Intelligent virtual content distribution network system and method
AssigneeAbacast, Inc.
InventorsMatt Champagne, Roger Benz, Jim Kott, Aric Kollmyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system of use of a Content Distribution Network (CDN), wherein server functionality and client functionality are unbundled. Client software, which governs the accesses and request of the information from the CDN (i.e., server) is provided by a “thin” client architecture. The thin client software is capable of running on an as needed basis, therefore not allocating significant portions of available memory, except when being accessed. The server functionality retains the bulk of the software functionality to manage locally stored content, process content requests, and forward the requested data to content requesters running the client software.
Claims21
A content delivery system using distributed computing, the system comprising:
- a peer to peer content delivery network;
- one or more client download manager applications residing on and being executed by one or more end-user computer resources that are connected to the content delivery network;
- one or more redistributors applications residing on one or more end-user computer resources that are connected to the content delivery network;
- a centralized manager that controls the operation of the client download manager application and the redistributors application to manage the storage of content by the redistributors applications and to manage the delivery of content from the redistributors applications to the client download manager applications;
- wherein each client download manager application downloads content from any one of the one or more redistributors applications of the content delivery system and each redistributors application stores contents of the content delivery network as directed by the centralized manager and wherein the client download manager application and the redistributors application are functionally separated from each other;
- and
- wherein the centralized manager prevents content request collisions at end user computer resource having a redistributors application by time separating the requests from a plurality of client download manager applications so that a first client download manager application downloads a portion of a file from a first end user computer resource having a redistributor application and a second client download manager application downloads a different portion of the file from a different end user computer resource having a redistributor application wherein the first and second client download applications switch to the second end user computer resource having a redistributor application and the first end user computer resource having a redistributor application, respectively during a different time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.