Content Distribution System Handoff Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional client/server networks face challenges in managing simultaneous, long-lived connections for large data streams, leading to increased burden on file servers and networks, particularly when serving content like videos or audio, as they must maintain multiple connections continuously, which can overwhelm the system.
Innovation Solution
A content distribution system that hands off content requests from a file server to other receivers already receiving the same content, allowing for cascading transfers without establishing new connections, thereby reducing the load on the file server and network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the file server maintains multiple simultaneous connections for serving large data streams to multiple receivers, then the content distribution capability is improved, but the burden on the file server and network increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple data streams into a single connection by having the file server send one copy of the data stream to a first receiver, which then redistributes it to multiple other receivers. This combines what would be multiple separate file server connections into a single connection, reducing the file server's connection management burden while maintaining the ability to serve multiple receivers simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The first receiver acts as an intermediary between the file server and the other receivers. Instead of the file server directly managing connections to all receivers, the first receiver mediates by receiving the data stream from the file server and then distributing it to multiple other receivers, thereby reducing the file server's direct connection burden.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the file server establishes new connections for each content request, then the content delivery flexibility is improved, but the network burden and connection management overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple content delivery requests into a single connection by having the file server establish one connection to the first receiver for receiving the data stream, which then handles distribution to multiple other receivers. This reduces the total number of connections from the file server while maintaining flexible content delivery to multiple receivers.
3Productivity
If the file server serves multiple receivers simultaneously with duplicative data transfers, then the content availability to receivers is improved, but the network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying at the receiver level rather than at the server level. The file server sends one copy of the data stream to the first receiver, which then creates and sends copies to other receivers. This reduces network bandwidth consumption on the server-to-network link while still providing content availability to multiple receivers through the first receiver's local copying capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of handing off connection requests from a file server to other receivers on a network includes receiving a connection request from a receiver, checking to see if the requested content is currently being provided by the file server to another receiver, and, if so, handing off the request to the another receiver.