Method and apparatus for controlling information available from content distribution points

摘要

The invention includes a method and apparatus for controlling information available at a network element located at a first hierarchical level in a content distribution network. A method includes determining a subset of content using content forecast information, comparing the determined subset of content to a subset of content available to the network element located at the first hierarchical level, generating a request adapted for modifying the available subset of content in response to a difference between the determined and available subsets of content, and propagating the request toward a network element at a second hierarchical level in the content distribution network, where the first and second hierarchical levels are different. The content may include any information adapted for being distributed from a server to a subscriber terminal (e.g., broadcast multimedia content, content-on-demand, non-streaming content such as files and software patches, and the like, as well as various combinations thereof).

主权项

1. A method for controlling content channels available at a first network element located at a first hierarchical level in a content distribution network, comprising:
determining, for the first network element located at the first hierarchical level using content channel forecast information associated with a set of devices served by the first network element located at the first hierarchical level, a subset of content channels from a set of content channels of a content server of the content distribution network; determining an available subset of content channels available to the first network element located at the first hierarchical level for responding to requests for content channels from ones of the devices served by the first network element located at the first hierarchical level; comparing the determined subset of content channels to the available subset of content channels to determine whether there is a difference between the determined and available subsets of content channels; in response to a difference between the determined and available subsets of content channels, generating a request adapted for modifying the available subset of content channels based on determined subset of content channels; propagating the request toward a second network element located at a second hierarchical level in the content distribution network, wherein the first and second hierarchical levels are different; requesting additional transport bandwidth in response to a determination that transport bandwidth available to support the determined subset of content channels is inadequate; determining, based on information on availability of additional transport bandwidth, whether to generate a full request for content channels or a partial request for content channels, the full request for content channels identifying each of the content channels included in the determined subset of content channels that are not included in the available subset of content channels, the partial request for content channels identifying a portion of the content channels included in the determined subset of content channels that are not included in the available subset of content channels; and in response to the additional transport bandwidth being provided, generating the full request for content channels; or in response to the additional transport bandwidth being unavailable, generating the partial request for content channels.