Method for detecting a live adaptive bit rate stream

Apparatus for an intermediate network entity that is between a client and at least a first server in a data network, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

• monitoring a sequence of requests sent from the client and a corresponding sequence of responses sent to the client that pass through intermediate network entity in respect of a dataflow that is being downloaded to the client over the data network from at least the first server, wherein the monitoring comprises measuring a data size of each response in the sequence of responses;
• determining, based on the monitoring, that the sequence of responses comprises a pattern of responses that is consistent with that expected of a live Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) stream;
• classifying, in response to said determining, the dataflow as being a live Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) stream.

A computer programme comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a processing system at an intermediate network entity that is between a client and at least a first server in a data network, causes the processing system to implement a method comprising at least the steps of:

• monitoring a sequence of requests sent from the client and a corresponding sequence of responses sent to the client that pass through intermediate network entity in respect of a dataflow that is being downloaded to the client over the data network from at least the first server, wherein the monitoring comprises measuring a data size of each response in the sequence of responses;
• determining, based on the monitoring, that the sequence of responses comprises a pattern of responses that is consistent with that expected of a live Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) stream;
• classify, in response to said determining, the dataflow as being a live Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) stream.