Methods and apparatus for processing content requests using domain name service
First Claim
1. In a content router associated with a first content distribution network, wherein the content router is a primary content router and the first content distribution network is a primary content distribution network in a peering relationship with a second content distribution network, a method for processing domain resolution requests, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a domain resolution request, wherein the domain resolution request is an original domain resolution request that contains an original domain specification;
determining if a content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network;
determining that content associated with the original domain specification is to be obtained from the second content distribution network, and selecting a forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network;
if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an address resolution response associated with a content engine within the first content distribution network; and
if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is not to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an alternative domain resolution response associated with a second content distribution network, wherein the alternative domain resolution response comprises a forward domain resolution response containing the forward domain specification that causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification.
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Abstract
Mechanisms and techniques provide a system that operates in content routers and content engines in peered content distribution networks. Using domain name specifications associated with the content distribution networks, a content router may provide a forward domain resolution response to redirect a domain resolution request to another peered content distribution network. If a secondary content router determines that a content request is not to be processed in its content distribution network, it may respond with: a reflected domain resolution response that is returned to a primary content router or a forward domain resolution response. Content engines may also reflect content requests back to the primary content router by providing: a reflected redirect content response to a client, or a redirect forward content response that must be resolved. After termination of a peering relationship, a reflection continuation period may be defined during which secondary content networks provide reflected or forwarded responses.
316 Citations
40 Claims
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1. In a content router associated with a first content distribution network, wherein the content router is a primary content router and the first content distribution network is a primary content distribution network in a peering relationship with a second content distribution network, a method for processing domain resolution requests, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a domain resolution request, wherein the domain resolution request is an original domain resolution request that contains an original domain specification; determining if a content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network; determining that content associated with the original domain specification is to be obtained from the second content distribution network, and selecting a forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an address resolution response associated with a content engine within the first content distribution network; and if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is not to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an alternative domain resolution response associated with a second content distribution network, wherein the alternative domain resolution response comprises a forward domain resolution response containing the forward domain specification that causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a content engine associated with a first content distribution network, a method for processing a content request, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a content request, wherein the content request contains an original domain specification; determining if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, wherein determining comprises determining that content associated with the content request is to be obtained from a second content distribution network, and selecting the forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, responding to the content request with a content response containing the content requested in the content request; and if the content request is not to be processed by this content engine, responding to the content request with at least one of; i) a redirect reflect content response sent to a primary content distribution network and containing a reflect domain specification that identifies a content distribution network associated with this content engine; ii) a redirect forward content response containing a forward domain specification that identifies another peering content distribution network other than the first content distribution network to which the content request is to be forwarded, wherein the redirect forward content response containing the forward domain specification causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
i) the forward domain specification associated with at least one other second content distribution network in a peering relationship with the first content distribution network; and ii) a reflect domain specification associated with a primary content distribution network in a peering relationship with the first distribution network; and wherein if the forward domain specification is selected, the step of responding to the content request with an redirect forward content response comprises the step of providing a redirect forward content response containing the forward domain specification to cause a device in at least one other second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification; and wherein if the reflect domain specification is selected, the step of responding to the content request with an redirect reflect content response comprises the step of providing a redirect reflect content response containing the reflect domain specification to cause a device in the primary content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the reflect domain specification.
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19. A content router, wherein the content router is a primary content router that is part of a first content distribution network, wherein the first content distribution network is a primary content distribution network in a peering relationship with a second content distribution network, comprising:
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at least one communications interface; a memory; a processor; and an interconnection mechanism coupling the at least one communications interface, the memory and the processor; and wherein the memory is encoded with an content routing application that when performed on the processor, produces a content routing process that causes the content router to process domain resolution requests by performing the processing steps of; receiving a domain resolution request, wherein the domain resolution request is an original domain resolution request that contains an original domain specification; determining if a content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network; determining that content associated with the original domain specification is to be obtained from the second content distribution network, and selecting a forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an address resolution response associated with a content engine within the first content distribution network; and if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is not to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an alternative domain resolution response associated with a second content distribution network, wherein the alternative domain resolution response comprises a forward domain resolution response containing the forward domain specification that causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A content engine associated with a first content distribution network comprising:
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at least one communications interface; a memory; a processor; and an interconnection mechanism coupling the at least one communications interface, the memory and the processor; and wherein the memory is encoded with a content routing application that when performed on the processor, produces a content routing process that causes the content engine to process content requests by performing the processing steps of; receiving a content request, wherein the content request contains an original domain specification; determining if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, wherein determining comprises determining that content associated with the content request is to be obtained from a second content distribution network, and selecting the forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, responding to the content request with a content response containing the content requested in the content request; and if the content request is not to be processed by this content engine, responding to the content request with at least one of; i) a redirect reflect content response sent to a primary content distribution network and containing a reflect domain specification that identifies a content distribution network associated with this content engine; ii) a redirect forward content response containing a forward domain specification that identifies another peering content distribution network other than the first content distribution network to which the content request is to be forwarded, wherein the redirect forward content response containing the forward domain specification causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
i) the forward domain specification associated with at least one other second content distribution network in a peering relationship with the first content distribution network; and ii) a reflect domain specification associated with a primary content distribution network in a peering relationship with the first distribution network; and wherein if the forward domain specification is selected, the step of responding to the content request with an redirect forward content response comprises the step of providing a redirect forward content response containing the forward domain specification to cause a device in the at least one other second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification; and wherein if the reflect domain specification is selected, the step of responding to the content request with an redirect reflect content response comprises the step of providing a redirect reflect content response containing the reflect domain specification to cause a device in the primary content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the reflect domain specification.
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37. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that, when performed in a content router having a coupling of a memory, a processor, and at least one communications interface, provides a method for processing domain resolution requests by causing the content router to perform the operations of:
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receiving a domain resolution request, wherein the domain resolution request is an original domain resolution request that contains an original domain specification; determining if a content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network; determining that content associated with the original domain specification is to be obtained from the second content distribution network, and selecting a forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an address resolution response associated with a content engine within the first content distribution network; and if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is not to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an alternative domain resolution response associated with a second content distribution network, wherein the alternative domain resolution response comprises a forward domain resolution response containing the forward domain specification that causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification.
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38. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that, when performed in a content engine having a coupling of a memory, a processor, and at least one communications interface, provides a method for processing content requests by causing the content router to perform the operations of:
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receiving a content request, wherein the content request contains an original domain specification; determining if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, wherein determining comprises determining that content associated with the content request is to be obtained from a second content distribution network, and selecting the forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, responding to the content request with a content response containing the content requested in the content request; and if the content request is not to be processed by this content engine, responding to the content request with at least one of; i) a redirect reflect content response sent to a primary content distribution network and containing a reflect domain specification that identifies a content distribution network associated with this content engine; ii) a redirect forward content response containing a forward domain specification that identifies another peering content distribution network other than the first content distribution network to which the content request is to be forwarded, wherein the redirect forward content response containing the forward domain specification causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification.
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39. A content engine comprising:
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at least one communications interface; a memory; a processor; and an interconnection mechanism coupling the at least one communications interface, the memory and the processor; and wherein the memory is encoded with an content routing application that when performed on the processor, produces a content routing process that causes the content engine to process content requests by providing means including; means for receiving a content request, wherein the content request contains an original domain specification; means for determining if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, wherein means for determining comprises means for determining that content associated with the content request is to be obtained from a second content distribution network, and means for selecting the forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request is to be processed by this content engine, means for responding to the content request with a content response containing the content requested in the content request; and if the content request is not to be processed by this content engine, means for responding to the content request with at least one of; i) a redirect reflect content response sent to a primary content distribution network and containing a reflect domain specification that identifies a content distribution network associated with this content engine; ii) a redirect forward content response containing a forward domain specification that identifies another peering content distribution network other than the first content distribution network to which the content request is to be forwarded, wherein the redirect forward content response containing the forward domain specification causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification.
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40. A content router comprising:
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at least one communications interface; a memory; a processor; and an interconnection mechanism coupling the at least one communications interface, the memory and the processor; and wherein the memory is encoded with an content routing application that when performed on the processor, produces a content routing process that causes the content router to process domain resolution requests by providing a means including; receiving a domain resolution request, wherein the domain resolution request is an original domain resolution request that contains an original domain specification; determining if a content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network; determining that content associated with the original domain specification is to be obtained from the second content distribution network, and selecting a forward domain specification associated with the second content distribution network; if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an address resolution response associated with a content engine within the first content distribution network; and if the content request associated with the domain resolution request is not to be processed by the first content distribution network, responding to the domain resolution request with an alternative domain resolution response associated with a second content distribution network, wherein the alternative domain resolution response comprises a forward domain resolution response containing the forward domain specification that causes a device in the second content distribution network to receive a domain resolution request containing the forward domain specification.
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Specification