Hybrid Content Request Routing System Latency Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content delivery network (CDN) service providers face challenges in determining the optimal point of presence (POP) to serve content to user devices due to lack of user device location information, leading to potential latency issues when using either anycast or DNS resolver-based routing techniques, especially when user devices are dispersed across different geographic locations.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid content request routing system that combines anycast and DNS resolver-based routing techniques by assigning POPs both anycast and individual network addresses, using unique client identifiers to measure request routing performance, and ranking network addresses based on average latency to determine the best POP for content delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If anycast routing technique is used to determine optimal POP, then content delivery can be simplified, but latency may increase due to lack of user device location information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces DNS resolvers as intermediary components between user devices and POPs. These resolvers collect latency measurements from multiple POPs and use this data to intelligently route requests, thereby mediating between the simplicity of anycast routing and the need for low-latency delivery based on user location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where latency measurements from content requests are collected and stored. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from past performance and make informed routing decisions, continuously improving content delivery latency based on actual measured data rather than static anycast routing.
2Loss of time
If DNS resolver-based routing technique is used to determine optimal POP, then content delivery latency can be reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the routing system into distinct functional components: DNS resolvers that collect measurements, latency data stores that accumulate performance information, and routing logic that makes decisions. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in a specific task, managing overall system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs self-service mechanisms where POPs automatically perform latency measurements and report results without external intervention. This automation reduces operational complexity by eliminating manual configuration and monitoring, allowing the system to self-optimize based on collected performance data.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple POPs are used to serve dispersed user devices, then content delivery coverage is improved, but determining optimal POP becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having DNS resolvers pre-collect latency measurements from multiple POPs before actual content requests are made. This advance data collection creates a performance baseline that simplifies optimal POP identification when requests occur, as the system already has measured data to compare against rather than needing to measure in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex real-time measurement and comparison mechanics with a data-driven approach using stored latency measurements. Instead of mechanically comparing distances or making complex real-time assessments, the system substitutes this with retrieval and comparison of pre-collected performance data, simplifying the decision process for dispersed user devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid content request routing system is described herein. The hybrid content request routing system may use aspects of the anycast routing technique and aspects of the domain name server (DNS) resolver-based routing technique to identify the appropriate network address to provide to a user device in response to receiving a DNS query. For example, the hybrid content request routing system may include one or more points of presence (POPs), with some or all of the POPs forming one or more virtual POPs. Individual POPs may be assigned unique network addresses and POPs that form a virtual POP may be assigned the same anycast network address. The hybrid content request routing system can measure latencies from user devices to the individual POP network addresses and to the anycast network addresses and use the measured latencies to identify the network address that may result in the lowest latency.