Request processing in a content delivery network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9755914-B2
Application number	US-201213714416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 13, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A content delivery framework (CDF) includes a plurality of devices, each device configured to run at least one content delivery (CD) service of a plurality of CD services. The plurality of CD services comprise one or more CD service networks, and each particular CD service network has a dynamic network topology.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method operable in a content delivery network (CDN), and operable on a device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, the method comprising:
(A) receiving a first request at a first content delivery (CD) service instance;
(B) determining a first request environment from said first request;
(C) determining a second request environment using (i) said first request environment, and (ii) information from sources other than the first request, said second request environment being distinct from said first request environment; and
(D) attempting to process said first request using said second request environment,
wherein said attempting to process in (D) comprises:
(D)(1) causing at least some of said first request to be processed by a second CD service instance,

wherein said second CD service instance is a peer of said first CD service instance, and
wherein the first request is for requested content, wherein the requested content comprises a specific subscriber property and wherein the information from other sources comprises behavior information for said specific subscriber property.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said second CD service instance is provided said second request environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information from other sources includes default information for processing the request.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information from other sources includes information about the particular service implementation that the first service instance executes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information from other sources includes information about a state of the first CD service instance when the first request is processed.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first request is a request for content and wherein said first CD service instance and said second CD service instance are CDN delivery service instances.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first request environment is determined from information associated with the request initially received in (A).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the causing in (D)(1) comprises:
redirecting the first request to the second CD service instance.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said second CD service instance is provided said second request environment.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the request initially received in (A) is an initial HTTP request for a first resource.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first request environment comprises an HTTP protocol, a host, and a component of a URL path.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said second request environment contains more information than said first request environment.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said first CD service instance comprises a streaming service instance.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second CD service instance comprises a streaming service instance.

15. A computer-implemented method operable in a content delivery network (CDN), and operable on a device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor, the method comprising:
(A) receiving a first request for a first resource at a first CDN delivery service instance;
(B) determining a first request environment using said first request;
(C) determining a second request environment using (i) said first request environment, and (ii) information from sources other than the first request, said second request environment being distinct from said first request environment; and
(D) causing at least some of said first request to be processed using said second request environment,
wherein said causing in (D) comprises:
(D)(1) causing at least some of said first request to be processed by a second CDN delivery service instance using said second request environment, said second CDN delivery service instance being a peer of said first CDN delivery service instance, wherein said second CDN delivery service instance is provided said second request environment, and
wherein the first resource comprises a specific subscriber property and wherein the information from other sources comprises behavior information for said specific subscriber property.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the information from other sources includes one or more of:
(i) default information for processing the request;
(ii) information about the particular service implementation that the first service instance executes; and
(iii) information about a state of the first CDN delivery service instance when the first request is processed.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the request initially received in (A) is an initial HTTP request for a first resource.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first request environment comprises an HTTP protocol, a host, and a component of a URL path.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said second request environment contains more information than said first request environment.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said first CDN delivery service instance comprises a streaming service instance.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the second CDN delivery service instance comprises a streaming service instance.

22. A computer program product having computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory computer readable media, the computer readable instructions including instructions for implementing a computer-implemented method, said method operable in a content delivery network (CDN) and operable on a device comprising hardware including memory and at least one processor and running a service on said hardware, said method comprising:
(A) receiving a first request at a first content delivery (CD) service instance;
(B) determining a first request environment from said first request;
(C) determining a second request environment using (i) said first request environment, and (ii) information from sources other than the first request, said second request environment being distinct from said first request environment; and
(D) attempting to process said first request using said second request environment,
wherein said attempting to process in (D) comprises:
(D)(1) causing at least some of said first request to be processed by a second CD service instance,

wherein said second CD service instance is a peer of said first CD service instance, and
wherein the first request is for requested content, wherein the requested content comprises a specific subscriber property and wherein the information from other sources comprises behavior information for said specific subscriber property.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein said first CD service instance comprises a streaming service instance.

24. A device operable in a content delivery network (CDN), the device comprising:
(a) hardware including memory and at least one processor, and
(b) a first CD service instance running on said hardware, wherein said first CD service instance is configured to:
(A) receive a first request;
(B) determine a first request environment from said first request;
(C) determine a second request environment using (i) said first request environment, and (ii) information from sources other than the first request, said second request environment being distinct from said first request environment; and
(D) attempt to process said first request using said second request environment

wherein said first CD service instance is configured to atte

Assignees

• Level 3 Communications Llc

Inventors

• Newton Christopher
• Varney Lewis Robert
• Lipstone Laurence R
• Crowder William
• Swart Andrew

Classifications

• G06F12/0808

  with cache invalidating means (G06F12/0815 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F9/5083

  Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system · CPC title

• H04L61/10

  of different types · CPC title

• H04L65/60

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L41/5041

  characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service · CPC title