Context-Aware Video Segmentation Across Proxy Mesh Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Content delivery networks incur significant costs due to the need for caching content in multiple locations to ensure proximity to clients, which can be addressed by dynamically segmenting video content based on network context to reduce the number of locations required for high-performance delivery.
Innovation Solution
A server dynamically segments video content into segments based on network context, using link performance metrics to determine optimal paths and segment sizes for delivery, and generates manifest files to enable seamless playback across a mesh network of proxy servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If content is cached in multiple geographically diverse data centers to ensure proximity to clients, then content delivery performance is improved, but infrastructure cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The video content is divided into multiple segments that can be dynamically assembled. Instead of caching complete video files at every edge location, the system segments content and delivers only necessary portions based on real-time network conditions, reducing the amount of data that needs to be stored at each location while maintaining delivery performance
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts segmentation profiles and content delivery paths based on real-time network context. Link performance metrics are continuously monitored and used to determine optimal segmentation strategies, allowing the system to adapt to changing network conditions without requiring static pre-caching at all possible locations
2Quantity of substance
If video content is segmented dynamically based on network context, then the number of caching locations is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A path management hub is introduced as an intermediary component that centralizes the complex tasks of link performance monitoring, context determination, and segmentation profile selection. This hub receives metrics from multiple edge locations and makes centralized decisions about content segmentation and delivery paths, simplifying the architecture by concentrating complexity in a single management point rather than distributing it across all edge nodes
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters such as segment size, segment count, and delivery path based on network context. By dynamically adjusting these parameters rather than maintaining fixed caching strategies, the system reduces the number of physical caching locations needed while managing complexity through parameter optimization rather than architectural complexity
3Productivity
If link performance metrics are monitored and used to determine segmentation profiles, then content delivery efficiency is improved, but data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Segmentation profiles are pre-determined based on link performance metrics and network context before actual content delivery. The path management hub analyzes network conditions and prepares appropriate segmentation strategies in advance, so that when content needs to be delivered, the segmentation decisions are already made and ready to execute, reducing real-time processing requirements
Data Source
AI summary
This present application relates to delivery of data content across a mesh network of proxy servers based on network context. In some embodiments, optimal paths for delivering the application or data content are computed and selected dynamically based upon context of network traffic. In some embodiments, large data content, such as video content, is segmented dynamically based on network context to reduce delay between a request for the video content by a client device and start of playback of the requested video content at the client device. In some embodiments, a server determines a segmentation profile for segmenting the video content into a plurality of video segments each having a segment size determined based on link performance metrics, generates a manifest file referencing the plurality of video segments in a temporal order and provide the manifest file to a client device.