Adaptive Streaming CDN Selection by Fetch-Time Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adaptive streaming technologies experience buffering issues due to errors at content delivery networks (CDNs) despite available bandwidth, leading to a poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method for adaptive bitrate streaming that allows users to switch between different CDN nodes or servers based on fetch time exceeding an expected performance threshold, using network performance metrics to select an optimal data delivery network, thereby maintaining a smooth viewing experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system uses a single CDN node for content delivery, then the system complexity is reduced, but buffering occurs due to network errors or congestion at that node
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple CDN nodes into a unified content delivery system with automatic failover capabilities. When the primary CDN node experiences errors or congestion, the system automatically switches to alternative CDN nodes, ensuring continuous content delivery without buffering while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated routing logic
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes routing parameters based on real-time network conditions. By monitoring fetch times and error rates from different CDN nodes, the system adjusts the selected CDN node parameter to optimize content delivery reliability, switching from a static single-node approach to a dynamic multi-node selection strategy
2Reliability
If the system switches CDN nodes frequently to avoid buffering, then content delivery reliability improves, but network performance degradation due to repeated connection establishment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing connections to multiple CDN nodes and monitoring their performance in advance. Before switching is needed, the system already has active connections and performance metrics for alternative nodes, enabling seamless failover without the time penalty of establishing new connections during buffering events
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares cushioning measures by maintaining ready-state connections to backup CDN nodes. When the primary node fails, the pre-prepared alternative connections provide immediate cushioning against buffering, avoiding the time loss that would occur with cold-start connection establishment
3Reliability
If the system monitors network performance continuously to select optimal CDN nodes, then content delivery reliability improves, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by using the same network performance monitoring infrastructure for multiple purposes: selecting CDN nodes, optimizing adaptive bitrate streaming decisions, and troubleshooting network issues. This universal monitoring approach improves content delivery reliability without proportionally increasing computational overhead, as the data collection serves multiple optimization functions simultaneously
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for selecting a data delivery network are disclosed. The methods comprise requesting multimedia content delivery, the request comprising an indication of available bandwidth, receiving an indication of an expected performance threshold of a multimedia content item associated with the request for multimedia content, determining a fetch time for the multimedia content item to be delivered from a first data delivery network, and, in response to the fetch time being above the expected performance threshold, selecting a second data delivery network to deliver the multimedia content item.