CDN Container Files Consolidate Content Segments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) face challenges in efficiently storing and managing large amounts of content files, particularly for live streaming, which requires numerous small files, leading to increased processing power and storage burdens due to disparate file locations and complex manifest management.
Innovation Solution
Grouping related content files into container files and altering the manifest to point to these containers, reducing the number of files stored and requested, and maintaining linked lists for easy access and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If content files are stored individually in the CDN, then content delivery functionality is maintained, but storage management complexity and processing power requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual content files into a single container file. Instead of storing and managing separate files for each content segment, the system merges them into one consolidated container file that can be stored and managed as a single unit, reducing storage management complexity and processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The container file serves multiple functions: it acts as a storage vessel for multiple content files, provides a unified manifest structure for tracking all contained files, and enables simplified retrieval operations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate management systems for each individual file.
2Productivity
If the number of content files is reduced by grouping, then storage efficiency improves, but file structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the container file into distinct internal components: the manifest portion that tracks all contained files, and the actual content files stored within. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity internally while presenting a simplified external interface, maintaining storage efficiency without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifest acts as an intermediary structure between the container file and the individual content files. It provides a simplified tracking mechanism that lists all files contained within the container, enabling efficient management and retrieval without requiring complex direct relationships between all components.
3Reliability
If content is delivered as multiple small files, then content segmentation is maintained, but the number of files to store and manage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where multiple individual content files are contained within a single container file. This nesting maintains the segmentation of content into manageable pieces while reducing the total number of top-level files that need to be stored and managed in the CDN system.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for grouping a plurality of content files in content delivery network (CDN) for easier storage and access. In one embodiment, the CDN may store related files in one or more container files within the CDN to reduce the number of stored files. In addition, a manifest provided to the requesting device relating to the content may be altered to point to the container files rather than the separate content files within the container. The manifest may also provide information to the requesting to extract and process the content files within the container file in the proper order for playing on the requesting device.