Tiered updating of configuration data in a content delivery network

1. A method for updating configuration data in a content delivery network (CDN) comprising nodes, the method implemented by a computer and comprising:

transmitting updated configuration data to a first tier of nodes;

transmitting a command to the nodes of the first tier to use the updated configuration data;

after waiting to see if any nodes of the first tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration data, sequentially repeating, for each of a plurality of additional tiers in the CDN:

transmitting the updated configuration data to the nodes of that additional tier;

transmitting a command to the nodes of that additional tier to use the updated configuration data; and

after waiting to see if any nodes of any tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration data, transmitting the updated configuration data and a command to the nodes of another additional tier to use the updated configuration data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nodes of the first tier do not handle content requests.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nodes of the first tier receive content requests from clients that are operated solely to test the operation of the CDN with the updated configuration data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the updated configuration data respectively is transmitted at different times to the different tiers of nodes.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to any nodes of any tier communicating a fault after using the updated configuration data, commanding the nodes of at least that tier to revert to earlier configuration data and not commanding any additional tiers of nodes to use the updated configuration data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein commanding a node to revert to earlier configuration data comprises commanding that node to use an archive stored at that node to identify and use the earlier configuration data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein nodes that handle content requests are mapped onto one of the additional tiers based on node identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein nodes that handle content requests are mapped onto one of the additional tiers based on a business rule.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the business rule includes one or more of: a sensitivity of the node to network traffic, that node's geographical area, a level of network traffic in that node's geographical area, a priority of a customer distributing content through that node, and a type of content being distributed through that node.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the additional tiers include different numbers of nodes than one another.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer comprises a control core of the CDN.

12. A computer system comprising a processor and a network interface, the processor being configured to implement operations comprising:

transmitting updated configuration data to a first tier of nodes;

transmitting a command to the nodes of a first tier to use the updated configuration data;

after waiting to see if any nodes of the first tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration data, sequentially repeating, for each of a plurality of additional tiers in the CDN:

transmitting the updated configuration data to the nodes of that additional tier;

transmitting a command to the nodes of that additional tier to use the updated configuration data; and

after waiting to see if any nodes of any tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration data, transmitting the updated configuration data and a command to the nodes of another additional tier to use the updated configuration data.

13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the nodes of the first tier do not handle content requests.

14. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the nodes of the first tier receive content requests from clients that are operated solely to test the operation of the CDN with the updated configuration data.

15. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the updated configuration data is transmitted at different times to the tiers of nodes.

16. The computer system of claim 12 , the operations further comprising, responsive to any nodes of any tier communicating a fault after using the updated configuration data, commanding the nodes of at least that tier to revert to earlier configuration data and not commanding any additional tiers of nodes to use the updated configuration data.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein commanding a node to revert to earlier configuration data comprises commanding that node to use an archive stored at that node to identify and use the earlier configuration data.

18. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein nodes that handle content requests are mapped onto one of the additional tiers based on node identifiers.

19. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein nodes that handle content requests are mapped onto one of the additional tiers based on a business rule.

20. The computer system of claim 19 , wherein the business rule includes one or more of: a sensitivity of the node to network traffic, that node's geographical area, a level of network traffic in that node's geographical area, a priority of a customer distributing content through that node, and a type of content being distributed through that node.

21. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the additional tiers include different numbers of nodes than one another.

22. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the computer system comprises a control core of a content delivery network (CDN).

23. A method for updating configuration data in a network, the method implemented by a computer and comprising:

transmitting updated configuration data to a first tier of computers;

transmitting a command to the computers of the first tier to use the updated configuration data;

after waiting to see if any computers of the first tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration, sequentially repeating, for each of a plurality of additional tiers in the network:

transmitting the updated configuration data to computers of that additional tier;

transmitting a command to the computers of that additional tier to use the updated configuration data; and

after waiting to see if any computers of any tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration data, transmitting the updated configuration data and a command to the computers of another additional tier to use the updated configuration data.

24. A computer system comprising a processor and a network interface, the processor being configured to implement operations comprising:

transmitting updated configuration data to a first tiers of computers;

transmitting a command to the computers of the first tier to use the updated configuration data;

after waiting to see if any computers of the first tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration, sequentially repeating, for each of a plurality of additional tiers in the network:

transmitting the updated configuration data to computers of that additional tier;

transmitting a command to the computers of that additional tier to use the updated configuration data; and

after waiting to see if any computers of any tier communicate a fault after using the updated configuration data, transmitting the updated configuration data and a command to the computers of another additional tier to use the updated configuration data.