Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100250701 | CONDITIONAL PROTOCOL CONTROL - Techniques for modifying the performance of a transport layer protocol in response to a request for content are disclosed. A connection can be established between a content distribution server and an end user computer according to preconfigured parameters. When a request for content is received over the connection, the content distribution server can determine one or more parameters relating to the performance of the connection using information from the request. The content distribution server can modify the connection at the transport layer according to the one or more parameters. Thereafter, the transport layer can manage delivery of the requested content to the end user computer in accordance with the modified parameters. In various embodiments, the content distribution server includes a modified TCP protocol stack which adjusts timing, pacing, and buffer allocation associated with a connection in response to requests from an application-layer data source. | 09-30-2010 |
20110082982 | CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORK CACHE GROUPING - One or more content delivery networks (CDNs) that deliver content objects for others is disclosed. Content is propagated to edge servers through hosting and/or caching. End user computers are directed to an edge server for delivery of a requested content object by a universal resource indicator (URI). When a particular edge server does not have a copy of the content object from the URI, information is passed to another server, the ancestor or parent server to find the content object. There can be different parents servers designated for different URIs. The parent server looks for the content object and if not found, will go to another server, the grandparent server, and so on up a hierarchy within the group. Eventually, the topmost server in the hierarchy goes to the origin server to find the content object. The origin server may be hosted in the CDN or at a content provider across the Internet. Once the content object is located in the hierarchical chain, the content object is passed back down the chain to the edge server for delivery. Optionally, the various servers in the chain may cache or host the content object as it is relayed. | 04-07-2011 |
20120072527 | CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORK CACHE GROUPING - One or more content delivery networks (CDNs) that deliver content objects for others is disclosed. Content is propagated to edge servers through hosting and/or caching. End user computers are directed to an edge server for delivery of a requested content object by a universal resource indicator (URI). When a particular edge server does not have a copy of the content object from the URI, information is passed along a hierarchy (to a parent server, grandparent server, and, eventually, an origin server) until the content object is found. The origin server may be hosted in the CDN or at a content provider across the Internet. Once the content object is located in the hierarchical chain, the content object is passed back down the chain to the edge server for delivery. Optionally, the various servers in the chain may cache or host the content object as it is relayed. | 03-22-2012 |
20120166574 | PARTIAL OBJECT CACHING - Techniques for partial object caching are disclosed. For example, a method includes receiving, at a content delivery network (CDN) from a end user device, a request for at least a portion of an object, retrieving the portion of the object from a content site and delivering the portion of the object to the end user device, and caching, in a partial object cache, the portion of the object. Further, the method may include receiving a subsequent request for the portion of the object, and retrieving, from the partial object cache the portion of the object and delivering the portion of the object in response to the subsequent request. | 06-28-2012 |
20120166591 | ANYCAST REDIRECT TO UNICAST CONTENT DOWNLOAD - A method and system for delivering content with a content delivery network (CDN) to a user computer is disclosed. After an initial request to a point of presence (POP) of the CDN for the location of the content object, an Anycast Internet protocol (IP) address is assigned. The user computer requests the content object which may find its way to the same or a different POP depending on what is closer in Internet terms. The request returns a POP-specific IP in a redirect such that the request resolves to the POP referenced in the immediately preceding sentence. One or more edge servers deliver the content object to the user computer. | 06-28-2012 |
20130060893 | CONDITIONAL PROTOCOL CONTROL - Techniques for modifying the performance of a transport layer protocol in response to a request for content are disclosed. A connection can be established between a content distribution server and an end user computer according to preconfigured parameters. When a request for content is received over the connection, the content distribution server can determine one or more parameters relating to the performance of the connection using information from the request. The content distribution server can modify the connection at the transport layer according to the one or more parameters. Thereafter, the transport layer can manage delivery of the requested content to the end user computer in accordance with the modified parameters. In various embodiments, the content distribution server includes a modified TCP protocol stack which adjusts timing, pacing, and buffer allocation associated with a connection in response to requests from an application-layer data source. | 03-07-2013 |
20130212208 | PARTIAL OBJECT CACHING - A method of providing media at multiple bit rates using partial object caching may include receiving, from a first user device, a first request for a media object encoded at a first bit rate; providing the first portion of the media object to the first user device; and caching, in a partial object cache, the first portion of the media object. The method may additionally include receiving, from a second user device, a subsequent request for the media object encoded at the first bit rate; providing the first portion of the media object as retrieved from the partial object cache; and receiving a request for the media object encoded at a second bit rate. The method may further include modifying the request for the media object encoded at the second bit rate to instead request a second portion of the media object at the second bit rate. | 08-15-2013 |
20130212300 | SCALED DOMAIN NAME SERVICE - A method or system for transferring information during the domain name service (DNS) lookup to more effectively utilizing the content delivery network (CDN) is disclosed. Information gathered from DNS request is used to identify information on how to serve the content with a chosen IP address returned from the DNS lookup. The DNS server selects from a number of possible IP addresses after analyzing information from the DNS request and popularity of associated content. The different IP addresses will result in different edge servers providing content. An IP address could be provided for popular content in a way that will tend to populate more content caches from the pool of edge servers in one embodiment. | 08-15-2013 |
20140108674 | ANYCAST REDIRECT TO UNICAST CONTENT DOWNLOAD - A method and system for delivering content with a content delivery network (CDN) to a user computer is disclosed. After an initial request to a point of presence (POP) of the CDN for the location of the content object, an Anycast Internet protocol (IP) address is assigned. The user computer requests the content object which may find its way to the same or a different POP depending on what is closer in Internet terms. The request returns a POP-specific IP in a redirect such that the request resolves to the POP referenced in the immediately preceding sentence. One or more edge servers deliver the content object to the user computer. | 04-17-2014 |
20140201320 | INTERMEDIATE CONTENT PROCESSING FOR CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORKS - A method for handling content requests received in a CDN using an intermediate server may include maintaining a virtual file server that provides virtualized access to content in multiple POPs throughout the CDN, receiving a content request sent to the CDN, making a local request to the virtual file server for the content, where the specialized virtual file server may determine that the content is stored in a second POP that is remotely located from the first POP, and the specialized virtual file server may retrieve the content from the second POP and provide the content to the intermediate server as though it were stored locally in the first POP. The method may also include receiving the content from the specialized virtual file server, where the specialized virtual file server makes the requested content appear to be a locally-stored file to an operating system of the intermediate server. | 07-17-2014 |
20140297870 | SCALED DOMAIN NAME SERVICE - A method or system for transferring information during the domain name service (DNS) lookup to more effectively utilizing the content delivery network (CDN) is disclosed. Information gathered from DNS request is used to identify information on how to serve the content with a chosen IP address returned from the DNS lookup. The DNS server selects from a number of possible IP addresses after analyzing information from the DNS request and popularity of associated content. The different IP addresses will result in different edge servers providing content. An IP address could be provided for popular content in a way that will tend to populate more content caches from the pool of edge servers in one embodiment. | 10-02-2014 |