SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STORING PROGRAM CODE AND DATA WITHIN AN APPLICATION HOSTING CENTER

摘要

A computer- implemented method of storing and retrieving program code is disclosed. In the method program code and data used to execute an online video game or application on a server is subdivided into a first type and a second type. The server is communicatively coupled to a client over a network including public network components. The first type comprises program code or data which is accessed relatively more frequently by the video game or application than program code or data of the second type. The program code and data of the first type is stored in a first type of memory accessible by the server and the first type of memory provides relatively low latency memory access. The program code and data of the second type is stored in a second type of memory accessible by the server and the second type of memory provides relatively higher latency memory access compared to the first type of memory. Control signals are received from the client over the network and the online video game or application on the server is executed in response to control signals received from the client. The executing further comprises retrieving program code or data from the first memory and the second memory. A low-latency video stream comprising images resulting from the execution of the online video game or application on the server is generated and the low-latency video stream is compressed using low-latency compression to generate a compressed, low-latency video stream; and the compressed, low-latency video stream representing images generated by the application is transmitted to the client. The operations of receiving control signals, executing the online video game or application, generating the low-latency video stream and compressing the low-latency video stream are performed with a combined latency such that a user of the video game or application has the perception that the online video game or application is responding instantly to the control signals.