Patent ID: 7454485

Claim:
A method comprising: generating a preferred list of edge sites from a plurality of edge sites upon receiving a media content request from a client; providing the preferred list to the client; selecting a first edge site from the preferred list as an active site; requesting the media content from the first edge site; receiving the media content at the client, the media content being delivered from the first edge site; monitoring the media content being delivered from the first edge site to the client for one or more of quality of the media content being delivered, and an amount of the media content already delivered; determining whether a disturbance has occurred, the disturbance including pausing of the media content from being delivered due to one or more of network congestion, and a loss of network connection; and upon detecting the disturbance, selecting a second edge site from the preferred list as a new active edge site to continue to deliver the media content to the client, if the second edge site satisfies a plurality of factors, the plurality of factors including one or more of the new active edge site having the media content, the new active edge site being capable of delivering an uninterrupted stream of the media content, the new active edge site being capable of delivering the media content at an acceptable quality level, geographical proximity of the new active edge site, and network availability of the active edge site, wherein the acceptable quality level of the media content is determined by sampling portions of the media content obtained from the plurality of edge sites and comparing the portions against quality of other media content displayed at the client.