Methods and apparatus for delivering content

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for processing communications. In one aspect, a method in a first node in a network of delivering content comprises delivering a first portion of the content to a device, receiving a request for a second portion of the content from the device and, responsive to the request and responsive to a determination that the second portion of the content should be delivered to the device from a second node in the network, instructing the device to retrieve the content from the second node.

1 . A system for delivering content to a device, the system comprising:
 a first server configured to:   receive a request from a device for a manifest associated with a particular content;   determine to include in the manifest a plurality of locations associated with at least a first node to serve a corresponding plurality of segments associated with the content;   transmit the manifest to the device to provide the device with the locations from which to sequentially request segments associated with the content;
 the first node configured to transmit at least a first segment of the content towards the device; 
   wherein the first server is further configured to:   prior to a planned maintenance of the first node and after the device has requested the first segment of the content, determine that a second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from a second node different than the first node, wherein the first node and the second node are in the same network; and   responsive to the determination that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node, instructing the device to retrieve the second segment and subsequent segments of the content from the second node; and   the second node configured to transmit the second segment and subsequent segments towards the device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determination that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node comprises a determination that the second node is the optimal node in a plurality of network nodes for delivering the content to the device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first server is further configured to receive from a third node in the network an indication that the second segment of the content and any further segments of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determination to include in the manifest the plurality of locations associated with at least the first node comprises a determination that the first node is the geographically closest node in a plurality of network nodes for delivering the content to the device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first node and the second node are network cache nodes. 
     
     
         6 . A server comprising:
 an interface configured to receive a request from a device for a manifest associated with a particular content; and   processing circuitry configured to determine to include in the manifest a plurality of locations associated with at least a first node to serve a corresponding plurality of segments associated with the content;   wherein the interface is further configured to transmit the manifest to the device to provide the device with the locations from which to sequentially request segments associated with the content;   the processing circuitry is further configured to, prior to a planned maintenance of the first node and after the device has requested a first segment of the content, determine that a second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from a second node different than the first node, wherein the first node and the second node are in the same network; and   the interface is further configured to, responsive to the determination that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node, instruct the device to retrieve the second segment and subsequent segments of the content from the second node.   
     
     
         7 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determinate that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node is further configured to determinate that the second node is the optimal node in a plurality of network nodes for delivering the content to the device. 
     
     
         8 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node, is further configured to receive, from a third node in the network, an indication that the second segment of the content and any further segments of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node. 
     
     
         9 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine to include in the manifest the plurality of locations associated with at least the first node is further configured to determine that the first node is the geographically closest node in a plurality of network nodes for delivering the content to the device. 
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the first node and the second node are network cache nodes. 
     
     
         11 . A method of delivering content to a device, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from a device for a manifest associated with a particular content;   determining to include in the manifest a plurality of locations associated with at least a first node to serve a corresponding plurality of segments associated with the content;   transmitting the manifest to the device to provide the device with the locations from which to sequentially request segments associated with the content;   prior to a planned maintenance of the first node and after the device has requested a first segment of the content, determining that a second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from a second node different than the first node, wherein the first node and the second node are in the same network; and   responsive to the determination that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node, instructing the device to retrieve the second segment and subsequent segments of the content from the second node.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the determination that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node comprises a determination that the second node is the optimal node in a plurality of network nodes for delivering the content to the device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining that the second segment of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node comprises receiving, from a third node in the network, an indication that the second segment of the content and any further segments of the content should be delivered to the device from the second node. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the determining to include in the manifest the plurality of locations associated with at least the first node comprises determining that the first node is the geographically closest node in a plurality of network nodes for delivering the content to the device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first node and the second node are network cache nodes.