Limelight Networks, Inc.

Mohan I Kokal

Bradley B Harvell

Jason Eggleston

Nathan F Raciborski

Nils H McCarthy

Jon B Corley

Tamara Monson

Eric Cadwell

Michael M Gordon

Lee A Stafford

Gary S Baldus

A method or system for transferring information during the domain name service (DNS) lookup to more effectively utilizing the content delivery network (CDN) is disclosed. Information gathered from DNS request is used to identify information on how to serve the content with a chosen IP address returned from the DNS lookup. The DNS server selects from a number of possible IP addresses after analyzing information from the DNS request and popularity of associated content. The different IP addresses will result in different edge servers providing content. An IP address could be provided for popular content in a way that will tend to populate more content caches from the pool of edge servers in one embodiment.

Scaled domain name service

A method of providing media at multiple bit rates using partial object caching may include receiving, from a first user device, a first request for a media object encoded at a first bit rate; providing the first portion of the media object to the first user device; and caching, in a partial object cache, the first portion of the media object. The method may additionally include receiving, from a second user device, a subsequent request for the media object encoded at the first bit rate; providing the first portion of the media object as retrieved from the partial object cache; and receiving a request for the media object encoded at a second bit rate. The method may further include modifying the request for the media object encoded at the second bit rate to instead request a second portion of the media object at the second bit rate.

Partial object caching

A method for handling content requests received in a CDN using an intermediate server may include maintaining a virtual file server that provides virtualized access to content in multiple POPs throughout the CDN, receiving a content request sent to the CDN, making a local request to the virtual file server for the content, where the specialized virtual file server may determine that the content is stored in a second POP that is remotely located from the first POP, and the specialized virtual file server may retrieve the content from the second POP and provide the content to the intermediate server as though it were stored locally in the first POP. The method may also include receiving the content from the specialized virtual file server, where the specialized virtual file server makes the requested content appear to be a locally-stored file to an operating system of the intermediate server.

Intermediate content processing for content delivery networks

A system and method for delivering content objects over the Internet to an end user system with a content delivery network (CDN) is disclosed. The system and method allow for dynamically storing and distributing a portion of content streams. When a content object is requested by an end user media player, the request is assigned to an edge server within the CDN. Characteristics of the content object are used to determine the portion of the content object where the portion is less than all of the requested content. The portion of content object is then retrieved from the content and is stored within the CDN. The portion of requested content is streamed to the end user media player. Ultimately, the whole content is streamed to the end user media player if the remainder of content is requested by the end user media player.

Content delivery network stream server vignette distribution

An intermediate server for handling content requests received from edge servers in a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and accessing and processing content distributed throughout the CDN may include a port that receives a content request from an edge server in a same Point-of-Presence (POP) including a URI. The ICPS may also include a content processor communicatively coupled to the port and configured to perform a processing function on the requested content to produce processed content for delivery to the edge server. The ICPS may further include a CDN content interface that provides virtualized access to content files accessible using URIs throughout the CDN and configured to receive a portion of the requested content using the URI stored in a second POP, and provide the requested content to the content processor, wherein the requested content comprises the portion of the requested content.

A method and system for delivering content with a content delivery network (CDN) to a user computer is disclosed. After an initial request to a point of presence (POP) of the CDN for the location of the content object, an Anycast Internet protocol (IP) address is assigned. The user computer requests the content object which may find its way to the same or a different POP depending on what is closer in Internet terms. The request returns a POP-specific IP in a redirect such that the request resolves to the POP referenced in the immediately preceding sentence. One or more edge servers deliver the content object to the user computer.

Anycast redirect to unicast content download

A system and method for delivering content objects over the Internet to an end user system with a content delivery network (CDN) is disclosed. The system and method allow for dynamically serving content objects by loading and/or reconfiguring publishing points upon receipt of an end user request. When a content object is requested by an end user media player, the request is assigned to an edge server within a particular POP of the CDN. An optional peer-discovery algorithm is used to determine a content source for the requested content object within the CDN. The peer-discovery algorithm first determines whether the publishing point associated with the requested content object is loaded into the edge server. Alternatively, the peer-discovery algorithm queries other edge servers within or remote from the particular POP to determine whether the request for content object is mapped by other edge servers to a content source using their respective publishing points. Once the content source for the requested content object is determined, the edge server reconfigures its publishing point toward the content source. Ultimately, the content object is streamed to the end user media player. Management of the publishing points avoids performance degradations on the edge server in some embodiments.

Publishing-point management for content delivery network

A system and method for delivering content objects over the Internet to an end user system with a content delivery network (CDN) is disclosed. Content objects may be dynamically served by loading and/or reconfiguring publishing points upon receipt of an end user request. When an end-user media player requests a content object, the request is assigned to an edge server within a particular POP of the CDN. An optional peer-discovery algorithm may determine a content source for the requested content object within the CDN. The peer-discovery algorithm determines whether the publishing point associated with the requested object is loaded into the edge server. Alternatively, the algorithm queries other edge servers within or remote from the POP to determine whether the request is mapped by other edge servers to a content source using their respective publishing points. The edge server may reconfigure its publishing point toward the content source.

Techniques for partial object caching are disclosed. For example, a method includes receiving, at a content delivery network (CDN) from a end user device, a request for at least a portion of an object, retrieving the portion of the object from a content site and delivering the portion of the object to the end user device, and caching, in a partial object cache, the portion of the object. Further, the method may include receiving a subsequent request for the portion of the object, and retrieving, from the partial object cache the portion of the object and delivering the portion of the object in response to the subsequent request.

According to the invention, a system for downloading audio or video to a browser is disclosed. The system includes a media server, a content database and a web page. The content database includes the content object, and the content database is linked to the media server. The web page presented to the browser and includes a link to the content object. The link avoids activating an autoplay feature of the browsers should the link be activated.

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, AZ, United States of America

Mohan I Kokal