# US 2021/0243098 A1 · Content Delivery Network Server Testing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243098 A1 - Document ID: US20210243098A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/097,782 - Filed: 2020-11-13 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-25 - Assignees: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC - Applicants: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC - Inventors: Chris Lemmons - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243098A1 ## CPC - H04L 43/50: Testing arrangements - H04L 43/0852: Delays - H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04L 41/045: comprising client-server management architectures - H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies - H04L 43/022: by sampling - H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Described herein is a system and method for testing a computing device, such as a server, to minimize network impact. A computing device that is new or needs to be evaluated, such as an edge server, in a content delivery network may be determined and a sibling edge server which shares a common characteristic with the edge server may be selected. Requests received on the sibling edge server may be collected and filtered to determine a subset of the requests. The subset of the requests are transmitted to the edge server for processing and evaluation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: selecting a first server in a content delivery network comprising a plurality of servers associated with a hierarchy of servers; selecting a sibling server, in the hierarchy, that shares a common parent with the first server; determining a content item request received by the selected sibling server; determining, based on a content item associated with the content item request, an amount of delay time; and sending, to the first server and after waiting for the amount of delay time, a request for the content item. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of delay time further comprises: determining the amount of delay time based on an expiration schedule of the content item. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the content item request further comprises: determining the content item request based on an expiration schedule of the content item. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein sending the request for the content item further comprises: sending, to the first server and after waiting for the amount of delay time, a plurality of requests for the content item. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a plurality of content item requests received by the selected sibling server; selecting requests based on a traffic type of content items associated with the plurality of content item requests; and sending, to the first server, after waiting for the amount of delay time, and based on the selected requests, requests for content items associated with the selected requests. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the amount of delay time is zero. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: sending to the first server, after waiting for the amount of delay time, and based on the content item request received by the selected sibling server, a plurality of content item requests in order to stress test an ability of the first server to handle a traffic load of the sibling server. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting the amount of delay time based on a response to the request for the content item. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: increasing the amount of delay time based on a determination that a quantity of requests sent upstream from the common parent satisfies a threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: decreasing the amount of delay time based on a determination that a quantity of requests sent upstream from the common parent is below a threshold value. ### Claim 11 An apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: select a first server in a content delivery network comprising a hierarchy of servers; select a sibling server, in the hierarchy, that shares a common parent server with the first server; determine a content item request received by the selected sibling server; determine, based on a type of a content item associated with the content item request, an amount of delay time; and send, to the first server and after waiting for the amount of delay time, a request for the content item. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to: determine the amount of delay time based on an expiration schedule of the content item. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to: send, to the first server and after waiting for the amount of delay time, a plurality of requests for the content item. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to: determine a plurality of content item requests received by the selected sibling server; select requests based on a traffic type of content items associated with the plurality of content item requests; and send, to the first server, after waiting for the amount of delay time, and based on the selected requests, requests for content items associated with the selected requests. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the amount of delay time is zero. ### Claim 16 A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause: selecting a first server in a content delivery network comprising a plurality of servers associated with a hierarchy of servers; selecting a sibling server, in the hierarchy, that shares a common parent with the first server; determining a content item request received by the selected sibling server; determining, based on a content item associated with the content item request, an amount of delay time; and sending, to the first server and after waiting for the amount of delay time, a request for the content item. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause: determining the amount of delay time based on an expiration schedule of the content item. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause: sending, to the first server and after waiting for the amount of delay time, a plurality of requests for the content item. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause: determining a plurality of content item requests received by the selected sibling server; selecting requests based on a traffic type of content items associated with the plurality of content item requests; and sending, to the first server, after waiting for the amount of delay time, and based on the selected requests, requests for content items associated with the selected requests. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the amount of delay time is zero.