers, each computer comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, each computer configured to run at least two content delivery (CD) services of a plurality of CD services, wherein said CD services include:

adaptation services and control services, and wherein at least some of said plurality of computers run control services,

the method comprising, on a particular computer of said plurality of computers, and using hardware, including memory and at least one processor, of said particular computer;

(a) determining an initial configuration for said particular computer, said configuration including initial contact information; and

(b) an adaptation service on said particular computer;

contacting said control services using said initial contact information, and

(c) said adaptation service obtaining configuration information from said control services, the configuration information specifying a first service configuration, said first service configuration including a first one or more services to be run on the particular computer;

(d) said adaptation service determining, using said configuration information from said control services, whether the adaptation service needs updating,

(e) if it is determined in (d) that said adaptation service needs updating, updating the adaptation service, and

(f) provisioning CD services on the particular computer according to the first service configuration.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

said CD services further include collector services, and wherein (A) at least some of said CD services produce event output relating to their respective operation;

and wherein (B) at least some of said computers run collector services, and wherein (C) at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least one other CD service, said at least one other CD service comprising at least one collector service; and

wherein (D) at least one said collector service provides state information to said control services, said state information being based on said event input from said CD services, and wherein (E) at least some of said control services provide control information to said CD services, at least some of said control information being based on state information from at least one collector service.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said CD services further include reducer services, wherein at least some of said computers run reducer services, said at least some of said computers running reducer services comprise a reducer services network;

and wherein at least some of said reducer services in said reducer services network provide event output to at least some collector services, said event output being based on event output from said at least some of said CD services,

and wherein said at least one other service to which event output is provided comprises at least one reducer service from said reducer services network.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, by said adaptation service:

(g) attempting to start the CD services on the device according to the first service configuration.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the service configuration information obtained from the control services is generated by said control services.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said service configuration information is generated by said control services based on at least some event output from at least some CD services in said system.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least some CD services in said system that produced said at least some event output include a service running on said particular computer.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising, by said adaptation service:

provisioning CD services on said particular computer by, as needed, obtaining and installing software necessary to run said CD services on said particular computer.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising, by said adaptation service:

ascertaining needed CD services for said particular computer based on said service configuration information obtained from said control services.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein said initial configuration and said adaptation service are provisioned on said particular computer in an out-of-band process.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the CD services on said particular computer comprise one or more CD services selected from:

adaptation services, rendezvous services, collector services, reducer services, control services, and delivery services.

23. An article of manufacture, comprising non-transitory computer readable media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions including instructions for implementing a computer-implemented method, said method operable in a system comprising a plurality of computers, each computer comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, each computer configured to run at least two content delivery (CD) services of a plurality of CD services, wherein said CD services include:

adaptation services and control services, and wherein at least some of said plurality of computers run control services,

the method comprising, on a particular computer of said plurality of computers, and using hardware, including memory and at least one processor, of said particular computer;

(a) determining an initial configuration for said particular computer, said configuration including initial contact information; and

(b) an adaptation service on said particular computer;

contacting said control services using said initial contact information, and

(c) said adaptation service obtaining configuration information from said control services, the configuration information specifying a first service configuration, said first service configuration including a first one or more services to be run on the particular computer;

(d) said adaptation service determining, using said configuration information from said control services, whether the adaptation service needs updating,

(e) if it is determined in (d) that said adaptation service needs updating, updating the adaptation service, and

(f) provisioning CD services on the particular computer according to the first service configuration.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein

said CD services further include collector services, and wherein (A) at least some of said CD services produce event output relating to their respective operation;

and wherein (B) at least some of said computers run collector services, and wherein (C) at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services is provided to at least one other CD service, said at least one other CD service comprising at least one collector service; and

wherein (D) at least one said collector service provides state information to said control services, said state information being based on said event input from said CD services, and wherein (E) at least some of said control services provide control information to said CD services, at least some of said control information being based on state information from at least one collector service.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein said CD services further include reducer services, wherein at least some of said computers run reducer services, said at least some of said computers running reducer services comprise a reducer services network;

and wherein at least some of said reducer services in said reducer services network provide event output to at least some collector services in said collector services network, said event output being based on event output from said at least some of said CD services,

and wherein said at least one other service to which event output is provided comprises at least one reducer service from said reducer services network.