Method for obtaining a storage identifier in a hierarchical level of storage in a network for storing data

1. A computer-implemented method of communicating digital data that is performed by a receiver entity in a hierarchical telecommunications network, said receiver entity having knowledge of hierarchical levels of nodes of the network, the method comprising, on reception of a request to store data from a first sender unit:

selecting at least one first storage entity for storing the data, based at least on a hierarchical level of said at least one first storage entity in the network, wherein said hierarchical level satisfies at least one of minimum storage characteristics for storing the data and broadcast characteristics of the data, said at least one of minimum storage characteristics and broadcast characteristics indicated in the request; and

sending information to said first sender unit, to enable said first sender unit to obtain an identifier of said at least one first storage entity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said selecting is further based on a location of said first sender unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing said identifier in a list associated with a unique identifier for said data.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising updating said list.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said updating is performed on detecting an event.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein updating the list comprises using threshold values representative of an audience for said data in order to determine whether to add or delete a storage entity.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising updating at least one of said threshold values following said determination.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein, on receiving a request to access digital data from a second sender unit, said digital data stored at least in one storage entity, the method further comprises:

determining path nodes between said second sender unit and a last node before the root of said network;

for each of said path nodes, counting access requests received by the path node for said digital data;

updating the list as a function of the result of the counting;

selecting from said list a second storage entity designated to respond to said access request; and

sending information enabling said second sender unit to obtain an identifier of said second storage entity.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said counting further comprises counting access requests received by storage entities of the network for obtaining said digital data.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein updating the list comprises:

determining whether the result of said counting is greater than a first value for a storage entity in the list; and if the result is greater than the first value:

selecting from outside of said list at least one third storage entity as a deployment entity for storing data of the storage entity; and

triggering deployment of said data of the storage entity from the storage entity to said deployment entity by sending a deployment request to at least one of the storage entity and the deployment entity.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein updating the list comprises:

determining whether the result of said counting is less than a second value for a storage entity in the list; and if the result is greater than the second value:

deleting from said list said storage entity; and

sending to said storage entity a request to delete said data.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein said identifier is obtained from fields of said request to store data.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the at least one first storage entity is based on at least one element selected from one of the following:

the cost of transporting data over links of the network;

the cost of storing said data by said at least one first storage entity; and

locations of terminals to which said data is to be sent.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hierarchical level further accounts for a geographical location of the sender unit.

15. A digital data communication device suitable for being incorporated in a receiver entity in a hierarchical telecommunications network, said receiver entity having knowledge of hierarchical levels of nodes of the network, the device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request to store data from a first sender unit;

a selector configured to select a first data storage entity for storing the data based at least on a hierarchical level of said at least one storage entity in the network, wherein said hierarchical level satisfies at least one of minimum storage characteristics for storing the data and broadcast characteristics of the data, said at least one of minimum storage characteristics and broadcast characteristics indicated in the request; and

a sender configured to send information to said first sender unit to enable said first sender unit to obtain an identifier of said at least one first data storage entity.

16. The digital data communication device according to claim 15 , wherein the digital data communication device is implemented in a root of a hierarchical telecommunications network.

17. The digital data communication device according to claim 15 , wherein the digital data communication device is implemented in a node for use in a hierarchical telecommunications network, the node comprising a storage for storing data received by said digital data communication device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a processor perform a data communication method, wherein said data communication method is implemented by a receiver entity in a hierarchical telecommunications network, said receiver entity having knowledge of hierarchical levels of nodes of the network and wherein, on reception of a request to store data from a first sender unit, said data communication method comprises:

selecting at least one first storage entity for storing the data based, at least, on a hierarchical level of said at least one first storage entity in said hierarchical telecommunications network, wherein said hierarchical level satisfies at least one of minimum storage characteristics for storing the data and broadcast characteristics of the data, said at least one of minimum storage characteristics and broadcast characteristics indicated in the request; and

sending information to said first sender unit to enable said first sender unit to obtain an identifier of said at least one first storage entity.