Content delivery network referral

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756124-B1
Application number	US-201615012638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 12, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

In general, techniques are described for managing content request referrals by keying content requests to a composite key data structure that maps end-user address prefixes and content identifiers to content delivery network servers of downstream CDNs. In one example, a CDN exchange includes a communication module to receive first network prefixes and first content identifiers from a first secondary content delivery network and to receive second network prefixes and second content identifiers from a second secondary content delivery network. A request router of the CDN exchange redirects the content request to the first secondary content delivery network or to the second secondary content delivery network according to a network address of the end user device and a content identifier for the content request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
storing, by a content delivery network (CDN) exchange, a composite key comprising a network address prefix and a content identifier for a content, wherein the network address prefix identifies end user devices reachable by a secondary CDN; and
sending, by the CDN exchange to each of a plurality of primary CDNs, the composite key and data indicating the secondary CDN can distribute the content to the end user devices having network addresses within the network address prefix, the secondary CDN being a secondary CDN for at least one of the plurality of primary CDNs, wherein the primary CDNs are authoritative CDNs for respective, different content service providers that each provides a content service to the end user devices, wherein the sending comprises:
sending, by the CDN exchange via a first CDN interconnection (CDNI) interface, a Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE message that includes the composite key and the data to a CDNI device of a first primary CDN of the plurality of primary CDNs; and
sending, by the CDN exchange via a second CDNI interface, the composite key and the data to a CDNI device of a second primary CDN of the plurality of primary CDNs.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, by the CDN exchange, a CDN referral table having a plurality of entries, wherein an entry from the plurality of entries includes the composite key and associates the composite key with the secondary CDN.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the CDN exchange from the secondary CDN, the network address and the content identifier; and
generating, by the CDN exchange based on the receiving, the data indicating the secondary CDN can distribute the content to end user devices having network addresses within the network address prefix.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the composite key comprises a first composite key,
wherein the network address prefix comprises a first network address prefix,
wherein the content identifier comprises a first content identifier,
wherein the content comprises a first content,
wherein the secondary CDN comprises a first secondary CDN, the method further comprising:
storing, by the CDN exchange, a second composite key of a second network address prefix and a second content identifier for a second content; and
sending, by the CDN exchange to each of the plurality of primary CDNs, the second composite key and data indicating a second secondary CDN can distribute the second content to end user devices having network addresses within the second network address prefix, the second secondary CDN being a secondary CDN for at least one of the plurality of primary CDNs.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the data further includes an identifier for a CDNI device of the secondary CDN,
wherein the data further indicates, to the plurality of primary CDNs, content requests for the content should be redirected to the CDNI device of the secondary CDN.

6. A method comprising:
receiving, by a content delivery network (CDN) exchange from a secondary CDN for at least one primary CDN of a plurality of primary CDNs, a network address prefix and a content identifier for a content, wherein the network address prefix identifies end user devices reachable by the secondary CDN;
storing, by the CDN exchange based on the receiving, a composite key comprising the network address prefix and the content identifier; and
sending, by the CDN exchange to each of a plurality of primary CDNs, the composite key and data indicating the CDN exchange can distribute the content to the end user devices having network addresses within the network address prefix, wherein the primary CDNs are authoritative CDNs for respective, different content service providers that each provides a content service to the end user devices,
wherein the sending comprises:
sending, by the CDN exchange via a first CDN interconnection (CDNI) interface, a Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE message that includes the composite key and the data to a CDNI device of a first primary CDN of the plurality of primary CDNs; and
sending, by the CDN exchange via a second CDNI interface, the composite key and the data to a CDNI device of a second primary CDN of the plurality of primary CDNs.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving, by the CDN exchange from an end user device having a network address within the network address prefix, a first content request that specifies the content identifier; and
sending, by the CDN exchange to the end user device in response to the content request, a content redirect message directing the end user device to send a second content request message that specifies the content identifier to the secondary CDN.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
generating, by the CDN exchange based on receiving the network address prefix and the content identifier from the second CDN, the content redirect message directing the end user device to send the second content request message to the secondary CDN.

9. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the composite key comprises a first composite key,
wherein the network address prefix comprises a first network address prefix,
wherein the content identifier comprises a first content identifier,
wherein the content comprises a first content,
wherein the secondary CDN comprises a first secondary CDN, the method further comprising:
storing, by the CDN exchange, a second composite key of a second network address prefix and a second content identifier for a second content; and
sending, by the CDN exchange to each of the plurality of primary CDNs, the second composite key and data indicating a second secondary CDN can distribute the second content to end user devices having network addresses within the second network address prefix, the second secondary CDN being a secondary CDN for at least one of the plurality of primary CDNs.

10. A computing device of a content delivery network (CDN) exchange, the computing device comprising:
a memory;
a CDN referral table having a plurality of entries, wherein an entry from the plurality of entries includes a composite key comprising a network address prefix and a content identifier for a content, wherein the entry associates the composite key with a secondary CDN for at least one of a plurality of primary CDNs, and wherein the network address prefix identifies end user devices reachable by the secondary CDN; and
one or more processors operably coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to send, to each of a plurality of primary CDNs, the composite key and data indicating the secondary CDN can distribute the content to the end user devices having network addresses within the network address prefix, wherein the primary CDNs are authoritative CDNs for respective, different content service providers that each provides a content service to the end user devices,
wherein to send the composite key and the data the one or more processors are configured to send, via a first CDN interconnection (CDNI) interface, a Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE message that includes the composite key and the data to a CDNI device of a first primary CDN of the plurality of primary CDNs, and
wherein to send the composite key and the data the one or more processors are configured to send, via a second CDNI interface, the composite key and the data to a CDNI device of a second primary CDN of the plurality of primary CDNs.

11. The computing device of claim 10 ,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive, from the secondary CDN, the network address and the content identifier, and
wherein the one or more processors are con

Assignees

• Juniper Networks Inc

Inventors

• Bosch Hendrikus G P
• Ferguson Scott
• Medved Jan
• Ward David
• Gredler Hannes

Classifications

• H04L67/1093 Primary

  Some peer nodes performing special functions · CPC title

• H04L65/60 Primary

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L65/612

  for unicast · CPC title

• H04L67/563

  Data redirection of data network streams · CPC title

• H04N21/63

  Control signaling {related to video distribution} between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients {or between remote clients}, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing (real-time session protocols H04L65/1101; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104) · CPC title