Devices and methods supporting content delivery with adaptation services with feedback

• US 9,847,917 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• 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): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/715,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 feedback.

Claims

1. A content delivery (CD) system comprising a plurality of devices, each particular device of said plurality of devices comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, and

each said particular device being configured to run at least one CD service of a plurality of CD services,

each CD service of said plurality of CD services having a corresponding type of CD service selected from a plurality of CD service types;

and

wherein at least some CD services of said plurality of CD services;

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

(ii) obtain event input from certain one or more CD services of said plurality of CD services,

(iii) produce, as respective state output of said at least some of said CD services of said plurality of CD services, state information, said state information being based on event input from multiple CD services on multiple devices in said CD system,

(iv) maintain configuration information specifying a first set of CD services that should be run on a devices,

(v) obtain state information from said first set of CD services of said plurality of CD services, said first set of CD services running on at least two devices, and

(vi) modify said configuration information to produce modified configuration information based at least on said state information obtained in (v), said modified configuration information specifying a second set of CD services, wherein said second set of CD services comprises a first at least some CD services of at least one different type than any service in said first set of CD services, and

(vii) cause one or more devices of said plurality of devices to start at least one or more CD services of said first at least some CD services in accordance with said modified configuration information, wherein said at least one or more CD services started in (vii) include at least one CD service of said at least one different type.

2. The CD system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said plurality of CD services:

cause said one or more devices of said plurality of devices to obtain application code for each of said at least one or more CD services to be started.

3. The CD system of claim 2 wherein said application code is obtained from at least one of a peer or another CD services of said plurality of CD services.

4. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said at least one or more CD services to be started by said one or more devices of said plurality of devices are identified in said second set of CD services.

5. The CD system of claim 1 wherein at least some of said plurality of CD services:

cause one or more devices of said plurality of devices to stop at least one CD service in accordance with said modified configuration information.

6. The CD system of claim 1,

wherein said event output and said state information comprise at least one of load information and health information of multiple CD services of said plurality of CD services.

7. The CD system of claim 1 wherein modifying said configuration information is based on at least one of

(a) load information of multiple CD services of said plurality of CD services, and

(b) health information of multiple CD services of said plurality of CD services.

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

wherein at least some of said reducer services:

(x) determine at least some respective reducer output based on event input from CD services, and

(y) provide respective reducer output to at least some CD services.

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

wherein at least some of said collector services:

(p) obtain event input from certain CD services,

(q) produce, as respective state output, certain state information, said certain state information being based on said event input from multiple of said certain CD services, and

(r) provide at least some of said certain state information to third CD services of said plurality of CD services to control operation or configuration of said third CD services of said plurality of CD services.

10. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of CD services comprise control services, and wherein at least some of said control services:

(s) produce certain control information based on said state information, wherein at least some of said certain control information is indicative of said modified configuration information, and

(t) provide at least some of said certain control information to third CD services of said plurality of CD services to control operation or configuration of said third CD services of said plurality of CD services, wherein at least some of said certain control information was determined using specific event information produced by multiple of said plurality of CD services.

11. The CD system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of CD services comprise a streaming service.

12. The CD system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of CD service types comprise:

infrastructure services, reducer services, collector services, control services, delivery services, rendezvous services, streaming services, and hybrid services.

13. 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, each CD service of said plurality of CD services having a corresponding type of CD service selected from a plurality of CD service types,

said device comprising:

(A) hardware including memory and at least one processor, and

(B) at least some of said plurality of CD services,

wherein at least some of said CD services are configured to;

(i) produce event output relating to respective operation of said at least some of said CD services, 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,

(ii) obtain event input from multiple of said plurality of CD services,

(iii) produce, as respective state output of said at least some of said CD services, state information, said state information being based on said event input from said multiple of said plurality of CD services on multiple computers in said CD system,

(iv) maintain configuration information specifying a first set of CD services that should be run on a device,

(v) obtain state information from said first set of CD services of said plurality of CD services, said first set of CD services running on at least two devices,

(vi) modify said configuration information to produce modified configuration information based at least on said state information obtained in (v), said modified configuration information specifying a second set of CD services that should be run on said device, wherein said second set of CD services comprises a first at least some CD services of at least one different type than any service in said first set of CD services, and

(vii) cause one or more devices of said plurality of devices to start a third at least one or more CD services of said first at least some CD services in accordance with said modified configuration information.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein at least some of said plurality of CD services are configured to:

cause said one or more devices of said plurality of devices to obtain application code for each of said third at least one or more CD services to be started.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said application code is obtained from at least one of a peer or another of said plurality of CD services.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein said third at least one or more CD services to be started by said one or more devices of said plurality of devices are identified in said second set of CD services.

17. The device of claim 13 wherein at least some of said plurality of CD services are configured to:

cause one or more devices of said plurality of devices to stop at least one CD service in accordance with said modified configuration information.

18. The device of claim 13 wherein said event output and said state information comprise at least one of (a) load information and (b) health information of said multiple of said plurality of CD services.

19. The device of claim 13 wherein modifying said configuration information is based on at least one of (a) load information of said multiple of said plurality of CD services, and (b) health information of said multiple of said plurality of CD services.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein said plurality of CD services comprise reducer services, and wherein at least some of said event output from at least some of said plurality of 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:

(x) determine at least some respective reducer output based on event input from CD services of said plurality of CD services, and

(y) provide said respective reducer output to at least some of said plurality of CD services.

21. The device of claim 13 wherein said plurality of CD services comprise collector services, and wherein

at least some of said collector services are configured to:

(p) obtain event input from one or more of said plurality of CD services,

(q) produce, as respective state output, certain state information, said certain state information being based on said event input from multiple CD services, and

(r) provide at least some of said certain state information to fourth CD services of said plurality of CD services to control operation or configuration of said fourth CD services.

22. The device of claim 13 wherein said plurality of CD services comprise control services, and wherein

at least some of said control services are configured to:

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

(t) provide at least some of said control information to fourth CD services of said plurality of CD services to control operation or configuration of said fourth CD services, wherein at least some of said control information to control operation or configuration of said fourth CD services was determined using specific event information produced by multiple of said plurality of CD services.

23. The device of claim 13 wherein the plurality of CD services comprise a streaming service.

24. The device of claim 13 wherein the plurality of CD service types comprise:

infrastructure services, reducer services, collector services, control services, delivery services, rendezvous services, streaming services, and hybrid services.

25. A computer-implemented method, 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, each CD service of said plurality of CD services having a corresponding type of CD service selected from a plurality of CD service types, said method comprising:

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

(i) producing event output relating to respective operation of said at least some of said CD services on said computers, wherein at least some of said event output from multiple of said at least some of said CD services on said computers is provided to at least some of said CD services on said computers as event input,

(ii) obtaining event input from multiple CD services on said computers,

(iii) producing, as respective state output, state information, said state information being based on event input from said multiple CD services on multiple computers in said CD system,

(iv) maintaining configuration information specifying a first set of CD services that should be run on a particular computer of said plurality of computers in said CD system,

(v) obtaining state information from said first set of CD services on said computers, said first set of CD services running on at least two computers,

(vi) modifying said configuration information to produce modified configuration information based at least on said state information obtained in (v), said modified configuration information specifying a second set of CD services that should be run on said particular computer, wherein said second set of CD services comprises a first at least one some CD services of at least one different type than said first set of CD services, and

(vii) causing said particular computer to start at least one CD services of said first at least some CD services in accordance with said modified configuration information.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein

by at least some of said plurality of CD services on said computers:

causing said particular computer to obtain application code for each of said at least one CD services to be started.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26 wherein said application code is obtained from at least one of a peer or another of CD services on said computers.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein said at least or more CD services to be started are identified in said second set of CD services.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein

by at least some of said plurality of CD services on said computers:

causing one or more computers of said plurality of computers to stop at least one CD service in accordance with said modified configuration information.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein said event output and said state information comprise at least one of (a) load information of said multiple CD services, and (b) health information of said multiple CD services.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein modifying said configuration information is based on at least one of:

(a) load information of said multiple CD services, and (b) health information of said multiple CD services.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein said plurality of CD services comprise reducer services, and wherein at least some of said event output from at least some of said CD services on said computers 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:

(x) determining at least some respective reducer output based on event input from CD services, and

(y) providing respective reducer output to at least some CD services.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein said plurality of CD services comprise collector services, and wherein

at least some of said collector services are configured to:

(p) obtain event input from one or more CD services,

(q) produce, as respective state output, particular state information, said particular state information being based on said event input from multiple CD services, and

(r) provide at least some of said particular state information to CD services to control operation or configuration of CD services on said computers.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 wherein said plurality of CD services comprise control services, and wherein at least some of said control services are configured to:

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

(t) provide at least some of said control information to certain CD services on said computers to control operation or configuration of certain CD services on said computers, wherein at least some of said control information to control operation or configuration of certain CD services on said computers was determined using specific event information produced by multiple CD services on said computers.

35. The method of claim 25 wherein the plurality of CD services comprise a streaming service.

36. The method of claim 25 wherein the plurality of 25 CD service types comprise:

infrastructure services, reducer services, collector services, control services, delivery services, rendezvous services, streaming services, and hybrid services.