Edge Node Content Variation Assignment for Transmission Efficiency
Solution Overview
Problem
Content variation testing on web pages and digital products faces challenges in efficiently delivering experimental content, leading to increased processing time, computational resource usage, and longer transmission times due to the need to process and transmit multiple content variations to user devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for selecting a subset of content experiment variations for efficient transmission between computing devices, utilizing a front-loaded variation assignment process to reduce the size of content transmitted and minimize processing and transmission time, involving a client device, content provider server, and content delivery network with an edge node that determines eligible experiments based on targeting criteria and generates a snippet containing only relevant content variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all content experiment variations are transmitted to client devices, then complete experimental data is available for testing, but transmission time and computational resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assignment of content variations to user buckets before transmission. The edge service determines which users should see which content variations in advance, generates assignment information, and transmits only this subset information to client devices. This preliminary action eliminates the need to transmit all possible content variations, significantly reducing transmission time while maintaining experimental integrity through pre-determined randomization.
2Reliability
If all content experiment variations are transmitted to client devices, then complete experimental data is available for testing, but computational resource usage on client devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the necessary subset of content variation assignment information to each client device, rather than transmitting all content variations. The edge service determines which specific users need which specific content variations and transmits only those assignments. This extraction principle reduces the data payload to the minimum required for each user, conserving client device computational resources and energy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If content variations are delivered to all users, then personalization can be implemented, but network transmission load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements local quality by delivering content variations selectively to specific user buckets rather than universally to all users. The edge service determines which users qualify for which content variations based on experimental parameters and user characteristics, then transmits only those specific assignments. This localized delivery approach maintains personalization capability while minimizing network transmission load by avoiding redundant transmissions to users who don't need specific variations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving, from a computing device, a request for content from a content provider and determining one or more experiment variations of the requested content that the computing device is assigned to based, at least in part, on the request. The method further includes generating, by a processing device, code indicating the determined one or more experiment variations and inserting the code into executable code corresponding to the requested content. The executable code is transmitted to the browser.