End-to-End Content Delivery Network Incorporating Independently Operated Transparent Caches and Proxy Caches

Abstract

Some embodiments provide an end-to-end federated CDN solution that assimilates a transparent caching server that is operated by a transparent caching server operator into a CDN that independently operates CDN caching servers. Specifically, the logs from the transparent caching server are assimilated into the CDN by aggregating the logs from the transparent caching server and processing the transparent caching server logs to identify network usage for content of a CDN content provider customer that is delivered by the transparent caching server. The network usage is then combined with the network usage that tracked by the CDN caching servers in order to provide comprehensive report metrics for the content provider customer and to bill the content provider customer for all network usage related to delivering the content provider customer's content irrespective of whether the content was delivered by a transparent caching server or a CDN caching server.

1 . A computer-implemented method for implementing an end-to-end content delivery network (CDN) to account for content delivery performed by a transparent caching server that is operated by a transparent caching server operator independent of a CDN caching server that is operated by an operator of a CDN, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 aggregating a log from the transparent caching server, the transparent caching server log comprising a first plurality of entries tracking network usage for a plurality of content that the transparent caching server delivers on behalf of a first set of content providers that are customers of the CDN and a second set of content providers that are not customers of the CDN to at least one end user, wherein the transparent caching server delivers the plurality of content in response to a plurality of requests for the plurality of content submitted by the at least one end user, and wherein each request of the plurality of requests is addressed to an intended server other than the transparent caching server and said request is intercepted by the transparent caching server when en route to the intended server;   aggregating a log from the CDN caching server, the CDN caching server log comprising a second plurality of entries tracking network usage for a plurality of content that the CDN caching server delivers on behalf of the first set of content providers to at least one end user;   filtering the log from the transparent caching server, said filtering preserving a first set of entries from the first plurality of entries that track network usage for content that the transparent caching server delivers on behalf of the first set of content providers that are CDN customers while excluding a second set of entries from the first plurality of entries that track network usage for content that the transparent caching server delivers on behalf of the second set of content providers that are not CDN customers;   identifying from the first set of entries of the log from the transparent caching server and the second plurality of entries of the log from the CDN caching server combined network usage for content of a particular customer of the CDN that is delivered from any of the transparent caching server and the CDN caching server; and   billing the particular customer of the CDN for the combined network usage.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent caching server is configured i) to monitor content requests passing from a set of end users to an external data network in which the CDN caching server operates, ii) to intercept a content request for content that the transparent caching server has cached, and iii) to log network usage associated with serving content from cache in response to a request that is intercepted by the transparent caching server. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising compensating the transparent caching server operator for permitting aggregation of the log from the transparent caching server. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein compensating the transparent caching server operator comprises providing a fixed fee to the transparent caching server operator for permitting aggregation of the log from the transparent caching server. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein compensating the transparent caching server operator comprises providing a variable fee to the transparent caching server operator based on an amount of network usage for content of the particular customer of the CDN that is delivered from the transparent caching server and that is identified from the transparent caching server log. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising redistributing the transparent caching server log to a different CDN operator for processing by the different CDN operator, wherein the different CDN operator processes the log, said processing by the different CDN operation identifying network usage for content that the transparent caching server delivers for a customer of the different CDN operator. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6  further comprising receiving compensation from the different CDN operator for the redistribution of the transparent caching server log to the different CDN operator. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising generating content delivery performance statistics for content of the particular customer based on the combined network usage identified from the aggregated logs of the transparent caching server and the CDN caching server, and presenting said content delivery performance statistics to the particular customer through a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the CDN that operates the CDN caching server is a first CDN operator and the particular customer is a first customer that is a customer of the first CDN operator, the method further comprising processing the transparent caching server log, said processing identifying network usage for content that the transparent caching server delivers to a second customer, wherein the second customer is a customer of a second CDN operator that does not operate either the transparent caching server or the CDN caching server. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9  further comprising providing the network usage for content that the transparent caching server delivers to the second customer to the second CDN operator and receiving compensation from the second CDN operator for providing the identified network usage to the second CDN operator. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising entering into a bilateral agreement with the transparent caching server operator to obtain access to the transparent caching server log in order to aggregate the transparent caching server log. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the bilateral agreement contains an exclusivity provision whereby only the CDN is permitted access to the transparent caching server log at the exclusion of other CDN operators. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the CDN contracts with the particular customer to deliver content of the particular customer on behalf of the particular customer from the CDN caching server. 
     
     
         14 . A method for accounting for content delivery performed by a transparent caching server that is operated by a transparent caching server operator independent of a CDN that is operated by an operator of the CDN, the method comprising:
 receiving from the transparent caching server operator authorization permitting the CDN operator access to a log of the transparent caching server, wherein the log comprises a plurality of entries tracking network usage associated with a plurality of content that is delivered from a cache of the transparent caching server to a plurality of end users;   aggregating the log from the transparent caching server using said authorization;   identifying a set of entries from the plurality of entries of the log that track network usage for content of at least one content provider customer of the CDN that is delivered from the cache of the transparent caching server, wherein said identifying is performed by matching at least one identifier that the CDN operator uses to identify the at least one content provider customer with an identifier that is associated with each entry of the set of entries; and   assessing a network usage fee by the CDN operator on the content provider customer of the CDN for the aggregate network usage identified from the set of entries of the transparent caching server log.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising providing compensation to the transparent caching server for authorizing the CDN operator access to said log. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising aggregating a log from a caching server that is operated by the CDN operator, wherein the CDN caching server log comprises a plurality of entries tracking network usage associated with a plurality of content that is delivered from the CDN caching server to a plurality of end users. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising identifying a set of entries from the plurality of entries of the CDN caching server log that track network usage for content of the content provider customer of the CDN that is delivered from the CDN caching server. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein assessing a network usage fee comprises assessing a network usage fee for the aggregate network usage that is identified from the set of entries of the transparent caching server log and the set of entries of the CDN caching server log. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising generating content delivery performance statistics based on the identified set of entries of the transparent caching server log and the set of entries of the CDN caching server log and presenting said content delivery performance statistics to the content provider customer through a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the transparent caching server comprises a proxy caching server. 
     
     
         21 . A federated end-to-end CDN comprising:
 a transparent caching server comprising cache storage, the transparent caching server (i) monitoring content and requests for content passing between a plurality of end users and a data network, (ii) intercepting a request for content that is stored to the cache storage, and (iii) serving content from cache storage in response to a request that is intercepted;   a distributed set of CDN caching servers located in the data network, each CDN caching server of the set of CDN caching servers comprising a cache storage, each CDN caching server operating as a surrogate origin for at least one customer of the CDN by serving content of the at least one customer when a request for said content is routed from an end user of the plurality of end users to the caching server; and   a log processing server (i) aggregating a plurality of logs from the transparent caching server and the distributed set of CDN caching servers, (ii) processing the logs to determine aggregate network usage related to content of a particular CDN customer being delivered from any of the transparent caching server and the distributed set of CDN caching servers, and (iii) billing the particular CDN customer for the aggregate network usage.   
     
     
         22 . The federated end-to-end CDN of  claim 21 , wherein the CDN is a first CDN and the distributed set of CDN caching servers is a first set of CDN caching servers that is operated by a first CDN operator, the federated end-to-end CDN further comprising a second set of distributed CDN caching servers that is operated by a second CDN operator, each CDN caching server of the second set of distributed CDN caching servers operating as a surrogate origin for at least one customer of the second CDN operator by serving content of the at least one customer of the second CDN operator when a request for said content is routed from an end user of the plurality of end users to the caching server. 
     
     
         23 . The federated end-to-end CDN of  claim 22 , wherein the log processing server further aggregates a log from at least one server of the second set of distributed CDN caching servers, wherein processing the logs comprises processing the logs aggregated from the transparent caching server, the first set of CDN caching servers, and the at least one server of the second set of distributed CDN caching servers to determine aggregate network usage related to content of the particular CDN customer being delivered from any of the transparent caching server, the first set of CDN caching servers, and the second set of CDN caching servers. 
     
     
         24 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with a computer program stored thereon to provide an end-to-end content delivery network (CDN) solution that accounts for content delivery performed by a transparent caching server that is operated by a transparent caching server operator independent of a CDN caching server that is operated by an operator of a CDN, said computer program directing a microprocessor in:
 aggregating a log from the transparent caching server, the transparent caching server log comprising a first plurality of entries tracking network usage for a plurality of content that the transparent caching server delivers on behalf of a first set of content providers that are customers of the CDN and a second set of content providers that are not customers of the CDN to at least one end user, wherein the transparent caching server delivers the plurality of content in response to a plurality of requests for the plurality of content submitted by the at least one end user, and wherein each request of the plurality of requests is addressed to an intended server other than the transparent caching server and said request is intercepted by the transparent caching server when en route to the intended server;   aggregating a log from the CDN caching server, the CDN caching server log comprising a second plurality of entries tracking network usage for a plurality of content that the CDN caching server delivers on behalf of the first set of content providers to at least one end user;   filtering the log from the transparent caching server, said filtering preserving a first set of entries from the first plurality of entries that track network usage for content that the transparent caching server delivers on behalf of the first set of content providers that are CDN customers while excluding a second set of entries from the first plurality of entries that track network usage for content that the transparent caching server delivers on behalf of the second set of content providers that are not CDN customers;   identifying from the first set of entries of the log from the transparent caching server and the second plurality of entries of the log from the CDN caching server combined network usage for content of a particular customer of the CDN that is delivered from any of the transparent caching server and the CDN caching server; and   billing the particular customer of the CDN for the combined network usage.   
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 24 , wherein the computer program further directs the microprocessor in establishing a remote connection with the transparent caching server through which to aggregate the log from the transparent caching server. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 24 , wherein the computer program further directs the microprocessor in generating content delivery performance statistics for content of the particular customer based on the combined network usage identified from the aggregated logs of the transparent caching server and the CDN caching server, and presenting said content delivery performance statistics to the particular customer through a graphical user interface.