Patent ID: 7409456
Filing Date: 2008-08-05
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method operative in a content delivery network (CDN) transport network having one or more content provider entry points, an intermediate layer of reflectors, and a set of edge nodes to which requesting end users are selectively directed to obtain a live data stream that is published to the CDN, wherein an edge node includes one or more media servers for delivering the live data stream to requesting end users, the method comprising: at a first node in the transport network, storing a given portion of a live stream; at a second node in the transport network, issuing a request to the first node for the live stream; forwarding the given portion of the live stream from the first node to the second node at a rate that is higher than an encoded bitrate of the live stream using a UDP over IP-based packet moving protocol; and after the given portion of the live stream is forwarded from the first node to the second node, forwarding a second portion of the live stream from the first node to the second node at the encoded bitrate of the live stream using the UDP over IP-based packet moving protocol; wherein the first node and the second node are each distinct from a node from which a requesting end user initiates a request for the live stream and wherein the given portion represents an amount of the live stream stored at the first node during a given time period; wherein, after issuing the request, and as the second node waits for the given portion, having the second node ignore portions of the live stream other than the given portion, where the second node ignores the portions of the live stream other than the given portion until data associated with the given portion begins to be received or expiration of a time period during which the data associated with the given portion has not begun to be received.