Scalable, high performance and highly available distributed storage system for internet content

• US 7,945,655 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Rose, Kyle R., Nicolaou, Cosmos, Lisiecki, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/344,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A method for content storage on behalf of participating content providers begins by having a given content provider identify content for storage. The content provider then uploads the content to a given storage site selected from a set of storage sites. Following upload, the content is replicated from the given storage site to at least one other storage site in the set. Upon request from a given entity, a given storage site from which the given entity may retrieve the content is then identified. The content is then downloaded from the identified given storage site to the given entity. In an illustrative embodiment, the given entity is an edge server of a content delivery network (CDN).

Claims

1. A content storage and delivery system operated by a content delivery network (CDN) service provider on behalf of participating content providers, where the participating content providers are distinct from the CDN service provider, comprising:

a plurality of CDN content servers that are organized into sets;

a plurality of CDN storage sites, comprising;

(i) a first content storage system that receives and stores a plurality of first content objects, where the plurality of first content objects are content that a first participating content provider desires to be stored and delivered over the CDN; and

(ii) a second content storage system that receives and stores a plurality of second content objects, where the plurality of second content objects are content that a second participating content providers desires to be stored and delivered over the CDN;

where the plurality of first content objects of the first participating content provider are stored over multiple storage areas associated with at least one CDN storage site of the plurality of CDN storage sites;

where the plurality of second content objects of the second participating content provider are stored over multiple storage areas associated with at least one CDN storage site of the plurality of CDN storage sites; and

one or more CDN-managed domain name servers each of which is authoritative to resolve CDN-specific hostnames, where a first CDN-specific hostname has a first portion uniquely associated with the first participating content provider and a second portion associated with the CDN service provider, and where the first CDN-specific hostname also has associated therewith a value associated with a given one of the multiple storage areas in which a copy of a first content object can be obtained; and

where a second CDN-specific hostname has a first portion uniquely associated with the second participating content provider and the second portion associated with the CDN service provider, and where the second CDN-specific hostname also has associated therewith a value associated with a given one of the multiple storage areas from which a copy of a second content object can be obtained.

2. The content storage and delivery system as described in claim 1 where the plurality of CDN storage sites include first and second CDN storage sites that are each located in different Internet-accessible locations.

3. The content storage and delivery system as described in claim 2 wherein the first and second CDN storage sites operate independently from one another.

4. The content storage and delivery system as described in claim 1 wherein the first CDN-specific hostname comprises a portion of a URL.

5. The content storage and delivery system as described in claim 1 wherein the first CDN-specific hostname comprises a portion of a URL, where the URL also includes the value associated with a given one of the multiple storage areas from which a copy of a first content object can be obtained.

6. The content storage and delivery system as described in claim 1 wherein the multiple storage areas associated with at least one CDN storage site of the plurality of CDN storage sites comprises a set of directories.