Extending CDN Into Mobile Networks With Passive Caching Proxy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile and wireline networks, it is often impractical or impossible to deploy fully-managed CDN servers close to end-users due to technical and cultural barriers, limiting the effectiveness of content delivery networks.
Innovation Solution
A CDN Extender is deployed as a passive web caching proxy beyond the edge of the CDN, which serves CDN-provisioned content under CDN control, using an information channel to facilitate caching and content delivery, even in environments where fully-managed servers cannot be deployed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fully-managed CDN servers are deployed close to end-users in mobile networks, then content delivery efficiency is improved, but deployment is blocked by technical barriers (lack of public IP addresses, closed ports) and cultural barriers (network operator protectionism)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hybrid CDN architecture that acts as an intermediary between the Internet-based CDN and the mobile network. The hybrid CDN includes components that can be deployed at the network edge (gateway, access network, radio access network) and components that operate within the mobile network infrastructure. This intermediary architecture enables content delivery functionality to extend into the mobile network without requiring full deployment of traditional CDN servers, thus resolving the contradiction between delivery efficiency and deployability.
2Productivity
If CDN edge servers are deployed deep into wireline networks close to end-users, then content delivery performance is improved, but deployment is prevented by technical barriers and network operator restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the CDN functionality into multiple distributed components that can be deployed at different locations within the wireline network. Instead of deploying a single centralized edge server, the system divides content delivery functions across multiple nodes including gateway servers, access network servers, and radio access network servers. This segmentation allows the CDN to achieve deep network penetration and improved performance while adapting to the distributed nature of wireline network infrastructure and overcoming deployment restrictions.
Data Source
AI summary
A content delivery network (CDN) comprises a set of edge servers, and a domain name service (DNS) that is authoritative for content provider domains served by the CDN. The CDN is extended into one or more mobile or wireline networks that cannot or do not otherwise support fully-managed CDN edge servers. In particular, an “Extender” is deployed in the mobile or wireline network, preferably as a passive web caching proxy that is beyond the edge of the CDN but that serves CDN-provisioned content under the control of the CDN. The Extender may also be used to transparently cache and serve non-CDN content. An information channel is established between the Extender and the CDN to facilitate the Extender functionality.