Proximity routing for session based applications using anycast

1. A system comprising: a memory that stores instructions:

a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a device, a first request for an address associated with content;

providing, in response to the first request, an anycast internet protocol address of a plurality of content distribution nodes:

selecting, based on the anycast internet protocol address, a first content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes based on the first content distribution node being physically nearest to the device and based on a logical proximity of the first content distribution node to the device;

determining whether the content is long-lived content based upon the anycast internet protocol address being a first anycast internet protocol address that is associated with the long-lived content rather than a second anycast internet protocol address that is associated with short-lived content;

providing, to the device, an unicast internet protocol address of the first content distribution node when the content is determined to be the long-lived content wherein the unicast internet protocol address is only utilized for long-lived sessions associated with the long-lived content, wherein the unicast internet protocol address is provided via an application level redirection that involves obtaining the unicast internet protocol address from a meta-file;

receiving a second request for the content, wherein the second request comprises the unicast internet protocol address;

providing, in response to the second request, the content to the device, wherein, if a failure occurs with a first router while providing the content to the device during a first transmission with the first content distribution node, a second router couples the device to the first content distribution node to continue providing the content to the device via a second transmission without requiring a session reset of the first transmission, wherein the second router couples the device to the first content distribution node based on the unicast internet protocol address included in the second request; and

adjusting routing of packets of the content to the device in accordance with a ranked table of links and information devices, wherein the links and information devices are ranked relative to a load on each respective link and information device in the ranked table, wherein the ranked table of links and information devices is generated based on a load balancing algorithm.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the content is long-lived content based upon a determination that a size of the content exceeds a threshold.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the content is long-lived content based upon a determination that a duration of transmission of the content exceeds a predetermined duration.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise identifying, based on a preferred route assigned by an intelligent route service control point, the first content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes that is nearest to the device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise obtaining the content from a content provider if the first content distribution node does not have the content.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise requesting, if the first content distribution node fails, the content from a second content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes by utilizing the anycast internet protocol address.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the content is associated with a long-lived session associated with a plurality of long-lived sessions.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the content is associated with the long-lived session if the session has a duration that exceeds a predetermined time period.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise assigning the first anycast internet protocol address to the long-lived content and the second anycast internet protocol address to the short-lived content.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, from a device, a first request for an address associated with content;

providing, in response to the first request, an anycast internet protocol address of a plurality of content distribution nodes;

selecting, based on the anycast internet protocol address, a first content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes based on the first content distribution node being physically nearest to the device and based on a logical proximity of the first content distribution node to the device;

determining, by utilizing instructions from memory that are executed by a processor, whether the content is long-lived content based upon the anycast internet protocol address being a first anycast internet protocol address that is associated with the long-lived content rather than a second anycast internet protocol address that is associated with short-lived content;

providing, to the device, an unicast internet protocol address of the first content distribution node when the content is determined to be the long-lived content, wherein the unicast internet protocol address is only utilized for long-lived sessions associated with the long-lived content, wherein the unicast internet protocol address is provided via an application level redirection that involves obtaining the unicast internet protocol address from a meta-file;

receiving a second request for the content, wherein the second request comprises the unicast internet protocol address;

providing, in response to the second request, the content to the device, wherein, if a failure occurs with a first router while providing the content to the device during a first transmission with the first content distribution node, a second router couples the device to the first content distribution node to continue providing the content to the device via a second transmission without requiring a session reset of the first transmission, wherein the second router couples the device to the first content distribution node based on the unicast internet protocol address included in the second request; and

adjusting routing of packets of the content to the device in accordance with a ranked table of links and information devices, wherein the links and information devices are ranked relative to a load on each respective link and information device in the ranked table, wherein the ranked table of links and information devices is generated based on a load balancing algorithm.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining whether the content is long-lived content based upon a determination that a size of the content exceeds a threshold.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining whether the content is long-lived content based upon a determination that a duration of transmission of the content exceeds a predetermined duration.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising identifying, based on a preferred route assigned by an intelligent route service control point, the first content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes that is nearest to the device.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising obtaining the content from a content provider if the first content distribution node does not have the content.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising requesting, if the first content distribution node fails, the content from a second content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes by utilizing the anycast internet protocol address.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining that the content is associated with a long-lived session associated with a plurality of sessions.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining that the content is associated with the long-lived session if the session has a duration that exceeds a predetermined time period.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising assigning the first anycast internet protocol address to the long-lived content and the second anycast internet protocol address to the short-lived content.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable device comprising instructions, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor the perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a device, a first request for an address associated with content;

providing, in response to the first request, an anycast internet protocol address of a plurality of content distribution nodes;

selecting, based on the anycast internet protocol address, a first content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes based on the first content distribution node being physically nearest to the device and based on a logical proximity of the first content distribution node to the device;

determining whether the content is long-lived content based upon the anycast internet protocol address being a first anycast internet protocol address that is associated with the long-lived content rather than a second anycast internet protocol address that is associated with short-lived content;

providing, to the device, an unicast internet protocol address of the first content distribution node when the content is determined to be the long-lived content, wherein the unicast internet protocol address is only utilized for long-lived sessions associated with the long-lived content, wherein the unicast internet protocol address is provided via an application level redirection that involves obtaining the unicast internet protocol address from a meta-file;

receiving a second request for the content, wherein the second request comprises the unicast internet protocol address;

providing, in response to the second request, the content to the device, wherein, if a failure occurs with a first router while providing the content to the device during a first transmission with the first content distribution node, a second router couples the device to the first content distribution node to continue providing the content to the device via a second transmission without requiring a session reset of the first transmission, wherein the second router couples the device to the first content distribution node based on the unicast internet protocol address included in the second request; and

adjusting routing of packets of the content to the device in accordance with a ranked table of links and information devices, wherein the links and information devices are ranked relative to a load on each respective link and information device in the ranked table, wherein the ranked table of links and information devices is generated based on a load balancing algorithm.

20. The machine-readable device of claim 19 , further comprising requesting, if the first content distribution node fails, the content from a second content distribution node of the plurality of content distribution nodes by utilizing the anycast internet protocol address.