Method and system for recording streams

Abstract

A method of delivering a live stream includes recording the stream using a recording tier, and playing the stream using a player tier. The step of recording the stream includes sub-steps that begin when the stream is received in a source format. The stream is then converted into an intermediate format (IF), which is an internal format for delivering the stream within an overlay network. The player process begins when a requesting client is associated with a network proxy. In response to receipt at the proxy of a request for the stream or a portion thereof, the proxy retrieves (either from the archive or the data store) a stream manifest and at least one fragment index. Using the fragment index, the intermediate format file fragments are retrieved to the proxy, converted to a target format, and then served in response to the client request.

Having described our invention, what we now claim is as follows: 
     
         1 . A method of recording a stream, comprising:
 receiving the stream in a source format;   demuxing the stream from the source format into intermediate format file fragments; and   recording the intermediate format file fragments demuxed from the stream;   caching a predetermined number of intermediate format file fragments to a temporary data storage unit for live playback of the stream; and   archiving the intermediate format file fragments to a persistent data store after a given time period associated with the live playback.   
     
     
         2 . The method as described in  claim 1  wherein the stream is received in one or more versions. 
     
     
         3 . The method as described in  claim 2  wherein the one or more versions comprise distinct bitrate versions of the stream in the source format. 
     
     
         4 . The method as described in  claim 3  wherein the bitrate versions are multiplexed over a single connection. 
     
     
         5 . The method as described in  claim 1  wherein the stream is received from an encoder. 
     
     
         6 . The method as described in  claim 1  wherein the intermediate format is a fragmented MP4 format. 
     
     
         7 . The method as described in  claim 1  further including determining an optimal size of an intermediate format file fragment.