Application-layer traffic optimization enhancements for content delivery networks

Abstract

Using the ALTO Service, networking applications can request through the ALTO protocol information about the underlying network topology from the ISP or Content Provider. The ALTO Service provides information such as preferences of network resources with the goal of modifying network resource consumption patterns while maintaining or improving application performance. This document describes, in one example, an ALTO server that intersects network and cost maps for a first network with network and cost maps for a second network to generate a master cost map that includes one or more master cost entries that each represent a cost to traverse a network from an endpoint in the first network to an endpoint in the second network. Using the master cost map, a redirector may select a preferred node in the first network with which to service a content request received from a host in the second network.

Description

[0001] priority statement [0002] This application claims U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 861,645, filed August 23, 2010, U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 861,671, filed August 23, 2010, and U.S. Patent Application No. 12, filed August 23, 2010 / 861,681, each of which claims priority to US Provisional Application No. 61 / 349,467, filed May 28, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference. technical field [0003] The present invention relates to computer networks, and more particularly, to enhanced content distribution. Background technique [0004] Peer-to-peer (P2P) applications exchange large amounts of data and generate large amounts of network traffic. P2P applications leverage multiple copies of data content at multiple different network nodes to allow requesting agents to obtain portions of data content from one or more of a number of possible data sources. This P2P distributed application improves application performance and scalability, and is oft...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

For example, although two peers may be members of the same service provider network, the overlay links connecting the peers may still cross multiple network boundaries, which would unnecessarily increase inter-peer transit costs for the service provider

Furthermore, while distributed applications invest additional bandwidth at the data source to increase throughput and reduce latency for end users, while also reducing the burden on content providers to provision application servers, the ability to distribute data content cheaply At the service provider's expense, the service provider bears the cost of inefficiently transferring network data

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