Invalidation in a content delivery framework

• US 9,819,554 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2013
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• 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): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fiorillo, James
• Application Number:
  US14/088,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,452 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709225, 709226
• 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

At a service on a device, for a first property including a first one or more resources: maintaining first invalidation information relating to resources associated with the first property in the memory on the device; and controlling receipt of invalidation information relating to the first property based on the an amount of space in the memory used by the invalidation information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method in a content delivery (CD) network, operable on at least one device in said network comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, the method comprising, at a CD service on said at least one device, for a first set of content resources, said first set of content resources comprising a first one or more content resources:

(A)(1) allocating a first amount of a computational resource associated with said at least one device for first invalidation information, said first invalidation information comprising at least one invalidation command relating to said first set of content resources, wherein said first invalidation information comprises at least one invalidation command corresponding to one or more content resources that are not currently stored on the device; and

(A)(2) controlling receipt of invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources based on said first amount of said computational resource, wherein said controlling in (A)(2) comprises;

(A)(2)(i) throttling an ingestion rate of said first invalidation information based on said first amount of said computational resource;

wherein said first invalidation information comprises a first one or more invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources, and wherein said throttling in (A)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of unique invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources;

wherein an invalidation command of said first one or more invalidation commands comprises a content resource specifier, and wherein said throttling in (A)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources and having unique content resource specifiers, and

wherein said service is a delivery service in said content delivery network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, at said service on said at least one device, and for a second set of content resources, said second set of content resources comprising a second one or more content resources, said second set of content resources being distinct from said first set of content resources:

(B)(1) allocating a second amount of said computational resource associated with said at least one device for second invalidation information, said second invalidation information comprising at least one invalidation command relating to said second set of content resources, wherein said second invalidation information comprises at least one invalidation command corresponding to one or more content resources that are not currently stored on the device; and

(B)(2) controlling receipt of invalidation information relating to said second set of content resources based on said second amount of said computational resource.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said first invalidation information uses no more than said first amount of said computational resource to maintain information relating to said first set of content resources, and wherein said second invalidation information uses no more than said second amount of said computational resource to maintain information relating to said second set of content resources.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said controlling in (A)(2) comprises:

(A)(2)(i) throttling a first ingestion rate of said first invalidation information based on said first amount of said computational resource; and

wherein said controlling in (B)(2) comprises;

(B)(2)(i) throttling a second ingestion rate of said second invalidation information based on said second amount of said computational resource.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said controlling in (A)(2) controls a rate of receipt of first invalidation information relating based on said first amount of said computational resource.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said first set of content resources comprises a first property and said second set of content resources comprises a second property.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said computational resource comprises memory associated with said device and wherein said first amount of said computational resource comprises a first amount of space in said memory and wherein said second amount of said computational resource comprises a second amount of space in said memory.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein an invalidation command is selected from:

(i) an invalidation command that specifies a single content resource; and

(ii) an invalidation command that specifies a group of content resources.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein, when an invalidation command specifies a group of content resources, the group is specified by a pattern.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the pattern is selected from:

regular expressions and glob patterns.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said first amount of said computational resource associated with said at least one device is user to maintain invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said second amount of said computational resource associated with said at least one device is user to maintain invalidation information relating to said second set of content resources.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said first invalidation information uses no more than said first amount of said computational resource to maintain information relating to said first set of content resources.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein an invalidation command specifies a group of content resources that should not be used.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources is received at said service as part of an invalidation manifest.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one invalidation command is a multi-attribute invalidation command.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said first set of content resources comprises a first property.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said computational resource comprises memory associated with said device and wherein said first amount of said computational resource comprises a first amount of space in said memory.

19. A computer-implemented method operable on at least one device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, the method comprising,

at a service on said at least one device, for a first set of content resources, said first set of content resources comprising a first one or more content resources, and for a second set of content resources, said second set of content resources comprising a second one or more content resources, said second set of content resources being distinct from said first set of content resources:

(A)(1) allocating a first amount of a computational resource associated with said at least one device for first invalidation information, said first invalidation information comprising at least one invalidation command relating to said first set of content resources; and

(A)(2) controlling receipt of invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources based on said first amount of said computational resource, wherein said controlling in (A)(2) controls a rate of receipt of first invalidation information relating based on said first amount of said computational resource, wherein said controlling in (A)(2) comprises;

(A)(2)(i) throttling an ingestion rate of said first invalidation information based on said first amount of said computational resource; and

(B)(1) allocating a second amount of said computational resource associated with said at least one device for second invalidation information, said second invalidation information comprising at least one invalidation command relating to said second set of content resources, wherein said controlling in (B)(2) comprises;

(B)(2)(i) throttling an ingestion rate of said second invalidation information based on said second amount of said computational resource; and

(B)(2) controlling receipt of invalidation information relating to said second set of content resources based on said second amount of said computational resource,

wherein said first invalidation information comprises one or more first invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources, and wherein said throttling in (A)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of unique first invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources; and

wherein said second invalidation information relating to said second set of content resources comprises one or more second invalidation commands relating to said second set of content resources, and

wherein said throttling in (B)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of unique second invalidation commands relating to said second set of content resources.

20. A device in a content delivery (CD) network comprising:

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

(b) a CD service running on said hardware, wherein said CD service is configured to, for a first set of content resources, said first set of content resources comprising a first one or more content resources;

(A)(1) allocate a first amount of a computational resource associated with said device for first invalidation information, said first invalidation information comprising at least one invalidation command relating to said first set of content resources, wherein said first invalidation information comprises at least one invalidation command corresponding to one or more content resources that are not currently stored on the device;

(A)(2) control receipt of invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources based on said first amount of said computational resource associated with said device, wherein said control in (A)(2) comprises;

(A)(2)(i) throttling an ingestion rate of said first invalidation information based on said first amount of said computational resource;

wherein said first invalidation information comprises a first one or more invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources, and wherein said throttling in (A)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of unique invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources;

wherein an invalidation command of said first one or more invalidation commands comprises a content resource specifier, and wherein said throttling in (A)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources and having unique content resource specifiers, and

wherein said CD service is a delivery service in said content delivery network.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein said service is further configured to:

use said first amount of said computational resource associated with said device to maintain said invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein said computational resource comprises memory associated with said device and wherein said first amount of said computational resource comprises a first amount of space in said memory.

23. An article of manufacture, comprising non-transitory computer-readable media having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions including instructions for implementing a computer-implemented method in a content delivery (CD) network, said method operable on a device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor and running a CD service on said hardware, said method comprising:

for a first set of content resources, said first set of content resources comprising a first one or more content resources;

(A)(1) allocating a first amount of a computational resource associated with said device for first invalidation information, said first invalidation information comprising at least one invalidation command relating to said first set of content resources, wherein said first invalidation information comprises at least one invalidation command corresponding to one or more content resources that are not currently stored on the device;

(A)(2) controlling receipt of invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources based on said first amount of said computational resource associated with said device, wherein said controlling in (A)(2) comprises;

(A)(2)(i) throttling an ingestion rate of said first invalidation information based on said first amount of said computational resource;

wherein said first invalidation information comprises a first one or more invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources, and wherein said throttling in (A)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of unique invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources;

wherein an invalidation command of said first one or more invalidation commands comprises a content resource specifier, and wherein said throttling in (A)(2)(i) is based on an average rate of submission of invalidation commands relating to said first set of content resources and having unique content resource specifiers, and

wherein said CD service is a delivery service in said content delivery network.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23 wherein said method further comprises:

using said first amount of said computational resource associated with said device to maintain said invalidation information relating to said first set of content resources.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 23 wherein said computational resource comprises memory associated with said device and wherein said first amount of said computational resource comprises a first amount of space in said memory.