HTTP Streaming Failover via Redundant Playlist Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current streaming services require specialized servers and skills, leading to high costs and a limited content library, especially in large-scale deployments, as they typically rely on dedicated streaming protocols.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using non-streaming protocols like HTTP for streaming media content, allowing multiple redundant locations and dynamic playlist generation to provide failover protection and bit rate switching, enabling streaming of multimedia data using alternative streams and playlists.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If specialized streaming servers and protocols are used, then streaming service reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes standard web servers perform multiple functions by enabling them to handle both traditional web content delivery and live streaming protocols simultaneously. The server is modified to speak both HTTP and RTMP protocols, allowing a single server to serve dual purposes without requiring specialized streaming infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a mirrored copy of the streaming content delivery path by establishing both an HTTP-based stream and an RTMP-based stream from the same source. This parallel stream architecture provides redundancy and failover capability while using standard web server technology for the HTTP path.
2Reliability
If specialized streaming servers are deployed at large scale, then streaming quality is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Standard web servers are made multi-functional to handle both web content and streaming content, eliminating the need for separate specialized streaming server infrastructure. This reduces hardware, software licensing, and maintenance costs while maintaining streaming capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses standard web server software copies that can be deployed on commodity hardware rather than proprietary streaming server platforms, reducing per-unit deployment costs while maintaining streaming functionality through protocol translation.
3Reliability
If redundant alternative streams are created, then failover protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stream mirror or gateway component that acts as an intermediary between the content source and multiple delivery protocols. This intermediary automatically manages the creation and coordination of redundant streams, handling the complexity of failover logic without requiring complex configuration at the source or client.
Solution Approach 2:
Redundant stream copies are created automatically by the system architecture rather than manually configured. The stream mirroring mechanism replicates content delivery across multiple protocol paths, providing failover protection through automated copying rather than complex manual stream management.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses provide real-time or near real-time streaming of content using transfer protocols such as an HTTP compliant protocol. In one embodiment, a method includes providing multiple redundant locations that provide media content to client devices using alternative streams. To implement failover protection, a first server device or first content distribution service creates a stream, or multiple alternate bandwidth streams and generates playlist file(s). A second server device or second content distribution service creates a parallel stream, or set of streams. A client attempts to download the playlist file(s) from a first uniform resource locator (URL) using a first stream associated with the first server device or the first content distribution service. If a client is unable to download the playlist file(s) from the first URL, the client attempts to switch to an alternate stream associated with another URL.