Content replacement and refresh policy implementation for a content distribution network

• US 9,208,104 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Cao, Yang, Nicolazzo, Michael, Turner, William M., Hack, Talbot, Suberri, Moshe
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US12/250,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,611 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/121 using replacement algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

A method for replacing, refreshing, and managing content in a communication network is provided. The method defines an object policy mechanism that applies media replacement policy rules to defined classes of stored content objects. The object policy mechanism may classify stored content objects into object groups or policy targets. The object policy mechanism may also define metric thresholds and event triggers as policy conditions. The object policy mechanism may further apply replacement policy algorithms or defined policy actions against a class of stored content objects. The media replacement policy rules are enforced at edge content storage repositories in the communication network. A computing device for carrying out the method, and a method for creating, reading, updating, and deleting policy elements and managing policy engine operations, are also provided.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for managing content in a communication network, the communication network having a core network and an access network with a cache, the access network comprising a base station for communicating with an electronic user device, the medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor at a location in the access network between the base station and the core network, cause the processor to:

receive a cache management replacement policy comprising a plurality of content replacement rules, the plurality of content replacement rules each defining a policy specifying when an object in the cache should be replaced;

classify the object into an object group based on an attribute of the object;

determine a first content replacement rule of the plurality of content replacement rules based on the classified object group to apply to the object;

define a trigger condition in the cache management policy specifying when to apply the first content replacement rule, the trigger condition being based on a property of the communication network;

monitor the property of the communication network;

evaluate the monitored property against a threshold amount of available bandwidth or a threshold message latency time;

detect, based on the evaluation, a satisfaction of the trigger condition; and

apply, responsive to the trigger condition being satisfied, the first content replacement rule and replace the object.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of content replacement rules comprises:

a content object key that defines an attribute of a data object;

a policy condition that evaluates the object key against a threshold value; and

a policy action that is taken if the policy condition is met.

3. The medium of claim 2, further storing instructions to cause the processor to modify a policy action using a policy action argument.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the cache management policy defines a different content replacement rule of the plurality of content replacement rules for different object groups.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the processor classifies the object into an object group based on a user-defined classification.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of content replacement rules is user-defined.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold amount of available bandwidth is approximately 100 megabytes per second, and the threshold latency time is approximately 200 milliseconds.

7. A computer-implemented method for managing content in a communication network having a core network and an access network with a cache, the access network comprising a base station for communicating with an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a cache management replacement policy comprising a plurality of content replacement rules, the plurality of content replacement rules each defining a policy specifying when an object in the cache should be replaced;

classifying the object into an object group based on an attribute of the object;

determining a first content replacement rule of the plurality of content replacement rules based on the classified object group to apply to the object;

defining a trigger condition in the cache management policy specifying when to apply the first content replacement rule, the trigger condition being based on a property of the communication network;

monitoring the property of the communication network;

evaluate the monitored property against a threshold amount of available bandwidth or a threshold message latency time; and

detect, based on the evaluation, a satisfaction of the trigger condition; and

applying, responsive to the trigger condition being satisfied, the first content replacement rule and replacing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of content replacement rules comprises:

a content object key that defines an attribute of a data object;

a policy condition that evaluates the object key against a threshold value; and

a policy action that is taken if the policy condition is met.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying a policy action using a policy action argument.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the cache management policy defines a different content replacement rule of the plurality of content replacement rules for different object groups.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the object is classified based on a user-defined or system-triggered classification.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of content replacement rules is user-defined.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold amount of available bandwidth is approximately 100 megabytes per second, and the threshold latency time is approximately 200 milliseconds.

13. An electronic device for managing content in a communication network having a core network and an access network with a cache, the access network comprising a base station for communicating with an electronic user device, the electronic device located in the access network between the base station and the core network, comprising:

a storage for storing a cache management comprising a plurality of content replacement rules, each of the plurality of content replacement rules defining a policy specifying when an object in the cache should be replaced; and

a processor configured to;

classify the object in the cache into an object group based on an attribute of the object;

determine a first content replacement rule of the plurality of content replacement rules based on the classified object group to apply to the object;

define a trigger condition in the cache management policy specifying when to apply the first content replacement rule, the trigger condition being based on a property of the communication network; and

monitor the property of the communication network;

evaluate the monitored property against a threshold amount of available bandwidth or a threshold message latency time;

detect, based on the evaluation, a satisfaction of the trigger condition; and

apply, responsive to the trigger condition being satisfied, the first content replacement rule and replace the object.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the threshold amount of available bandwidth is approximately 100 megabytes per second, and the threshold latency time is approximately 200 milliseconds.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, provide a method for managing content in a communication network, the communication network having a core network and an access network with a cache, the access network comprising a base station for communicating with an electronic user device, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving at least one content replacement rule defining a policy for determining when an object in the cache should be replaced;

instructions for classifying the object into an object group based on an attribute of the object;

instructions for determining a first content replacement rule of the plurality of content replacement rules based on the classified object group to apply to the object;

instructions for monitoring the property of the communication network;

instructions for evaluating the monitored property against a threshold amount of available bandwidth or a threshold message latency time;

instructions for detecting, based on the evaluation, a satisfaction of the trigger condition; and

instructions for applying, responsive to the trigger condition being satisfied, the first content replacement and replacing the object in the cache.

15. The electronic device readable medium of claim 14, wherein each of the content replacement rules comprise:

a content object key that defines an attribute of a data object;

a policy condition that evaluates the object key against a threshold value; and

a policy action that is taken if the policy condition is met.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the threshold amount of available bandwidth is approximately 100 megabytes per second, and the threshold latency time is approximately 200 milliseconds.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for managing content in a wireless content delivery network, the wireless content delivery network having a core network and an access network with a cache, the access network comprising a base station for communicating with an electronic user device, the medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a cache management replacement policy comprising a content replacement rule defining a policy specifying when an object in the cache should be replaced, the content replacement rule comprising;

a content object key that defines a type of a data object,

a policy condition that evaluates the object key against a threshold value, and,

a policy action that is taken if the policy condition is met; and

define a trigger condition in the cache management policy specifying when to apply the content replacement rule based on a property of the communication network;

monitor the property of the communication network;

evaluate the monitored property against a threshold amount of available bandwidth or a threshold message latency time;

detect, based on the evaluation, a satisfaction of the trigger condition; and

apply, responsive to the trigger condition being satisfied, the content replacement rule and replace the object.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the threshold amount of available bandwidth is approximately 100 megabytes per second, and the threshold latency time is approximately 200 milliseconds.