Akamai Technologies, Inc.

Chuck Bernard

Philip A Lisiecki

James Mutton

Christopher R Knox

Ashok Jaiprakash Lalwani

Thomas P Devanneaux

William R Law

Will Law

Thomas Devanneau

Stream delivery within a content delivery network (CDN) includes recording the stream using a recording tier, and playing the stream using a player tier. Recording begins when the stream is received in a source format. The stream is then converted into an intermediate format (IF), which comprises a stream manifest, one or more fragment indexes (FI), and a set of IF fragments. A player process begins when a requesting client is associated with a CDN HTTP proxy. In response to receipt at the proxy of a request for the stream, the HTTP proxy retrieves (either from the archive or the data store) the stream manifest and at least one fragment index. Using the fragment index, the IF fragments are retrieved to the HTTP proxy, converted to a target format, and then served in response to the client request. Preferably, fragments are accessed, cached and served by the proxy via HTTP.

HTTP-based stream delivery

A method of delivering a live stream is implemented within a content delivery network (CDN) and includes the high level functions of recording the stream using a recording tier, and playing the stream using a player tier. The step of recording the stream includes a set of sub-steps that begins when the stream is received at a CDN entry point in a source format. The stream is then converted into an intermediate format (IF), which is an internal format for delivering the stream within the CDN and comprises a stream manifest, a set of one or more fragment indexes (FI), and a set of IF fragments. The player process begins when a requesting client is associated with a CDN HTTP proxy. In response to receipt at the HTTP proxy of a request for the stream or a portion thereof, the HTTP proxy retrieves (either from the archive or the data store) the stream manifest and at least one fragment index. Using the fragment index, the IF fragments are retrieved to the HTTP proxy, converted to a target format, and then served in response to the client request. The source format may be the same or different from the target format. Preferably, all fragments are accessed, cached and served by the HTTP proxy via HTTP.

Stream handling using an intermediate format

Live stream delivery within a content delivery network (CDN) includes recording the stream using a recording tier, and playing the stream using a player tier. Recording begins when the stream is received in a source format. The stream is then converted into an intermediate format (IF), which comprises a stream manifest, one or more fragment indexes (FI), and a set of IF fragments. A player process begins when a requesting client is associated with a CDN HTTP proxy. In response to receipt at the proxy of a request for the stream, the HTTP proxy retrieves (either from the archive or the data store) the stream manifest and at least one fragment index. Using the fragment index, the IF fragments are retrieved to the HTTP proxy, converted to a target format, and then served in response to the client request. Preferably, fragments are accessed, cached and served by the proxy via HTTP.

A method of delivering a live stream is implemented within a content delivery network (CDN) and includes the high level functions of recording the stream using a recording tier, and playing the stream using a player tier. The step of recording the stream includes a set of sub-steps that begins when the stream is received at a CDN entry point in a source format. The stream is then converted into an intermediate format (IF), which is an internal format for delivering the stream within the CDN and comprises a stream manifest, a set of one or more fragment indexes (FI), and a set of IF fragments. The player process begins when a requesting client is associated with a CDN HTTP proxy. In response to receipt at the HTTP proxy of a request for the stream or a portion thereof, the HTTP proxy retrieves (either from the archive or the data store) the stream manifest and at least one fragment index. Using the fragment index, the IF fragments are retrieved to the HTTP proxy, converted to a target format, and then served in response to the client request. The source format may be the same or different from the target format. Preferably, all fragments are accessed, cached and served by the HTTP proxy via HTTP. In another embodiment, a method of delivering a stream on-demand (VOD) uses a translation tier (in lieu of the recording tier) to manage the creation and/or handling of the IF components.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Chuck Bernard