Patent Application

App. No. 15/300,591

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . Method for responding to a streaming request related to a content stream to be delivered by a content delivery network to a node connected to a private network of a customer of an operator of a fixed access network, wherein the method comprises

receiving the streaming request;

determining a source address of the streaming request;

deciding on whether the request shall be served by a content delivery network entity belonging to the private network, wherein the deciding is based on the determined source address; and

returning an address of the content delivery network entity to the node if a result of said deciding is that the request shall be served by the content delivery network entity.

2 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the deciding comprises concluding that the streaming request shall be served by the content delivery entity if the source address is a public network layer address of the fixed network.

3 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the address of the content delivery entity is returned as part of a redirection message, preferably an application layer redirection message.

4 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the address of the content delivery entity is a predefined address belonging to an address range assigned to the private network, preferably a predefined IP address.

5 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein said deciding comprises checking whether a content stream specified in the streaming request is currently available for being served by the content delivery network entity.

6 . Portal server for responding to a streaming request related to a content stream to be delivered by a content delivery network to a node connected to a private network of a customer of an operator of a fixed access network, wherein the portal server is operable for

receiving the streaming request;

determining a source address of the streaming request;

deciding on whether the request shall be served by a content delivery network entity belonging to the private network, wherein the deciding is based on the determined source address; and

returning an address of the content delivery network entity to the node if a result of said deciding is that the request shall be served by the content delivery network entity.

7 . Method for operating an access node of a fixed access network, the method comprising

communicating with a customer's premises device in order to access the private network directly for providing local network services;

wherein the method further comprises

receiving a streaming request from a node connected to the private network, the streaming request being addressed to a content delivery network entity belonging to the private network; and

transmitting a content stream specified in the streaming request to the node.

8 . Method according to claim 7 , wherein the method comprises receiving the specified content stream from a content delivery network and storing the received stream in a storage arrangement assigned to multiple, preferably all, private networks for which the access node is providing network access.

9 . Method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises maintaining the stored content stream in the storage arrangement for a predefined time window ending at the current time of execution of the method.

10 . Method according to claim 7 , wherein providing access to the private network comprises establishing a tunnel between the customer's premises device and the access node.

11 . Access node for a fixed access network, the access node comprising

a processor operable for communicating with a customer's premises device in order to access the private network directly for providing local network services;

wherein the processor is further operable

receiving a streaming request from a node connected to the private network, the streaming request being addressed to a content delivery network entity belonging to the private network; and

transmitting a content stream specified in the streaming request to the node.

12 . Method for operating a customer premises device connectable to customer side end of a subscriber line of a fixed access network, the method comprising

providing a communication link to a network element of the access network, the communication link being adapted for granting wide area network access to a private network of a customer of an operator the access network; and;

forwarding a streaming request transmitted by a node of the private network to a content delivery network entity of the access node;

receiving a response to the streaming request from the content delivery network entity; and

forwarding the received response to the node of the private network.

13 . Customer premises device connectable to customer side end of a subscriber line of a fixed access network, the device comprising

an arrangement for providing a communication link to a network element of the access network, the communication link being adapted for granting wide area network access to a private network of a customer of an operator the access network; and

a processor operable for forwarding a streaming request transmitted by a node of the private network to a content delivery network entity of an access node of the access network ( 11 ), receiving a response to the streaming request from the content delivery network entity and forwarding the received response to the node of the private network.

14 . A computer readable storage medium, storing a computer program that when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform the method according to claim 1 .

15 . (canceled)

Assignments (8)