Packetized content delivery apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016134906-A1
Application number	US-201414537735-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for managing content delivery in a packetized network. The network provide content to a plurality of clients via a plurality of nodes. A security threat associated with one of the nodes is detected and in response the host uses border gateway protocol to communicate non-forwarding table information informing one or more nodes of the network of the threat. In another variant, communication allows the nodes to take local action to protect themselves. This same local action occurs on the host, allowing it to continue serving content. The host utilizes BGP to dynamically inform nodes of changes in the network traffic delivery rules, such as causing traffic to different clients having different levels of reliability and/or provided on a best-effort basis. The BGP may be utilized to add/remove routes or nodes and to identify and respond to potentially malicious activities, changes in network configuration, and/or delivery requirements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of dynamically configuring a plurality of nodes providing content in a in a packet-enabled network, said method comprising:
associating said content to an address within said network; assigning said address to two or more nodes of said network, individual ones of said two or more nodes configured to deliver said content to a client of said network; advertising two or more routes, individual ones of said two or more routes being characterized by said address, said act of advertising enabling said client to access said content; based at least in part on a selection of an individual one of said two or more routes, causing delivery of said content to said client by an individual one of said two or more nodes corresponding to said selected individual one of said two or more routes; and based at least in part on a determination of a condition associated with said individual one of said two or more nodes, dynamically modifying a configuration related to said selected individual one of said two or more routes, said act of modifying causing cessation of content delivery by said individual one of said two or more nodes.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said condition comprises a security threat to said network.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said security threat comprises a denial of service attack configured to render at least one of said two or more nodes unavailable to clients of the network.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said condition is configured based at least in part on a content delivery rule associated with said network.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said content delivery rule is configured to enable consistent delivery of said content to said client, said consistent delivery characterized by a reliability parameter; when said reliability parameter is not met for a first one of said two or more nodes, said content delivery rule triggering delivery of said content to said client via a second one of said two or more nodes.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said content delivery rule is configured to cause delivery of said content to said client on a best effort basis, and said individual one of said two or more nodes is configured to provide said content to a second client on a consistent basis, said consistent delivery characterized by a reliability parameter.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of modifying comprises causing said client to request said content from a second one of said two or more nodes in lieu of requesting said content from said individual one of said two or more nodes.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said selection of said individual one of said two or more routes is conducted at least in accordance with a routing rule, said routing rule being based at least in part on one or more of: (i) node load, (ii) route available bandwidth, and/or (iii) service level associated with said client.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said selection of said individual one of said two or more routes is conducted at least in accordance with a routing rule, said routing rule configured based at least in part on one or more of: (i) content encoding rate, (ii) resolution of a display apparatus associated with the client, and/or (iii) bandwidth of a connection to the client.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said act of associating said content with said address is based at least in part on a distribution of a list of valid addresses to said client based on an authentication of said client to said network; said network is configured to deliver said content over an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) service; and said content comprises one or more of a video on demand (VOD) content and/or linear content.

11 . A content delivery network, comprising:
a plurality of nodes configured to deliver internet protocol television (IPTV) content to a plurality of subscribers via a plurality of routes; and an end-host node in operable communication via a protocol with individual ones of said plurality of nodes; wherein said end-host node is configured to communicate, via said protocol, to individual ones of said plurality of nodes a traffic conditioning rule configured to dynamically modify at least a portion of said plurality of routes.

12 . The network of claim 11 , wherein:
said rule is configured based at least in part on an event detected based on a condition by a node of said plurality of nodes, information related to said event being communicated to said end-host node; and said communication of said traffic conditioning rule is configured to occur within a time period configured to prevent occurrence of said condition at a second node of said plurality of nodes.

13 . The network of claim 12 , wherein said event comprises at least one of: a security attack; traffic load, availability of a node of said plurality of nodes; and route status associated with said end-host node.

14 . The network of claim 11 , wherein:
said plurality of nodes comprises a first portion and a second portion; said communication of said traffic conditioning rule is based at least in part on a determination by said end-host node of a content distribution configuration, said content distribution configuration being characterized by a first content delivery reliability and a second content delivery reliability; and said communication of said traffic conditioning rule is configured to convey to nodes of said first portion, information related to said first content delivery reliability and to nodes of said second portion an information related to said second content delivery reliability.

15 . The network of claim 14 , wherein:
said first content delivery reliability is greater than said second content delivery reliability; and said communication of said traffic conditioning rule to nodes of said first portion is configured to configure content delivery from nodes of said first portion to a first subscriber of said plurality of subscribers with fewer missing packets than content delivery from nodes of said second portion to a second subscriber of said plurality of subscribers.

16 . The network of claim 15 , wherein:
said content delivery to said second subscriber is configured to be based on a best effort; and said communication of said traffic conditioning rule is configured to dynamically reallocate at least one node from said nodes of said second portion to said first portion.

17 . The network of claim 11 , wherein:
at least one node of said plurality of nodes comprises a tier one cache; at least one node of said plurality of nodes comprises a delivery cache in communication with said tier one cache, said delivery cache configured to, based on content being available at said delivery cache, provide said content to a subscriber of said plurality of subscribers based on a request by said subscriber; and said content delivery to said subscriber is characterized by an absence of a backfill of a content from said tier one cache to said delivery cache, subsequent to a request by the subscriber.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable apparatus configured to store one or more computer programs thereon, the one or more computer programs comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed:
based on a security event associated with an active route of a pool of active routes of a network, determine a network address associated with said active route; determine existence of a second active route of said pool of active routes; and effectuate withd

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• James Panagos
• Jeremy Spencer
• Jason Forbes

Classifications

• H04L45/74

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04N21/4756

  for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie · CPC title

• H04N21/23103 Primary

  using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers (storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001) · CPC title

• H04N21/64322

  IP · CPC title

• H04N21/6125

  involving transmission via Internet (transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82) · CPC title