Using video viewing patterns to determine content placement

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory accessible to the processor, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:
• determining a playing length of a media content item;
• separating the media content item into a first segment and a second segment in response to determining that the playing length is greater than a first threshold;
• receiving demand information for the first segment of the media content item;
• receiving demand information for the second segment of the media content item, wherein the first segment and the second segment are distinct, and wherein the demand information for the first segment is different than the demand information for the second segment;
• assigning the first segment to a first set of distribution nodes of a media content distribution system based at least partially on the demand information for the first segment and based at least partially on a first cost function, wherein the media content distribution system provides media content on demand to a plurality of endpoints, the media content distribution system including a plurality of distribution nodes with each of the distribution nodes coupled to a subset of the endpoints, and wherein the first cost function accounts for a first plurality of constraints;
• and
• assigning the second segment to a second set of distribution nodes of the media content distribution system based at least partially on the demand information for the second segment and based at least partially on a second cost function, wherein the second set of distribution nodes includes a different number of distribution nodes than the first set of distribution nodes, wherein the first cost function is distinct from the second cost function, wherein the second cost function accounts for a second plurality of constraints, and wherein at least one constraint of the second plurality of constraints is distinct from the first plurality of constraints.

A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

• determining a playing length of media content;
• separating the media content into a first segment and a second segment in response to determining that the playing length is greater than a first threshold;
• assigning the first segment to a first set of distribution nodes of a media content distribution system based at least partially on a first cost function, and wherein the first cost function accounts for a first plurality of constraints;
• assigning the second segment to a second set of distribution nodes of the media content distribution system based at least partially on a second cost function, wherein the first cost function is distinct from the second cost function, wherein the second cost function accounts for a second plurality of constraints, and wherein at least one constraint of the second plurality of constraints is distinct from the first plurality of constraints;
• receiving a first request for the first segment in response to a second request for the media content received at a first distribution node of the media content distribution system when a cache of the first distribution node does not include the first segment;
• and
• sending the first segment to the first distribution node in response to the first request, wherein sending the first segment limits bandwidth usage of the distribution system to the first distribution node by sending only the first segment and not all of the media content to the first distribution node.