Extending Caching Network Functionality To An Existing Streaming Media Server
AssigneeLevel 3 Communications, LLC
InventorsMaksim Yevmenkin, Christopher Newton, David Fullagar
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Abstract
A content delivery network (CDN) includes multiple cluster sites, including sites with streaming media servers, caching servers and storage devices accessible to the caching servers for storing streaming content. Interface software is configured to initiate retrieval, by a caching server, of electronic streaming resources from the one or more storage devices in response to requests for the electronic streaming resource received by the streaming media server.
Claims36
A system for content delivery comprising:
- a streaming media server;
- a caching server;
- one or more storage devices accessible to the caching server, wherein the one or more storage devices store content;
- interface software configured to initiate retrieval, by the caching server, of at least one electronic streaming resource from the one or more storage devices in response to an end user's request for the at least one electronic streaming resource received by the streaming media server.
An interface device, in a system for content delivery comprising:
- a streaming media server;
- a caching server;
- and one or more storage devices accessible to the caching server, wherein the storage device stores streaming content, the interface device comprising:
- interface software configured to initiate retrieval, by the caching server, of at least one electronic streaming resource from the one or more storage devices in response to an end user's request for the at least one electronic streaming resource received by the streaming media server.
A streaming server, in a system for content delivery comprising:
- a caching server;
- and one or more storage devices accessible to the caching server, wherein the storage device stores content deliverable by the streaming server, the streaming server comprising:
- an interface device comprising software configured to initiate retrieval, by the caching server, of at least one electronic streaming resource from the one or more storage devices in response to an end user's request for the at least one electronic streaming resource received by the streaming media server.
A computer cluster comprising:
- (A) a switch;
- (B) a first plurality of caching servers connected to the switch;
- (C) one or more storage devices accessible to the caching servers, wherein the one or more storage devices store streaming content;
- and
- (D) a second plurality of streaming servers connected to the switch, each of said streaming servers having a corresponding interface mechanism associated therewith, each said interface mechanism being configured to initiate retrieval, by one of the caching servers, of least one electronic streaming resource from the one or more storage devices in response to a request for the at least one electronic streaming resource received by a corresponding streaming media server.
A content delivery network comprising:
- a plurality of computer clusters according to any one of claims 24 to 29.
A computer-implemented method implemented by hardware in combination with software, the method operable in a system for content delivery comprising a streaming media server;
- a caching server;
- an interface mechanism associated with the caching server;
- and one or more storage devices accessible to the caching server, wherein the storage device stores streaming content, the method comprising, by the interface mechanism:
- (a) obtaining an instruction from the streaming media server regarding at least one electronic resource, the instruction including at least some information regarding the at least one electronic streaming resource;
- and
- (b) converting the at least some information into information associated with an Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request regarding the at least one electronic resource;
- and
- (c) using the information associated with the HTTP request to request the at least one electronic resource from the caching server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.