Methods and apparatus for controlled removal of content from a distributed network

摘要

Described herein are techniques for managing content stored on a distributed network. Content is initially placed onto the network and populated across one or more nodes. The content is distributed in association with decay parameters that define a lifetime for the population of the content on the network. Various communication nodes of the distributed network are configured to process the content decay parameters to determine whether to delete the content during subsequent time periods.

主权项

1. A method for managing content in a distributed network, the method comprising:
receiving content and metadata associated with the content at a plurality of communication nodes during a first time period, each of the plurality of communication nodes being a unique server configured to distribute content to end users, the metadata specifying at least one content decay parameter for the content on the distributed network; storing the content and the metadata on at least two different communication nodes of the plurality of communication nodes; processing the content decay parameter at each of the respective communication nodes which stored the content during a second time period, different than the first time period, to determine whether to delete the content from the respective communication node; and responsive to determining that the content is to be deleted, deleting the content during the second time period at the respective communication node, wherein the content decay parameter comprises an equation specifying a half-life cycle of the content on the distributed network, the equation specifying a half-life cycle of the content determining a percentage of the plurality of communication nodes which are to store the content during the first time period, a minimum percentage of the plurality of nodes to store the content at a future time period and a rate of decay, wherein the rate of decay is based upon a mean lifetime for the content on the distributed network and a difference between the first time period, the second time period and a time offset defined for growth of the content on the distributed network; and wherein the half-life cycle of the content is defined as P(t)=A+K*e^(−(t−Tseed−Toffset)/Tm), wherein t is the current time, Tseed is the time that the content is launched onto the distributed network, Toffset is the time offset defined for growth of the content on the distributed network, Tm is the mean lifetime for the content on the distributed, A is the minimum percentage of the unique servers to store the content at a future time period, and K is the percentage of the plurality of unique servers which are to store the content during the first time period.