Inter-delta dependent containers for content delivery

Abstract

Information that describes two or more content delivery solutions for a particular set of target files is received in a computing environment. The solutions are associated with a container at least portions of which can be delivered to the computing environment. The container is dynamic and has internal delta dependency. An expansion mechanism at the computing environment, upon determining that more than one of the solutions is achievable in the computing environment, selects one of the achievable solutions for implementation.

1 . In a computing environment, a method comprising:
 receiving information that describes two or more content delivery solutions for a particular set of target files, where the solutions are associated with a container at least portions of which can be delivered to the computing environment; and   upon determining that more than one of the solutions is achievable in the computing environment, selecting one of the achievable solutions for implementation,   wherein the container has internal delta-dependency.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining from the information which portions of the container are to be delivered to the computing environment in order to implement the selected one of the achievable solutions.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 implementing the selected one of the achievable solutions by producing a subset of the particular set of target files.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 producing at least one of the target files by copying the at least one of the target files from a location accessible in the computing environment.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the achievable solutions for implementation includes at least:
 performing a calculation according to a cost function to select one of the achievable solutions for implementation.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information includes an index that represents the container and meta-data about the container and its contents, and the calculation takes into account the meta-data of the files involved in the achievable solutions. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the meta-data taken into account in the calculation includes the sizes of files in the container. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein selecting one of the achievable solutions for implementation includes at least:
 representing the achievable solutions as a directed graph, and performing the calculation includes at least performing a directed minimum spanning tree calculation on the directed graph.   
   
   
       9 . In a computing environment, a method comprising:
 packaging into a container source files configured to produce two or more target files;   generating one of the source files as a delta file by differentially compressing one of the target files with respect to another of the target files; and   generating another of the source files as a delta file by differentially compressing one of the target files with respect to a basis file that is not included in the container,   wherein at least two of the source files are configured to produce the same certain target file.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 packaging into the container data indicating how to produce the target files from the source files.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 generating one of the source files that is configured to produce the certain target file as a copy of the certain target file.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 generating one of the source files that is configured to produce the certain target file as a compressed copy of the certain target file.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 generating one of the source files that is configured to produce the certain target file by differentially compressing the certain target file with respect to a basis file that is not included in the data structure.