Content Authorization and Delivery via URI Signing Packages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content delivery networks (CDNs) face challenges in efficiently authorizing user access to content, leading to delays that negatively impact the user experience.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of URI signing packages by a content access server to manage access to content items, where user devices include the signing package in content requests to CDN computing devices, ensuring access restrictions are maintained through cookies even on legacy devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If CDN performs authorization for each content request, then access control is maintained, but authorization delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The content access server performs preliminary authorization actions by generating and issuing signing packages before actual content delivery. These packages contain pre-computed access parameters and signatures that validate user entitlements in advance, eliminating the need for real-time authorization delays during content playback.
Solution Approach 2:
The signing package acts as an intermediary mechanism between the content access server and CDN computing devices. It carries authorization information through the request-response cycle, allowing the CDN to verify access rights using pre-issued packages rather than performing full authorization operations on each request.
2Reliability
If CDN verifies access parameters on each request, then access restrictions are enforced, but processing burden on CDN increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex access parameter verification logic from the CDN computing devices and relocates it to the content access server. The CDN only needs to verify simple package validity and forward requests, while the content access server handles the complex authorization decisions centrally.
Solution Approach 2:
The content access server serves as a universal authorization point that handles multiple functions: generating signing packages, validating access parameters, managing user entitlements, and coordinating with content sources. This multi-functional approach consolidates processing complexity into a single service rather than distributing it across all CDN nodes.
3Reliability
If signing package is sent as URL parameter, then access control is maintained, but package integrity may be compromised during routing
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the content access server receives acknowledgment from the user device that the signing package was received and stored as a cookie. This feedback loop ensures the package integrity is maintained and allows the server to verify the package is properly stored for subsequent authorization checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The signing package is copied and stored as a cookie in the user device's browser memory. This copying mechanism ensures the package persists through multiple requests without being modified during routing, as the cookie maintains the package content locally on the user device rather than relying solely on URL parameter transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for assisting a content delivery network (CDN) in managing access restrictions to content. Access restrictions and/or entitlements may be reflected in a signing package, which may be included in a content item manifest file. The signing package may also be passed in requests for the content item, and may be passed in a form to allow it to remain unaltered as it is routed to a destination computing device.