Streaming Media Chunking for Web Cache Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current caching techniques cannot cache streaming media content effectively due to different session IDs for each client, preventing the caching of media streams as they are considered dynamic and unique to each user, even if multiple clients are consuming the same content.
Innovation Solution
Transforming a media stream into web page files that can be cached by ordinary caching proxies, where the stream is divided into chunks and packetized into HTML files, with session index files created to index these chunks, allowing caching of streaming content as static web pages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If streaming media is delivered using traditional streaming protocols (RTSP), then real-time media delivery is achieved, but the content cannot be cached by conventional web caching servers due to unique session IDs for each client
Solution Approach 1:
The media stream is segmented into discrete time-based chunks (e.g., 10-second intervals) that can be independently cached and served. Each chunk is delivered as a separate unit with a unique identifier, allowing the caching server to store and retrieve specific portions of the stream without requiring unique session IDs for the entire stream. This segmentation transforms the continuous streaming protocol into a cacheable format while maintaining real-time delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the delivery parameter from session-ID based routing to time-based chunk routing. Instead of identifying content by unique session IDs (which prevent caching), the system identifies content by time intervals and chunk identifiers. This parameter transformation allows conventional web caching servers to effectively cache and serve streaming media by using time-based keys rather than session-based keys.
2Productivity
If conventional web caching servers are used, then static web pages can be cached efficiently, but streaming media content cannot be cached due to dynamic session IDs embedded in every packet
Solution Approach 1:
The streaming media is divided into discrete time-based chunks that can be independently cached. Each chunk is a self-contained unit with a unique identifier representing a specific time interval. This segmentation allows the caching server to store individual chunks rather than entire streams, improving bandwidth efficiency by enabling partial caching while avoiding the complexity of managing session-specific cache entries for every client.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a time-based chunking layer as an intermediary between the streaming source and the caching server. This intermediary transforms the session-ID dependent streaming protocol into a time-based chunk delivery format that is compatible with conventional web caching mechanisms. The chunking layer acts as a mediator that enables caching without requiring changes to the underlying streaming protocol or client applications.
3Reliability
If each client receives a unique session ID embedded in every packet, then client-specific content delivery is ensured, but the content appears dynamic to the caching server preventing cache utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The media stream is segmented into time-based chunks with unique identifiers that do not depend on client session IDs. Each chunk maintains its identity through time-based indexing rather than client-specific session IDs. This allows multiple clients to request the same chunk simultaneously without conflict, ensuring accurate content delivery while enabling the caching server to serve the same content to multiple clients from a single cached copy, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the identification parameter from session ID (client-specific) to time interval (content-specific). By using time-based chunk identifiers instead of session IDs, the system maintains reliable content delivery to specific clients while allowing the caching server to recognize that multiple clients may request the same time-based content. This parameter change enables the caching server to serve multiple clients from a single cached chunk, reducing overall bandwidth consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving encoded media content, transforming the encoded media content into web page content by dividing the encoded media content into a plurality of web page files formatted as a static web page, and transmitting the web page content over the network in response to a request.