Intelligent Predictive Stream Caching

摘要

Some embodiments provide intelligent predictive stream caching for live, linear, or video-on-demand streaming content using prefetching, segmented caching, and request clustering. Prefetching involves retrieving streaming content segments from an origin server prior to the segments being requested by users. Prefetching live or linear streaming content segments involves continually reissuing requests to the origin until the segments are obtained or a preset retry duration is completed. Prefetching is initiated in response to a first request for a segment falling within a particular interval. Request clustering commences thereafter. Subsequent requests are queued until the segments are retrieved. Segmented caching involves caching segments for one particular interval. Segments falling within a next interval are not prefetched until a first request for one such segment in the next interval is received. Cached segments from the previous interval can be replaced in cache with segments for the current interval, thereby minimizing cache footprint utilization.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving a first request for a first segment in a first interval of live or linear streaming content; retrieving said first segment from an origin server in response to the first request; prefetching in response to the first request, a subsequent second segment in the first interval of the live or linear streaming content before receiving a user request for said second segment, wherein said prefetching comprises submitting at least two requests for the second segment to the origin server when the second segment is not available in response to a first of the at least two requests; serving the first segment in response to the first request upon receipt from the origin server; storing said first and second segments in cache upon receipt from the origin server; and responding to a plurality of different user requests for either of the first and second segments received after the first request without additional access to the origin server by passing in response to the plurality of user requests, the first and second segments either from said cache or upon receipt from the origin server.