System and method for delivery of content objects

摘要

Techniques for delivering content to an end user device are disclosed. A policy server performs an ingest process in which multiple versions of a content object are created. The multiple versions of the content object are associated with a single network identifier which can be distributed to publishers of the content object. When the content object is requested using the single network identifier, the policy server determines a preferred version and delivery orchestration scheme from among the multiple versions for delivery to an end user device based on several criteria. The policy server may thereafter orchestrate delivery of the preferred version of the content object to the end user device. The single network identifier may be associated with an edge location in a content delivery network (CDN) and the policy server may orchestrate delivery in cooperation with servers at the CDN edge location.

主权项

1. A method of delivering multi-media content objects to an end user device for a single-link player, comprising:
receiving notification at a hardware policy server that a multi-media content object is available for processing; creating a plurality of versions of the multi-media content object in response to the notification and prior to receiving any request for the multi-media content object, each version of the multi-media content object being created with a corresponding encoding profile in a set of encoding profiles; associating a unique network identifier with the plurality of versions of the multi-media content object; sending the unique network identifier to a publisher hardware server of the multi-media content object; receiving a request, at an edge server, for the multi-media content object comprising the unique network identifier and request information relating to capabilities of the end user device; determining, at the edge server, a preferred version of the multi-media content object based on the encoding profiles and the request information without further interaction beyond the request, the preferred version being one of the plurality of created versions; determining, at the edge server, a delivery orchestration scheme for sending the preferred version of the multi-media content object to the end user device, wherein the delivery orchestration scheme is based on the request information and comprises:
providing the end user device with an HTTP address of the preferred version, andreceiving, at the edge server, a request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version; and sending, by the edge server, the preferred version of the multi-media content object to the end user device in response to the request for the multi-media content object in accordance with the determined delivery orchestration scheme with no further information from the end user device beyond the request for the multi-media content object and the request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version, whereby the single-link player is able to provide the requested content.