Vertical Services Integration Enabled Content Distribution Mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to an enhanced ADSL Data Network (ADN) with vertical services capabilities. In general, vertical services capabilities are data services offered directly from a central office to an end user, without compromising the integrity of the user's guaranteed bit rate to the Internet through the ADN. One such vertical service is content downloadable at a high data rate from a content server located in or proximate to a central office that serves the end user. The content of the local server is updated and upgraded periodically and systematically from a central content server that distributes content to a number of remote central offices. The content is distributed between the central content server and the respective local content servers using available bandwidth, that is to say bandwidth on at least certain network links that is unused by subscriber traffic.

1 . A method of replicating content data stored on a first server to at least one second server, comprising the steps: 
 determining unused bandwidth on a common link of an access data network, carrying subscriber traffic and over which the first server and the at least one second server communicate; and    transmitting content data stored on the first server to the at least one second server substantially on the determined unused bandwidth.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one second server comprises a server located in a vertical services domain proximate to at least one end user terminal.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the vertical services domain is located in a central office that provides Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service to the at least one end user terminal.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the first server is a local content server; and    said at least one second server comprises a central content server.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the local content server is located in a central office that provides Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service to the at least one end user terminal; and    the central content server is located in a hub site.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising the further steps of: 
 storing the content data transmitted to the at least one second server on the at least one second server; and    transmitting the content data stored on the at least one second server to at least one end user terminal proximate to the at least one second server.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of transmitting the content data stored on the at least one second server to the at least one end user terminal comprises the steps of: 
 transmitting the content data stored on the at least one second server to a data switch proximate to the at least one second server;    integrating the content data transmitted from the at least one second server with other data destined to the at least one end user terminal received at the data switch via the common link; and    distributing the integrated data from the data switch to a link to equipment of the at least one end user terminal via a multiplexer.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the multiplexer is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM).  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of transmitting the content data stored on the at least one second server to the at least one end user terminal proximate to the at least one second server comprises the steps of: 
 provisioning a logical communication circuit extending from the at least one end user terminal through the network to a communication access node coupled to a first network domain, at least a portion of the logical communication circuit extending through the common link, wherein the provisioning comprises defining the logical communication circuit in terms of a layer-2 protocol defining switched connectivity through the network;    at the data switch, examining communicated information in transmissions from the customer premises, for a protocol encapsulated within said layer-2 protocol, to distinguish transmission types;    forwarding each detected transmission of a first transmission type from the data switch to the communication access node over the logical communication circuit defined in terms of the layer-2 protocol; and    forwarding each detected transmission of a second type, different from the first transmission type, to a second network domain logically separate from the first network domain, wherein the at least one second server is coupled to the second network domain to receive at least one transmission of a second type for control of the step of transmitting the content data stored on the at least one second server to at least one end user terminal proximate to the at least one second server.    
   
   
       10 . A method as in  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving first downstream transmissions intended for the at least one end user terminal at the data switch, over the logical communication circuit from the first network domain;    receiving second downstream transmissions intended for the at least one end user terminal from the second network domain at the data switch, content data from the at least one second server; and    inserting the second downstream transmissions into the logical communication circuit, to combine the first and second downstream transmissions for communication over the logical communication circuit from the data switch to the at least one end user terminal.    
   
   
       11 . A method as in  claim 10 , wherein the logical communication circuit comprises an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) permanent virtual circuit (PVC).  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a part of the bandwidth of the common link is reserved for transmitting the content data stored on the first server to the at least one second server, to prevent the loss of a session between the first server and the at least one second server.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of determining unused bandwidth and transmitting content data utilize priority and queuing in at least one node of the access data network, to implement a minimum bandwidth and provide additional bandwidth as available on the common link, for the transmitting of the content data over the common link.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of determining unused bandwidth and transmitting content data implement a congestion mechanism to prevent data loss and utilize unused bandwidth.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the congestion mechanism comprises Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting step utilizes an unspecified bit rate service through the common link.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the common link of the network also carries logical circuits for wide area data communications of a plurality end user terminals.  
   
   
       18 . A software product for replicating content data stored on a first server to at least one second server, said software product comprising: 
 at least one machine readable medium; and    programming code, carried by the at least one machine readable medium, for execution by at least one computer, wherein the programming code comprises:    a congestion mechanism for determining unused bandwidth on a portion of a common link of an access data network, carrying subscriber traffic and over which the first server and the at least one second server communicate; and    a first transmitting mechanism for causing transmission of content data stored on the first server to the at least one second server substantially on the determined unused bandwidth.    
   
   
       19 . The software product of  claim 18 , wherein the congestion mechanism comprises Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).  
   
   
       20 . The software product as in  claim 19 , wherein the first transmitting mechanism is for causing the transmission of content data using an unspecified bit rate service.