Patent ID: 7437458

Claim:
A server comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor to execute the instructions to: receive a first request for content from a subscriber device, generate a second request in response to receiving the first request, the second request identifying the subscriber device, transmit the second request to a remote device, the second request causing the remote device to determine whether adequate resources exist for providing the content to the subscriber device and reserve the adequate resources when adequate resources are determined to exist, receive, from the remote device, information indicating that the adequate resources have been reserved, and provide the content to the subscriber device when the adequate resources have been reserved, where the server is associated with a plurality of configuration properties, the plurality of configuration properties including information identifying a service activation component to be executed on the remote device and a list of information to be passed to the service activation component, the list of information including one or more of a value indicating whether the content is being played or stopped, an address associated with the subscriber device, a port number associated with the subscriber device, a bit rate for the content, a quality of service profile for the content, or a protocol to be used to transmit the content to the subscriber device.