CDN Cache Nodes Executing Per-User Functions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content delivery networks face challenges in managing user tracking elements, such as cookies, which are personal and difficult to manage due to their specific nature, and in providing efficient caching and per-user functions across distributed cache nodes to enhance content delivery and analytics.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a content delivery network with cache nodes that cache content, process user requests to determine device properties, execute per-user functions, and transfer information across nodes to provide personalized content and analytics, including URL shortening and tracking features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If user tracking elements (cookies) are managed personally and specifically for each user, then user-specific analytics and tracking accuracy are improved, but system complexity and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cache nodes as intermediary components between end users and origin servers. These cache nodes centrally manage user tracking elements (cookies) and device properties, acting as a mediator that handles per-user functions without requiring complex management at each user device or origin server level. The cache nodes store and process tracking data, executing per-user functions while maintaining simplified architecture.
2Speed
If content is cached at distributed cache nodes closer to users, then content delivery speed is improved, but coordination and information transfer between nodes increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The cache nodes are designed with multi-functionality, serving as both content caching infrastructure and centralized tracking/analysis platforms. Each cache node can execute per-user functions and store tracking elements locally, while also participating in the broader CDN architecture. This universal design allows cache nodes to provide content delivery benefits while managing tracking coordination through standardized interfaces and information transfer mechanisms between nodes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If per-user functions are executed at cache nodes with access to user properties, then personalized content delivery is improved, but user privacy protection becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
Cache nodes serve as intermediary platforms that process user data without requiring direct access to user devices or origin servers. The nodes execute per-user functions by analyzing device properties and tracking elements collected during content delivery, enabling personalization while maintaining a controlled intermediate layer that can implement privacy protection measures and data anonymization protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for caching tracking elements of network content are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a cache node of a content delivery network that caches content for delivery to end user devices is provided. The method includes receiving content requests from an end user device for content cached by the cache node and responsively providing the content for delivery to the end user device, processing the content requests to determine properties related to the end user device based at least on the content requests, and executing a per-user function in the cache node for the end user device based at least on the properties related to the end user device.