Transport layer network service for live content broadcasting

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a virtual processing system including a virtual processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

• initiating the virtual processing system in a node on a network path of a first streaming session between a content streaming server of a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and a viewer device of a plurality of viewer devices, wherein the first streaming session includes a first transport connection of the content streaming server and the viewer device and a second transport connection of the viewer device with the content streaming server to convey content data from the content streaming server to the viewer device, the first streaming session to convey the content data from the virtual processing system to the viewer device, wherein the content data comprises live content data for viewing at the plurality of viewer devices including the viewer device, wherein the node comprises an edge node of a plurality of edge nodes associated with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the edge node selected by a central controller at a selected location having a distance from the viewer device that is determined by the central controller to facilitate rapidly increasing serving capacity of the CON to viewer devices including the viewer device for popular live content items, wherein the initiating the virtual processing system is responsive to receiving an instruction from the central controller, the instruction from the central controller identifying the content data, the first transport connection and the second transport connection:
• creating, responsive to receiving the instruction from the central controller, a second streaming session between the virtual processing system and the content streaming server according to the first transport connection, the second streaming session to receive the content data from the content streaming server;
• creating, responsive to receiving the instruction from the central controller, a first transport connection between the virtual processing system and the viewer device and streaming the content data in a third streaming session by imitating the first transport connection of the content streaming server with the viewer device;
• creating, responsive to receiving the instruction from the central controller, a second transport connection between the virtual processing system and the content streaming server by imitating the second transport connection of the viewer device with the content streaming server;
• receiving, by the virtual processing system, the content data of the first streaming session from the content streaming server over the second transport connection and delivering the received content data to the viewer device over the first transport connection;
• streaming the live content data to the viewer device by injecting the live content data into the first transport connection;
• creating a third transport connection between the virtual processing system and a second viewer device of the plurality of viewer devices responsive to a query from the second viewer device to view the live content data, wherein the content streaming server is responsive to the query from the second viewer device to inform the central controller of the query from the second viewer device to view the content data and wherein the creating a third transport connection is responsive to receiving a second instruction from the central controller, the second instruction from the central controller identifying the live content data, a transport connection between the content streaming server and the second viewer device and the transport connection between the content streaming server and the virtual processing system;
• replicating, at the virtual processing system, the content data including the live content data, forming replicated content data;
• and
• delivering the replicated content data to the second viewer device over the third transport connection for viewing of the live content data at the second viewer device.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a controller in a network, the controller comprising a processing system including a processor, a register viewer request from a content streaming server of a Content Delivery Network (CON), wherein the content streaming server delivers content data over a first transport connection of the content streaming server to a viewer device identified in the register viewer request via a first streaming session and wherein the viewer device communicates with the content streaming server over a second transport connection of the viewer device, wherein the content data comprises live content data for viewing at a plurality of viewer devices including the viewer device;
• selecting, by the controller, an edge node in a plurality of edge nodes in the network, each edge node of the plurality of edge nodes being associated with an Internet Service Provider (BP), the edge node being selected at a location having a distance from the viewer device that is determined to facilitate rapidly increasing serving capacity of the CDN to viewer devices including the viewer device for popular live content items, wherein the selecting is responsive to the register viewer request;
• routing, by the controller, the first transport connection of the content streaming server of the first streaming session from the content streaming server to the edge node;
• sending, by the controller, instructions to the edge node to prepare a virtual machine, the instructions identifying the content data, the first transport connection between the content streaming server and the viewer device and the second transport connection between the content streaming server and the edge node, wherein the virtual machine is responsive to the instructions to initiate a second streaming session with the content streaming server to receive the live content data, to create a first transport connection with the viewer device by imitating the first transport connection of the content streaming server, and to create a second transport connection with the content streaming server by imitating the second transport connection of the viewer device;
• returning, by the controller, responsive to a readiness indication provided by the virtual machine, a notification to the content streaming server identifying the virtual machine
• receiving, by the controller, a second register viewer request from the content streaming server for delivery of the live content data to a second viewer device of the plurality of viewer devices;
• routing, by the controller, a third transport connection from the edge node to the second viewer device, wherein the routing the third transport connection is responsive to the second register viewer request;
• sending, by the controller, instructions to the virtual machine, to replicate the live content data, forming replicated data, wherein the instructions are responsive to the second register viewer request and identify the live content data, the transport connection between the content streaming server and the second viewer device;
• and
• sending, by the controller, to the virtual machine, transport information of the third transport connection, wherein the virtual machine conveys the live content data to the second viewer device for viewing of the live content data at the second viewer device.