Providing Load Balanced Secure Media Content and Data Delivery in a Distributed Computing Environment

An edge server for providing load balanced secure media content delivery in a distributed computing environment wherein the media content is segmented and encrypted into a plurality of individually encrypted segments, the edge server comprising:

• at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, the at least one processor operable to receive the plurality of individually encrypted segments from a centralized server, the plurality of individually encrypted segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback;
• the at least one processor further operable to receive a plurality of requests from a client computer optimally proximate to the edge server for at least some of the plurality of individually encrypted segments, each of the plurality of requests requesting a corresponding individually encrypted segment of the plurality of individually encrypted segments;
• and
• the at least one processor even further operable to transmit the at least some of the plurality of individually encrypted segments to the client computer.

A method for providing load balanced secure media content delivery in a distributed computing environment, the method comprising:

• segmenting and encoding media content into a set of encrypted segments, said encrypted segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback;
• storing the set of encrypted segments at a staging server;
• mirroring said set of encrypted segments from said staging server onto a plurality of edge servers;
• authenticating an end user;
• retrieving a user profile of the authenticated end user;
• choosing an optimally sited edge server from the plurality of edge servers, based at least in part on a location of a client utilized by the end user;
• receiving a plurality of individual segment requests from the client at the optimally sited edge server, each individual segment request of the plurality of segment requests requesting transmittal of a corresponding encrypted segment mirrored at the optimally sited edge server;
• transmitting the requested corresponding encrypted segments from the optimally sited edge server to the client.

A network for providing load balanced secure media content delivery in a distributed computing environment, the network comprising:

• a centralized server comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, the centralized server configured to:
• segment and encode media content into a set of encrypted segments, the encrypted segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback;
• and
• store the set of encrypted segments;
• a plurality of edge servers, each comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in a memory and configured to:
• receive a copy of the set of encrypted segments, and mirror the set of encrypted segments received;
• a request processing module comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, and configured to:
• authenticate an end user;
• retrieve a user profile of the authenticated end user;
• an optimally sited edge server chosen from the plurality of edge servers, based at least in part on a location of a client utilized by the end user, and configured to:
• receive a plurality of individual segment requests from the client, each individual segment request of the plurality of segment requests requesting transmittal of a corresponding encrypted segment mirrored at the optimally sited edge server;
• and
• transmit the requested corresponding encrypted segments from the optimally sited edge server to the client.

A network for providing load balanced media content delivery in a distributed computing environment, the network comprising:

• a centralized server comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, the centralized server configured to:
• segment media content into a set of segments, the segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback;
• and
• store the set of segments;
• a plurality of edge servers, each comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in a memory and configured to:
• receive a copy of the set of segments, and mirror the set of segments received;
• a request processing module comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, and configured to:
• authenticate an end user;
• retrieve a user profile of the authenticated end user;
• an optimally sited edge server chosen from the plurality of edge servers, based at least in part on a location of a client utilized by the end user, and configured to:
• receive a plurality of individual segment requests from the client, each individual segment request of the plurality of segment requests requesting transmittal of a corresponding encrypted segment mirrored at the optimally sited edge server;
• and
• transmit the requested corresponding segments from the optimally sited edge server to the client, wherein the client determines a network load prior to sending at least some of the plurality of segment requests.