System and method for highly-scalable real-time and time-based data delivery using server clusters
US7403993B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 24, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jul 22, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 24, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L65/80
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides loosely-coupled cluster systems comprising a plurality of servers based on storage attached to the plurality of servers. Videos, or other assets, are automatically replicated within the server system to increase the number of concurrent play requests serviceable. The server systems can detect spikes in demand that may exceed the guaranteed number of concurrent play requests serviceable and dynamically transfer the high-in-demand or ‘hot’ asset to servers in the cluster that do not have the video. Alternatively, instead of transferring the entire asset, varying length prefixes of the asset may be transferred depending on the availability of resources. The remainder of the asset is transferred in some embodiments on demand with sufficient buffering or other storage to guarantee playback to the user or subscriber according to the required quality of service (QOS).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.