US 6,553,413 B1 · Content delivery network using edge-of-network servers for providing content delivery to a set of participating content providers

Abstract

The present invention is a network architecture or framework that supports hosting and content distribution on a truly global scale. The inventive framework allows a Content Provider to replicate and serve its most popular content at an unlimited number of points throughout the world. The inventive framework comprises a set of servers operating in a distributed manner. The actual content to be served is preferably supported on a set of hosting servers (sometimes referred to as ghost servers). This content comprises HTML page objects that, conventionally, are served from a Content Provider site. In accordance with the invention, however, a base HTML document portion of a Web page is served from the Content Provider's site while one or more embedded objects for the page are served from the hosting servers, preferably, those hosting servers near the client machine. By serving the base HTML document from the Content Provider's site, the Content Provider maintains control over the content.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of content delivery wherein participating content providers identify content to be delivered by a content delivery network service provider from a set of content servers associated with the content delivery network service provider, wherein a given object of a participating content provider is associated with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes, in addition to a filename, an alphanumeric string that is resolvable in a domain name system (DNS) associated with the content delivery network service provider, the domain name system including a set of name servers, comprising:

during a first DNS query performed on a first portion of the alphanumeric string, selecting a given one of the name servers in the domain name system associated with the content delivery network service provider;
during a second DNS query performed at the given one of the name servers in the domain name system associated with the content delivery network service provider and on a second portion of the alphanumeric string together with the first portion, identifying a given server from the set of content servers associated with the content delivery network service provider;
at the given server, receiving a request for the given object;
and
in response to the request, serving the given object from the given server.

2 more elements

A method of content delivery wherein participating content providers identify content to be delivered by a content delivery network service provider from a set of content servers associated with the content delivery network service provider, wherein a given object of a participating content provider is associated with a 12293:10 PATENT Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes, in addition to a filename, an alphanumeric string, comprising:

having the content delivery network service provider establish a domain name system (DNS) having authority to resolve the alphanumeric strings in the URLs of the objects identified by the participating content providers, the content delivery network service provider's domain name system having one or more DNS levels, wherein at least one DNS level comprises a set of one or more name servers;
for each of one or more participating content providers, delivering a given object on behalf of the participating content provider, wherein the given object is delivered by the following steps:
responsive to a DNS query, selecting a given one of the name servers in the content delivery network service provider's domain name system;
at the given one of the name servers, resolving the alphanumeric string to an IP address, wherein the alphanumeric string is resolved without reference to the filename for the given object;
at a server associated with the IP address, the server being one of the set of content servers, receiving a request for the given object, the request having the filename associated therewith;
from the server, serving the given object;
and
caching the given object at the server so that the given object is available for delivery from the server for a given time period in the event that a new DNS query to resolve the alphanumeric string is received at the domain name system and is resolved to the IP address of the server.

5 more elements

having the content delivery network service provider establish a domain name system (DNS) having authority to resolve the alphanumeric strings in the URLs of the objects identified by the participating content providers, the content delivery network service provider's domain name system having one or more DNS levels, wherein at least one DNS level comprises a set of one or more name servers;
for each of one or more participating content providers, delivering a given object on behalf of the participating content provider, wherein the given object is delivered by the following steps:
responsive to a DNS query, selecting a given one of the name servers in the content delivery network service provider's domain name system as a function of where the DNS query originates;
at the given one of the name servers, resolving the alphanumeric string to an IP address, wherein the alphanumeric string is resolved without reference to the filename for the given object;
at a server associated with the IP address, the server being one of the set of content servers, receiving a request for the given object, the request having the filename associated therewith;
and
from the server, serving the given object.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Content delivery network using edge-of-network servers for providing content delivery to a set of participating content providers

Life of this patent

Content delivery network using edge-of-network servers for providing content delivery to a set of participating content providers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22