Dynamic Manifest Chunking for CDN Content Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content delivery networks (CDNs) fail to adapt efficiently to changes in user location or network conditions, leading to suboptimal content delivery, especially when users transition from wired to wireless networks, resulting in poor quality of service and continuous delivery issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dynamic re-localization and manifest chunking by serving manifest files as subsets, dynamically rerouting requests, replacing relative identifiers with absolute ones, and modifying quality of service parameters based on current network conditions to ensure continuous and optimal content delivery across changing network environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the CDN pins the session to a content server based on the user's initial location and network, then the content delivery is optimized for that specific network condition, but the system cannot adapt when the user changes location or network, resulting in suboptimal delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic re-localization by periodically checking the user's current network location and updating the content server assignment accordingly. The system transitions from a static session pinning approach to a dynamic one where the content server is reselected based on current network conditions, enabling the system to adapt to user mobility and network changes while maintaining optimal delivery quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by monitoring network conditions and user location changes, then using this information to adjust the content server assignment. The manifest file includes feedback information about network conditions, allowing the user device to make informed decisions about reselecting content servers, thus creating a closed-loop adaptive system.
2Device complexity
If the CDN serves content from a fixed content server throughout the session, then the infrastructure complexity is reduced, but the delivery performance deteriorates when network conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content delivery into discrete segments or chunks, each with its own manifest file that can be independently optimized. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simpler infrastructure while improving performance by selectively optimizing each segment's delivery based on current network conditions, rather than requiring complete redesign of the entire delivery path.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces dynamic elements to the otherwise static CDN infrastructure by enabling real-time selection of optimal content servers based on network conditions. This dynamic approach allows performance optimization without requiring fundamental changes to the CDN architecture, balancing infrastructure simplicity with delivery performance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the user device continues to use the original manifest file after network changes, then the delivery process remains stable and simple, but the quality of service deteriorates due to suboptimal server selection
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic re-fetching of manifest files at predetermined intervals or triggered by network condition changes. This periodic action allows the delivery process to maintain stability through continuous operation while periodically optimizing the server selection to maintain high quality of service, balancing stability with performance optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-loading and caching manifest files and content segments before network changes occur. This allows the user device to continue delivery smoothly while having prepared resources available, reducing the impact of network transitions on both stability and quality.
4Device complexity
If the CDN uses relative identifiers in manifest files, then the manifest structure is simpler and more flexible, but localization errors occur when users change networks, causing content to be served from incorrect locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of identifier type from relative to absolute in the manifest file. By using absolute identifiers that explicitly specify the content server location, the system eliminates ambiguity and localization errors that occur with relative identifiers, ensuring accurate content delivery even when users change networks, while the overall structure remains manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations described and claimed herein provide a system and methods for dynamic re-localization and manifest chunking in a content delivery network. In one implementation, one or more stimuli corresponding to a connection to deliver content from a content source over a network to a user device along a network path are detected. The one or more stimuli indicate a connection issue. An optimized network path through which to deliver the content to the user device is determined based on current network conditions. The optimized network path responds to the connection issue. The user device is dynamically rerouted to the optimized path while providing a substantially continuous delivery of content to the user device.