Dynamic Domain Assignment for CDN Content Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content delivery networks (CDNs) face inefficiencies in serving content due to the lack of dynamic domain assignment based on content popularity, leading to suboptimal resource allocation and performance.
Innovation Solution
Assigning enhanced domains to content based on characteristics like popularity, allowing for dynamic routing of content requests to appropriate server tiers within the CDN, optimizing resource allocation and performance by directing popular content to high-performance servers and unpopular content to lower-performance servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If content is served from a single uniform domain without dynamic assignment, then the CDN structure is simple and easy to manage, but resource allocation is suboptimal and performance deteriorates due to inability to direct popular content to high-performance servers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic domain assignment where domains are not statically bound to content but are dynamically selected based on content characteristics such as popularity. The system assigns enhanced domains to content items based on their popularity metrics, allowing the domain-content mapping to adapt and change as content popularity changes over time, thereby optimizing resource allocation without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of domain assignment from static to dynamic based on content popularity parameters. By introducing popularity as a key parameter for domain selection, the system can route requests for popular content to high-performance servers while maintaining simpler routing for less popular content, thus improving overall delivery performance without proportionally increasing complexity
2Productivity
If popular content is always served from high-capacity servers, then content delivery performance improves, but resource allocation becomes inefficient when content popularity changes over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where content popularity is continuously monitored and measured. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically reassigns domains to content items, ensuring that popular content is consistently routed to high-performance servers. This closed-loop approach allows the system to adapt to changing popularity patterns and maintain optimal resource allocation over time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary assignment of enhanced domains to content based on initial popularity assessments. This preliminary action establishes the initial routing structure before content is served, allowing the system to proactively optimize for expected popular content while maintaining the ability to reassess and reassign as popularity patterns evolve
3Ease of operation
If all content requests are routed through the same domain resolution process, then the system is simple to operate, but resource utilization deteriorates due to inability to direct traffic to appropriate server tiers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the domain resolution process into different paths based on content characteristics. Popular content is assigned to enhanced domains that resolve to high-performance servers, while less popular content uses standard domains resolving to regular servers. This segmentation allows the system to optimize resource utilization for different content types while maintaining simple resolution processes within each segment
Data Source
AI summary
A content delivery network with at least one first content server bound to a first domain associated with a first characteristic (e.g., popular) associated with content servable from the content delivery network. The content delivery network includes at least one second content server bound to a second domain associated with a second characteristic (e.g., unpopular) associated with content servable from the content delivery network. At least one processing device including computer executable instructions for receiving a request to provide an embedded resource including either a first host name associated with the first domain or a second host name associated with the second domain.