Distribution and management of content from a multi-tier content distribution system

1. A multi-tier content distribution system comprising:

a first repository from which to distribute first content;

a second repository from which to retrieve and distribute second content, the second repository storing the second content and being an alternative storage resource with respect to the first repository from which to distribute content not available in the first repository, the second content different than the first content;

a third repository from which to distribute third content, the third repository being an alternative storage resource with respect to the second repository from which to retrieve and distribute respective content that is unavailable from the second repository; and

content management hardware to selectively populate the second repository with the second content, the second content including a portion of the third content stored in the third repository;

the multi-tier content distribution system further comprising:

first computer processor hardware, the first computer processor hardware providing access to the first content stored in the first repository, the first computer processor hardware operable to receive a request for content from a communication device;

second computer processor hardware, the second computer processor hardware providing access to the second content stored in the second repository, the second computer processor hardware operable to receive the request from the first computer processor hardware in response to the first computer processor hardware detecting that the requested content is not available from the first repository; and

third computer processor hardware, the third computer processor hardware providing access to the third content stored in the third repository, the third computer processor hardware operable to receive the request from the second computer processor hardware in response to the second computer processor hardware detecting that the requested content is not available from the second repository.

2. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the portion of the third content stored in the second repository is identified by the content management hardware as popular content available for distribution from the third repository to multiple communication devices accessing the multi-tier content distribution system.

3. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the third repository stores a copy of the first content stored in the first repository and a copy of the second content stored in the second repository.

4. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the content management hardware produces the second content to include multiple retrievable segments; and

wherein the content management hardware produces content access information indicating an order in which to sequentially retrieve the multiple retrievable segments.

5. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the content management hardware is operable to update the second content stored in the second repository using the third content stored in the third repository depending on a trend of users retrieving portions of the third content stored in the third repository.

6. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the first content in the first repository and the second content in the second repository are pre-formatted for on-demand distribution; and

wherein the third content requires formatting prior to distribution.

7. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 further comprising:

an access control resource operable to attempt retrieval of requested content in accordance with a predefined order in which the access control resource: first attempts to retrieve the requested content from the first repository and, if the requested content is unavailable from the first repository, second attempts to retrieve the requested content from the second repository and, if the requested content is unavailable from the second repository, third attempts to retrieve the requested content from the third repository.

8. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the content management hardware is operable to replace a first title of content stored in the second repository with a second title of content stored in the third repository in response to detecting that the second title of content becomes more popularly retrieved than the first title of content.

9. In a multi-tier content distribution system operable to distribute content to communication devices in a network, a method comprising:

via computer processor hardware, performing operations of:

receiving popularity information indicating content to retrieve and store in a first supplemental repository, the first supplemental repository being a storage resource from which to distribute content not stored in a primary repository;

as specified by the popularity information, communicating with a content management resource to retrieve a copy of the content;

storing the retrieved copy of the content in the first supplemental repository for distribution to subscribers; and

in accordance with an access order of distributing the content to the subscribers, providing access to the copy of the content from the first supplemental repository in response to detecting that the content is unavailable for distribution from the primary repository; and

wherein the popularity information indicates that the content is popularly delivered from the content management resource in the multi-tier content distribution system, the content management resource having access to a second supplemental storage resource from which to distribute content not available from the primary repository and the first supplemental repository.

10. The method as in claim 9 , wherein the access order indicates to first attempt delivery of the content from the primary repository and, after a determination that the content is not available from the primary repository, second attempt delivery from the first supplemental repository.

11. The method as in claim 10 , wherein the access order indicates to attempt delivery from the second supplemental storage resource after a determination that the content is not available from the first supplemental repository.

12. In a multi-tier content distribution system operable to distribute content to communication devices in a network, a method comprising:

via computer processor hardware, performing operations of:

receiving popularity information indicating content to retrieve and store in a first supplemental repository, the first supplemental repository being a storage resource from which to distribute content not stored in a primary repository;

as specified by the popularity information, communicating with a content management resource to retrieve a copy of the content;

storing the retrieved copy of the content in the first supplemental repository for distribution to subscribers; and

in accordance with an access order of distributing the content to the subscribers, providing access to the copy of the content from the first supplemental repository in response to detecting that the content is unavailable for distribution from the primary repository; and

wherein a second supplemental repository is one of multiple repositories from which to attempt distribution of the content if the content is not available for distribution from the primary repository and the first supplemental repository.

13. A method comprising:

storing first content in a first repository for distribution;

storing second content in a second repository for distribution, the second repository being a supplemental distribution resource with respect to the first repository, the second content different than the first content;

storing third content in a third repository, the third repository being a supplemental distribution resource with respect to the second repository; and

selectively populating the second repository with the second content, the second content including selected portions of the third content stored in the third repository;

the method further comprising:

pre-formatting the first content stored in the first repository and the second content stored in the first supplemental repository for on-demand distribution; and

wherein the third content requires formatting prior to distribution;

the method further comprising: attempting retrieval of requested content in accordance with a predefined order including a first attempt to retrieve the requested content from the first repository and, if the requested content is unavailable from the first repository, a second attempt to retrieve the requested content from the second repository and, if the requested content is unavailable from the second repository, a third attempt to retrieve the requested content from the third repository.

14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the selected portions of the third content stored in the second repository are identified as popularly retrieved content from the third repository to multiple communication devices.

15. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

replacing a first title of content stored in the second repository with a second title of content stored in the third repository in response to detecting that the second title of content becomes more popularly retrieved amongst multiple communication devices than the first title of content.

16. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the portion of the third content is a first portion of the third content; and

wherein a second portion of the third content in the third repository is unavailable from the first repository, the second portion of third content also being unavailable from the second repository.

17. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 16 , wherein the content management hardware is operable to update the second content stored in the second repository to store the first portion of third content in response to detecting a trend of users retrieving the first portion of third content stored in the third repository.

18. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 17 , wherein the first portion of the third content stored in the second repository is identified by the content management hardware as popular content retrieved and distributed from the third repository.

19. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 18 , wherein the first content in the first repository and the second content in the second repository are pre-formatted for on-demand distribution; and

wherein the third content stored in the third repository requires formatting into retrievable segments prior to distribution.

20. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 19 , wherein the third content stored in the third repository requires generation of content access information indicating an order in which to sequentially retrieve the multiple retrievable segments prior to distribution.

21. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 , wherein the first content stored and distributed from the first repository and the second content stored and distributed from the second repository are pre-processed into retrievable segments and corresponding content access information indicating an order in which to retrieve the retrievable segments.

22. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 21 , wherein the third content stored in the third repository requires generation of content access information indicating an order in which to sequentially retrieve multiple retrievable segments of the third content.

23. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 8 , wherein the second title of content stored in the second repository as a replacement to the first title of content is pre-processed into retrievable segments and corresponding content access information indicating an order in which to retrieve the retrievable segments.

24. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 8 , wherein the second title of content stored in the third repository requires generation of respective content access information indicating an order in which to sequentially retrieve respective portions prior to distribution.

25. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 further comprising:

an access control resource operable to attempt retrieval of requested content in accordance with a predefined order in which the access control resource: first attempts to retrieve the requested content from the first repository and, if the requested content is unavailable from the first repository, second attempts to retrieve the requested content from the second repository and, if the requested content is unavailable from the second repository, third attempts to retrieve the requested content from the third repository.

26. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 25 , wherein the content management hardware is operable to update the second content stored in the second repository using the third content stored in the third repository depending on a trend of users retrieving portions of the third content stored in the third repository; and

wherein the content management hardware is operable to replace a first title of content stored in the second repository with a second title of content stored in the third repository in response to detecting that the second title of content becomes more popularly retrieved than the first title of content.

27. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the access order indicates to first attempt delivery of the content from the primary repository and, after a determination that the content is not available from the primary repository, second attempt delivery from the first supplemental repository; and

wherein the access order indicates to attempt delivery from a second supplemental storage resource after a determination that the content is not available from the first supplemental repository.

28. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 7 , wherein the first computer processor hardware distributes the content as indicated by the request to the communication device from an accessed repository amongst a combination of the first repository, the second repository, and the third repository, depending on which accessed repository is first determined as storing the content as indicated by the request.

29. A multi-tier content distribution system comprising:

a first repository from which to distribute first content;

a second repository from which to retrieve and distribute second content, the second repository storing the second content and being an alternative storage resource with respect to the first repository from which to distribute content not available in the first repository, the second content different than the first content;

a third repository from which to distribute third content, the third repository being an alternative storage resource with respect to the second repository from which to retrieve and distribute respective content that is unavailable from the second repository; and

content management hardware to selectively populate the second repository with the second content, the second content including a portion of the third content stored in the third repository;

a content retrieval resource, the content retrieval resource receiving a request for content from a communication device, the content retrieval resource attempting retrieval of the requested content in an ordered sequence from: i) the first repository as an initial attempt to retrieve the requested content, ii) the second repository if the requested content is determined to be unavailable from the first repository, and iii) the third repository if the requested content is determined to be unavailable from the second repository; and

the content retrieval resource communicating the requested content to the communication device regardless of which repository the requested content is retrieved.

30. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a content distribution resource that receives a request for content from a communication device;

wherein the content distribution resource, in accordance with an ordered sequence, receives the requested content from one repository of a group of repositories including the first repository, the second repository, and the third repository; and

wherein the content distribution resource communicates the requested content to the communication device.

31. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 30 further comprising:

a first content server;

a second content server; and

wherein the ordered sequence includes:

i) the content distribution resource initiating retrieval and distribution of the requested content from the first repository,

ii) the content distribution resource communicating with the first content server to retrieve the requested content, the first content server initiating retrieval of the requested content from the second repository in response to a condition in which the requested content is unavailable from the first repository, and

iii) the first content server communicating with the second content server, the second content server initiating retrieval of the requested content from the third repository in response to a condition in which the requested content is unavailable from the second repository.

32. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 31 , wherein both the first content in the first repository and the second content in the second repository are pre-formatted for on-demand distribution; and

wherein the third content requires formatting by the second server prior to distribution.

33. The multi-tier content distribution system as in claim 31 , wherein the content management hardware stores the portion of the third content in the second repository in response to popularity information indicating that the portion of third content is currently popular, the portion of third content replacing previously stored content in the second repository.