Software Load Balancer for Dynamic Content Delivery Node Configuration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Communication network operators face challenges in integrating and managing an increasing number of content delivery nodes from various content providers, lacking the infrastructure to seamlessly insert third-party CDNs and often relegated to providing less lucrative services as 'dumb pipes'.
Innovation Solution
A platform allowing content providers to instantiate and configure content delivery nodes anywhere in the network, including cloud computing platforms, enabling the design and deployment of a content delivery network within the operator's network without requiring physical hardware, using a global software load balancer for dynamic discovery and auto-configuration of nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If content providers deploy their own CDN nodes within operator network, then content delivery performance and service quality improve, but network integration complexity and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network operator as an intermediary that hosts and manages CDN nodes on behalf of multiple content providers. The operator network infrastructure acts as a mediator between content providers and end users, handling node deployment, configuration, and management. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining high delivery performance through operator-managed nodes while reducing integration complexity for individual content providers.
Solution Approach 2:
The operator network infrastructure is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the network carrier and the CDN service provider. The same operator network that transports traffic also hosts CDN nodes, caches content, and manages delivery. This multi-functionality allows content providers to benefit from CDN services without separate deployment complexity, as the operator's universal infrastructure handles all CDN operations.
2Loss of time
If CDN nodes are placed geographically closer to end users, then delivery latency is reduced and service quality improves, but infrastructure deployment costs and physical resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines CDN node deployment with existing operator network infrastructure locations. Instead of building separate physical infrastructure, CDN nodes are co-located with operator network facilities such as data centers and network operation centers. This merging approach reduces delivery latency by placing nodes strategically close to user populations while avoiding duplicate infrastructure investment, as the same physical facilities serve both network transport and content delivery functions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If operator network hosts third-party CDN nodes, then service diversity and revenue opportunities increase, but network management complexity and security requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments CDN node management into separate functional domains: the operator network provides the physical infrastructure and network connectivity, while content providers or CDN operators manage the application-layer content delivery functions. This segmentation allows the operator to host diverse third-party CDN nodes and earn revenue from multiple content providers without directly managing the complexity of each provider's content and delivery logic, as management responsibilities are divided between network infrastructure and application services.
Data Source
AI summary
A network infrastructure provisioned according to design information received via a web portal contains one or more nodes and facilitates deployment of services and associated data across physical and virtualized resources for a content delivery path between a content source and a content consumer according to technical and business needs of a content provider. Provisioning is accomplished by storing the design information in one or more repositories, the repositories containing data, packaging information and metadata of the one or more nodes, and one or more map files specifying the respective addresses of the one or more nodes. The network infrastructure is instantiated based on the design information stored in the one or more repositories and the one or more map files by configuring the nodes according to the design information and communicatively coupling the nodes with one another; and registering the instantiated nodes with a global software load balancer.