Topology-Aware Anycast IP Addressing for CDN Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network systems face challenges in selecting the optimal route for content delivery, often resulting in increased latency, higher usage costs, and performance impacts due to insufficient information about the shortest or 'best' transmission paths, especially when end users access the network through multiple access networks and connection routes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize multiple anycast IP addresses within a content delivery network (CDN) to determine the approximate network topology location of a requesting device and select a topology-specific anycast IP address for content delivery, allowing for efficient routing to a geographically proximate content server while also performing load balancing and correcting erroneous geographic location assumptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a single anycast IP address is used for content delivery, then network simplicity is maintained, but the ability to select optimal transmission paths is lost resulting in increased latency and higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single anycast IP address into multiple topology-specific anycast IP addresses, each associated with different network topologies or regions. This segmentation enables the system to select the most appropriate anycast IP address based on the requesting device's location, thereby reducing latency while maintaining manageable complexity through structured organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to anycast IP addressing by creating topology-specific variants. Instead of using a flat single anycast address, the system adds a topology dimension, allowing requests to be routed through optimal paths while the DNS infrastructure manages the complexity of multiple addresses.
2Productivity
If multiple anycast IP addresses are implemented for optimal routing, then transmission path selection improves, but network configuration and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the DNS system multi-functional by enabling it to perform both traditional domain name resolution and topology-aware anycast IP address selection. This universality allows the existing DNS infrastructure to handle multiple functions without adding separate routing management systems, thereby improving content delivery efficiency while keeping network configuration complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service routing where the DNS server automatically determines the appropriate topology-specific anycast IP address based on the requesting device's characteristics. This eliminates the need for manual routing configuration and management, allowing the system to improve productivity through automated intelligent routing while maintaining simplicity in operations.
3Speed
If geographic location assumptions are used for routing, then quick route selection is achieved, but erroneous assumptions lead to suboptimal path selection and performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter basis for routing from simple geographic location assumptions to network topology characteristics. By using topology-specific anycast IP addresses that reflect actual network structure and performance characteristics rather than just geographic coordinates, the system achieves both fast route selection and high reliability in path optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for managing the distribution of content and/or communications from a telecommunications or computer network to an end user of the network. In general, the system receives a request for content from a user of the network and analyzes the request to determine an estimated geographic region and/or an access network associated with the requesting device. Based on the determined geographic region or access network, a networking device returns a specific anycast IP address from which the content may be received. In this manner, the content providing network may utilize multiple anycast IP addresses within the network to provide content to one or more end users of the network. The specific anycast IP address is provided to an end user device to obtain the requested content.