Anycast redirect to unicast content download
View Patent ↗A method and system for delivering content with a content delivery network (CDN) to a user computer is disclosed. After an initial request to a point of presence (POP) of the CDN for the location of the content object, an Anycast Internet protocol (IP) address is assigned. The user computer requests the content object which may find its way to the same or a different POP depending on what is closer in Internet terms. The request returns a POP-specific IP in a redirect such that the request resolves to the POP referenced in the immediately preceding sentence. One or more edge servers deliver the content object to the user computer.
1. A method for assigning a server of a content delivery network (CDN), the method comprising:
receiving a request for a content object at a first point of presence (POP), which is one of a plurality of POPs that comprise the CDN and are distributed across the Internet;
returning a first Internet protocol (IP) address, which routes to any of the plurality of POPs using Anycast;
receiving the request at a second POP using the first IP address;
redirecting a user computer to request the content object from the second POP using a second IP address instead of the first IP address, wherein:
the second POP provides the second IP address to the user computer;
the second IP address is unique to the second POP; and
the second IP address is not an Anycast IP address;
receiving the request at the second POP using the second IP address, responsive to a request from the user computer;
determining a server device associated with the second IP address; and
serving the content object from the second POP, using the server device addressed by the second IP address, to the user computer.
2. The method for assigning the server of the CDN as recited in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first and/or second IP addresses is a virtual IP address.
3. The method for assigning the server of the CDN as recited in claim 1 , wherein the redirecting uses a 302 redirect.
4. The method for assigning the server of the CDN as recited in claim 1 , further comprising proxying the serving of the content object through a second physical server different from the server device and located between the server device and the user computer.
5. The method for assigning the server of the CDN as recited in claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises selecting the server device from a plurality of servers.
6. The method for assigning the server of the CDN as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first POP is found with the user computer using Anycast.
7. The method for assigning the server of the CDN as recited in claim 1 , wherein the determining is performed deterministically using a CARP algorithm.
8. The method for assigning the server of the CDN as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first POP and second POP are in one geographic location.
9. A machine-readable physical medium having machine-executable instructions, comprising code for:
receiving a request for a content object at a first point of presence (POP), which is one of a plurality of POPs that comprise the CDN and are distributed across the Internet;
returning a first Internet protocol (IP) address, which routes to any of the plurality of POPs using Anycast;
receiving the request at a second POP using the first IP address;
redirecting a user computer to request the content object from the second POP using a second IP address instead of the first IP address, wherein:
the second POP provides the second IP address to the user computer;
the second IP address is unique to the second POP; and
the second IP address is not an Anycast IP address;
receiving the request at the second POP using the second IP address, responsive to a request from the user computer;
determining the server associated with the second IP address; and
serving the content object from the second POP, using the server addressed by the second IP address, to the user computer.
10. The machine-readable physical medium having machine-executable instructions as recited in claim 9 , wherein one or both of the first and/or second IP addresses is a virtual IP address.
11. The machine-readable physical medium having machine-executable instructions as recited in claim 9 , wherein the code for redirecting uses code for a 302 redirect.
12. The machine-readable physical medium having machine-executable instructions as recited in claim 9 , further comprising code for proxying the serving of the content object through a second physical server different from the server and located between the server and the user computer.
13. The machine-readable physical medium having machine-executable instructions as recited in claim 9 , wherein the determining comprises selecting the server from a plurality of servers.
14. The machine-readable physical medium having machine-executable instructions as recited in claim 9 , wherein the server is a caching proxy server.
15. A CDN for delivering a plurality of content objects to user computers, the CDN comprising:
a plurality of POPs distributed across the Internet including a first POP and a second POP;
a domain name service to return a first Internet protocol (IP) address, wherein:
the first IP address that routes to any of the plurality of POPs using Anycast, and
the first IP address is associated with a request for a content object at the first POP;
switch fabric that receives the request at a second POP using the first IP address;
a plurality of servers that redirect a user computer to request the content object from the second POP using a second IP address instead of the first IP address, wherein:
the second POP provides the second IP address to the user computer,
the second IP address is unique to the second POP,
the second IP address is not an Anycast IP address,
the plurality of servers include a server device,
the second POP receives a second request for the content object at the second IP address, responsive to a request from the user computer, and
the switch fabric determines the server device associated with the second IP address; and
the server device, associated with the second IP address,
delivers the content object from the second POP to the user computer.
16. The CDN for delivering the plurality of content objects to user computers as recited in claim 15 , wherein one or both of the first and/or second IP addresses is a virtual IP address.
17. The CDN for delivering the plurality of content objects to user computers as recited in claim 15 , wherein the redirection of the user computer uses a 302 redirect.
18. The CDN for delivering the plurality of content objects to user computers as recited in claim 15 , wherein the serving of the content object is proxied through a second physical server different from the server device and located between the server device and the user computer.
19. The CDN for delivering the plurality of content objects to user computers as recited in claim 15 , wherein the server device is a caching proxy server.
20. The CDN for delivering the plurality of content objects to user computers as recited in claim 15 , wherein the first POP is found with the user computer using Anycast.