Patent ID: 9554173
Date: 2017-01-24
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L,H04N

Claim:
1. A method for use with a system comprising multiple media servers, a router, a first destination device, and a second destination device, wherein an output of each of the media servers is connected to a respective input of the router, a first output of the router is connected to an input of the first destination device, and a second output of the router is connected to an input of the second destination device, the method comprising: accessing data representing a program schedule that specifies a sequence of events to be carried out using the system, wherein the program schedule is divided into contiguous portions; for each of the contiguous portions: (i) determining that m media servers are sufficient to execute any events that are of that portion and that are associated with the first destination device, (ii) allocating m media servers to the first destination device, thereby leaving one or more unallocated media servers, and (iii) allocating n media servers, from among the one or more unallocated media servers, to the second destination device; and for each of the contiguous portions (i) utilizing at least a portion of the allocated m media servers to carry out the events that are specified in that portion and that are associated with the first destination device, and (ii) utilizing at least a portion of the allocated n media servers to carry out the events that are specified in that portion and that are associated with the second destination device.