Method and system for scalable content storage and delivery

• US 8,838,811 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Songqing, Ding, Xiaoning, Guo, Lei, Tan, Enhua, Xiao, Zhen, Zhang, Xiaodong
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JENEE LAUREN
• Application Number:
  US13/528,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709223-229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities

Abstract

A peer-to-peer communication system in which a peer communicating with a tracker node on a local torrent can locate and download files that are not currently available from other peers communicating on the local torrent. To enable this, the tracker node maintains collaboration information for a list of files. The collaboration information includes, for each file, a list of locations at which a full copy of the file may be located. The list of locations may include active peers, dormant peers and remote tracker nodes. The collaboration information may be obtained from each peer when it joins a local torrent. Upon joining the torrent, the peer may provide the local tracker node with a list of files that it is willing to serve.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating sharing of information among devices in a network, the method comprising:

maintaining, by a local tracker node, collaboration information related to a list of files, the collaboration information including, for each respective file in the list of files;

a first list of local peers actively participating in a local torrent; and

a second list identifying a plurality of dormant peers associated with the respective file, each of which has participated in the past in the local torrent, does not currently participate in the local torrent, and is currently participating in a second torrent;

sending, to a selected dormant peer selected from the second list, a request for a file that is unavailable from local peers actively participating in the local torrent; and

providing, to a particular local peer, information needed for the particular local peer to obtain the file directly from the selected dormant peer when the selected dormant peer denies the request for the file, wherein an additional file is offered by the particular local peer to the selected dormant peer when the selected dormant peer denies the request for the file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the particular local peer a first request for the file;

determining whether the file is available from local peers actively participating in the local torrent; and

selecting the selected dormant peer from the second list when it is determined that the file is unavailable from local peers listed on the first list.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling an establishment of a communication between the particular local peer and the selected dormant peer, if the selected dormant peer accepts a second request for the file.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving from a second local peer a second request to locate a second file that is currently unavailable for download from the local peers actively participating in the local torrent;

sending the second request to a remote tracker node listed in the collaboration information for the second file, the remote tracker node associated with a corresponding remote torrent, the second request being for an address of a peer located in the corresponding remote torrent that can provide the second local peer with access to the second file;

receiving the address of the peer located in the corresponding remote torrent; and

forwarding the address to the second local peer.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving from the second local peer a third request to locate a third file that is currently unavailable for download from the local peers actively participating on the local torrent; and

sending to the second local peer a third list of dormant peers and remote tracker nodes listed in the collaboration information for the third file.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from a second local peer a list of available files.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the collaboration information further includes, for each respective file in the list of files, a list of locations at which a full copy of the file is located.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the list of locations for a file comprises a list of remote tracker nodes having peers that can serve the file to other peers in a remote torrent.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a controller, cause the controller to perform a method comprising:

maintaining, by a local tracker node, collaboration information related to a list of files, the collaboration information including, for each respective file in the list of files;

a first list of local peers actively participating in a local torrent; and

a second list identifying a plurality of dormant peers associated with each respective file, each of which has participated in the past in the local torrent, does not currently participate in the local torrent, and is currently participating in a second torrent;

sending;

to a selected dormant peer selected from the second list;

a request for a file that is unavailable from local peers actively participating in the local torrent; and

providing, to a particular local peer, information needed for the particular local peer to obtain the file directly from the selected dormant peer when the selected dormant peer denies the request for the file, wherein an additional file is offered by the particular local peer to the selected dormant peer when the selected dormant peer denies the request for the file.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising computer program instructions defining:

receiving from the particular local peer a first request for the file;

determining whether the file is available from local peers actively participating in the local torrent; and

selecting the selected dormant peer from the second list when it is determined that the file is unavailable from local peers listed on the first list.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising computer program instructions defining:

enabling an establishment of a communication between the particular local peer and the selected dormant peer, if the selected dormant peer accepts a second request for the file.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer program instructions defining:

receiving from a second local peer a second request to locate a second file that is currently unavailable for download from the local peers actively participating in the local torrent;

sending the second request to a remote tracker node listed in the collaboration information for the second file, the remote tracker node associated with a corresponding remote torrent, the second request being for an address of a peer located in the corresponding remote torrent that can provide the second local peer with access to the second file;

receiving the address of the peer located in the corresponding remote torrent; and

forwarding the address to the second local peer.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising computer program instructions defining:

receiving from the second local peer a third request to locate a third file that is currently unavailable for download from the local peers actively participating on the local torrent; and

sending to the second local peer a third list of dormant peers and remote tracker nodes listed in the collaboration information for the third file.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions defining:

receiving from a second local peer a list of available files.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the collaboration information further includes, for each respective file in the list of files, a list of locations at which a full copy of the file is located.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the list of locations for a file comprises a list of remote tracker nodes having peers that can serve the file to other peers in a remote torrent.