CN103297382A - Accessed content distribution network processing method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a processing method and device for accessing a content distribution network. The method includes: accessing a CDN and reporting the QoS capability parameter of the accessing CDN to an upstream CDN, wherein the QoS capability parameter is used by the upstream CDN according to the QoS capability Parameters select the access CDN that provides users with QoS-guaranteed content services as the downstream CDN; after receiving the content request from the end user, the downstream CDN performs QoS control according to the QoS information corresponding to the above-mentioned content request obtained from the upstream CDN. The present invention solves the problem that the CDN cannot perform refined QoS control in related technologies, and enables operators to implement more refined QoS control when using access to the CDN, thereby satisfying streaming media and other applications that have QoS requirements at the application layer. Content push further guarantees service quality and improves user experience.

Description

Processing method and device for accessing content distribution network

technical field

The present invention relates to the communication field, in particular, to a processing method and device for accessing a Content Delivery Network (CDN for short).

Background technique

The full name of CDN is Content Delivery Network, that is, content distribution network. The basic idea of CDN is to avoid bottlenecks and links on the Internet that may affect the speed and stability of data transmission as much as possible, so as to make content transmission faster and more stable. In application, a layer of intelligent virtual network based on the existing Internet is formed by placing node servers all over the network. Comprehensive information such as distance and response time will redirect the user's request to the service node closest to the user, so that the user can obtain the required content nearby, solve the Internet network congestion situation, and improve the response speed of the user's access to the website.

With the vigorous development and wide application of CDN technology, the demand for interconnection between CDNs is becoming more and more intense. Through the interconnection between CDNs, the existing CDN network can be fully utilized and the cost of network deployment for CDN operators can be saved. To this end, a new set of protocol framework CDN Interworking (CDN Interworking, referred to as CDNI) proposed by IETF. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the CDN interconnection and intercommunication architecture according to related technologies. As shown in Figure 1, the upstream CDN (Upstream CDN) and the downstream CDN (Downstream CDN) are interconnected and interoperable through the CDNI interface. The CDNI interface protocol mainly includes:

Control Interface Protocol (Control Interface Protocol): used to discover, initialize, and determine the parameters of other interfaces. Once the initialization work of other interfaces is completed, the interaction between CDNs is completed by other interfaces.

Request Routing Interface Protocol (Request Routing Interface Protocol): Used to determine which CDN or which transfer agent within a CDN handles user requests.

Metadata Interface Protocol (Metadata Interface Protocol): used to transfer basic information and content transmission rules between CDNs, such as geographical area restrictions on content distribution, content validity period, etc.

Logging Interface Protocol (Logging Interface Protocol): used for downstream CDN to report content transmission, traffic statistics, billing and other information to upstream CDN.

Generally speaking, a downstream CDN is a CDN that is closer to users, and an upstream CDN is a CDN that is closer to a content provider (Content Service Provider, referred to as CSP).

For mobile access networks, when using CDN technology for content transmission, there are different application-layer QoS requirements for different content requested by users for some types of content (such as video or games, etc.) (for example, different videos may have different playback rates) , minimum bandwidth and other application layer QoS requirements), when the user directly obtains content from the CDN, the Policy Control and Charging (PCC) system to which the access network belongs cannot obtain such information from the CDN, It will cause the CDN to be unable to perform fine-grained QoS control, and thus may not be able to meet the QoS requirements of such content.

For the problem that the CDN cannot perform refined QoS control in related technologies, no effective solution has been proposed yet.

Contents of the invention

Aiming at the problem that CDN cannot perform refined QoS control in the related art, the present invention provides a processing method and device for accessing content distribution network, so as to at least solve the above problem.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for processing access to CDN is provided, the method comprising: the access CDN reports the QoS capability parameter of the access CDN to the upstream CDN, wherein the QoS capability parameter is used for the upstream CDN According to the QoS capability parameters, the CDN selects an access CDN that provides users with QoS-guaranteed content services as the downstream CDN; after the downstream CDN receives the content request from the end user, it The QoS information corresponding to the content request performs QoS control.

Preferably, the downstream CDN performing QoS control according to the QoS information corresponding to the content request obtained from the upstream CDN includes: the downstream CDN sending the QoS information to PCRF; the PCRF performing QoS according to the QoS information control.

Preferably, the downstream CDN sending the QoS information to the PCRF includes: the downstream CDN sending the QoS information to the PCRF through an Rx interface.

Preferably, the downstream CDN sending the QoS information to the PCRF through the Rx interface includes: the downstream CDN carrying the QoS information in a Diameter message, and sending the QoS information to the PCRF through the Rx interface.

Preferably, before the downstream CDN performs QoS control according to the QoS information corresponding to the content request obtained from the upstream CDN, it further includes: the downstream CDN receives metadata information sent by the upstream CDN, the metadata The information carries QoS information corresponding to the content request, wherein the QoS information corresponding to the content request is an application layer QoS parameter of the content.

Preferably, before the downstream CDN receives the metadata information response corresponding to the metadata information request sent by the upstream CDN, it further includes: the upstream CDN obtains the content corresponding to the content request from its upstream CDN or CSP The QoS information.

Preferably, the access CDN reporting the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN includes: the access CDN reporting the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN through an RRI interface.

Preferably, before the access CDN reports the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN, it further includes: the access CDN receives the information for obtaining the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN from the upstream CDN request message.

Preferably, the QoS capability parameter includes: the QoS control capability of the access CDN.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an access CDN processing device, which is located in the access CDN, and the device includes: a reporting module, configured to report the QoS capability parameter of the access CDN to the upstream CDN, wherein, The QoS capability parameter is used by the upstream CDN to select an access CDN that provides content services with QoS guarantee for users as a downstream CDN according to the QoS capability parameter; a receiving module is used to receive content requests from end users; a control module , used to perform QoS control according to the QoS information corresponding to the content request obtained from the upstream CDN.

Through the present invention, the access CDN that is relatively close to the access network reports the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN, and the downstream CDN of the upstream CDN receives the content request from the end user, according to the QoS capability parameter obtained from the upstream CDN. The QoS information corresponding to the above content request is used for QoS control, which solves the problem that CDN cannot perform refined QoS control in related technologies, and enables operators to achieve more refined QoS control when using access to CDN, thereby satisfying streaming media Push content such as application-layer QoS requirements to further guarantee service quality and improve user experience.

Description of drawings

The accompanying drawings described here are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the application. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations to the present invention. In the attached picture:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of CDN interconnection according to related technologies;

2 is a flowchart of a method for processing access to a CDN according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a structural block diagram of an access CDN processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for accessing a CDN to guarantee QoS according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a method for accessing a CDN to guarantee QoS according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings and examples. It should be noted that, in the case of no conflict, the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

In related technologies, the problem that the PCC cannot obtain the QoS requirements of the content from the CDN, and thus cannot perform refined QoS control, is expected to be resolved after the introduction of access to the CDN. The access CDN is a special kind of CDN, which is deployed by the operator of the access network. It is closely coupled with the access network and can obtain some unique information of the access network. When interconnecting with other CDNs, since the access CDN is closer to the access network, it usually plays the role of a downstream CDN. In this embodiment, in the CDN interconnection scenario, the access CDN is used as the downstream CDN, and the QoS control on the access side is realized through the CDNI technology and the PCC mechanism. Compared with the existing technology, the operator can realize the More refined QoS control, and then meet streaming media and other content push with application layer QoS requirements, further guarantee service quality and improve user experience.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart of a method for accessing a CDN according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the method includes the following steps:

Step S202, the access CDN (Access CDN) reports the QoS capability parameter of the access CDN to the upstream CDN, wherein the QoS capability parameter is used for the upstream CDN to select an access service that provides the user with a content service with QoS guarantee according to the QoS capability parameter. Enter the CDN as the downstream CDN;

Step S204, after receiving the content request from the end user, the downstream CDN performs QoS control according to the QoS information corresponding to the content request obtained from the upstream CDN.

In this embodiment, the access CDN that is closer to the access network reports the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN through the above method, and the downstream CDN of the upstream CDN receives the content request from the end user, The QoS information corresponding to the above-mentioned content request obtained by the CDN is used for QoS control, which solves the problem that the CDN cannot perform fine-grained QoS control in related technologies, and enables operators to achieve more fine-grained QoS control when using access to the CDN, and then Meet streaming media and other content push with application layer QoS requirements, further guarantee service quality and improve user experience.

Wherein, the above-mentioned downstream CDN (that is, the downstream CDN selected by the upstream CDN from the access CDN) performs QoS control according to the QoS information corresponding to the content request obtained from the upstream CDN, which may be performed by a policy and charging function entity (PCRF) for QoS For control, for example, the access CDN sends QoS information to the PCRF; the PCRF performs QoS control according to the above QoS information.

It should be noted that PCC is a policy control system defined by 3GPP, and PCRF is a policy control function in the PCC system. It refers to formulating corresponding resource control policies based on operator policies, service QoS requests, and user subscription information, and issuing them Install and execute PCEF. PCEF is the policy enforcement function defined in the PCC system. It implements QoS policy, gate control, and information reporting under the guidance of the policy control function.

Preferably, the QoS information sent by the downstream CDN to the PCRF in step S204 may be sent through the Rx interface. An Rx interface can be added between the access CDN and the PCRF, through which the access CDN notifies the PCRF of the application layer QoS information in a timely manner. When the access CDN uses the Rx interface to send the QoS information to the PCRF, the access CDN can carry the QoS information in the Diameter message and send it to the PCRF through the Rx interface. This sending method is convenient, reliable and practical.

For content with QoS requirements, the downstream CDN can obtain the QoS information of the content from the upstream CDN. There are many ways for the downstream CDN to obtain the QoS information corresponding to the content request from the upstream CDN. For example, the downstream CDN receives the metadata sent by the upstream CDN. Data information, the metadata information carries QoS information corresponding to the content request, wherein the QoS information corresponding to the content request is the application layer QoS parameter of the above content. Wherein, the above-mentioned application layer QoS parameters may include but not limited to the minimum guaranteed bandwidth and the minimum transmission rate required by the above content. In this way, the application layer QoS parameters are added in the metadata interface, making it convenient and reliable for the access CDN to obtain QoS information from the upstream CDN.

The downstream CDN can obtain the QoS information corresponding to the content requested by the end user from the upstream CDN. ) to obtain the QoS information of the above content request. In this way, the timeliness of the obtained QoS information is guaranteed.

When the upstream CDN pushes the content request of the end user with QoS requirements to multiple downstream access CDNs, it can select a more suitable access CDN as its downstream CDN for content push, so it has the ability to obtain QoS information The access CDN may report the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN, wherein the QoS capability parameters may include: the QoS control capability of the access CDN. The access CDN (Access CDN) reports its own QoS capability parameters, and the upstream CDN selects the access CDN as the downstream CDN to transmit the content with special QoS requirements. In this way, the upstream CDN can obtain the ability of its downstream CDN to obtain QoS information, so that it can perform relevant control operations according to the needs of end users requesting content. For example, when an upstream CDN receives a content request from an end user, it can select an access CDN that receives the content request according to the QoS capability parameters of its downstream CDN, and send the content request to the access CDN.

There are many ways for the access CDN to report the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN. Preferably, the access CDN may report the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN through the RRI interface. This method is practical.

When the upstream CDN does not obtain the QoS capability parameters of its downstream CDN, the upstream CDN can send a request message to its downstream CDN to obtain the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN. In addition to independently reporting its QoS capability parameters, the access CDN In addition, the QoS capability parameter may also be reported when receiving a request message from the upstream CDN for obtaining the QoS capability parameter of the access CDN. In this way, another way for the access CDN to report its own QoS capability parameters to the upstream CDN is provided, which improves the flexibility of the solution.

Corresponding to the above method, this embodiment also provides an access CDN processing device, which is located in the access CDN, and the device is used to implement the above embodiment and preferred implementation manners, which have already been described and will not be repeated. As used below, the term "module" may be a combination of software and/or hardware that realizes a predetermined function. Although the devices described in the following embodiments are preferably implemented in software, implementations in hardware, or a combination of software and hardware are also possible and contemplated.

FIG. 3 is a structural block diagram of a CDN access processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , the device includes a reporting module 32 , a receiving module 34 and a control module 36 . The device will be described in detail below.

The reporting module 32 is configured to report the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN, wherein the QoS capability parameters are used by the upstream CDN to select an access CDN that provides content services with QoS guarantees for users as a downstream CDN according to the QoS capability parameters CDN;

The receiving module 34, coupled with the reporting module 32, is used to receive content requests from end users;

The control module 36, coupled with the receiving module 34, is configured to perform QoS control according to the QoS information corresponding to the content request acquired from the upstream CDN.

In this embodiment, the access CDN that is relatively close to the access network uses the reporting module 32 to report the QoS capability parameters of the access CDN to the upstream CDN through the above-mentioned device, and the CDN downstream of the upstream CDN uses the receiving module 34 to receive the QoS capability parameter from the end user. After requesting content, QoS control is performed through the control module 36 according to the QoS information corresponding to the content request obtained from the upstream CDN, which solves the problem that the CDN cannot perform refined QoS control in related technologies, and enables operators to access CDN implements more refined QoS control, and then satisfies content push with application layer QoS requirements such as streaming media, further guarantees service quality and improves user experience.

The following description will be made in conjunction with a preferred embodiment, which combines the above-mentioned embodiments and preferred implementation modes thereof.

This preferred embodiment relates to the field of network and communication, in particular to a system and method for accessing CDN to ensure service quality (ie QoS).

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture for accessing a CDN to guarantee QoS according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 4, the system includes:

UE (User Equipment, user equipment) 402: used to initiate a service request and obtain content from the CDN.

PCRF (Policy and Charging Rules Function) 404: includes policy control decision-making and flow-based charging control functions. The PCRF performs service data flow-based detection, gate control, QoS authorization, and network control based on flow charging for the PCEF. In this architecture, the PCEF is taken as an example for illustration.

P-GW (Packet Data Network Gateway, packet data network gateway) 406: It is the access side network element, used to manage the movement between 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, and is also responsible for policy execution, charging and other functions. In this architecture, the P-GW acts as a PCEF, and performs functions such as QoS policy implementation, gate control, and event reporting according to the resource control policy delivered by the PCRF.

Access CDN (Access Content Delivery Network, Access CDN) 408: It is a CDN deployed by the operator of the access network, which is closely coupled with the access network. Compared with ordinary CDN, accessing CDN can obtain more information from operators and access networks.

Upstream CDN (Upstream Content Delivery Network, upstream CDN) 410: it is an upstream CDN in the CDN interconnection architecture.

Refer to the schematic diagram of the CDNI architecture shown in Figure 1. The interface between the Access CDN and the Upstream CDN is the CDNI interface. Access CDN adds a new interface (Rx) to interconnect with PCRF. As the AF in the PCC architecture, Access CDN uses the Rx interface with PCRF. Access CDN can add the following functions:

1. Obtain the QoS information of the content from the CSP or its upstream CDN;

2. The QoS information of the service layer of the content is carried in the Diameter message and notified to the PCRF, and the PCRF can formulate a QoS policy accordingly.

Based on the schematic diagram of the architecture in Figure 4, this preferred embodiment also provides a method for accessing a CDN to ensure QoS, and Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for accessing a CDN to ensure QoS according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5 , which describes the implementation process of the method for implementing QoS control by using the access CDN. The method includes the following steps:

Step S502: the access CDN reports its own capability information to its upstream CDN, the information includes but not limited to the access CDN's QoS capability, coverage and so on. QoS capability is a newly added parameter of the access CDN in this embodiment compared with related technologies. Specifically, it means that the access CDN reports to the upstream CDN that it has the QoS control capability. This information can be used as a reference when the upstream CDN selects the downstream CDN. The capability information may be reported through the RRI interface.

Step S504: After receiving the capability information reported by the access CDN, the upstream CDN returns a confirmation message to the access CDN.

Wherein, steps S502-S504 are optional steps. If there is no such step, the upstream CDN may obtain relevant information from the downstream CDN (the downstream CDN is the access CDN in this embodiment) in steps S508-S510 in the subsequent process of requesting content from the CDN by the end user.

Step S506: The end user sends a content request to the CSP (Content Service Provider, Content Service Provider), the request is redirected to the upstream CDN, and the user sends the content request to the upstream CDN again. In this embodiment, the requested content requires QoS guarantee, and the service layer QoS information is pushed to the upstream CDN by the CSP through metadata.

Step S508: the upstream CDN sends a request to its downstream CDN (including the access CDN) to obtain the capability information of the downstream CDN.

Step S510: After receiving the message, the access CDN reports its own capability information to the upstream CDN, and the carried content is the same as step S502.

Among them, steps S508-S510 are optional steps. If the upstream CDN already has the capability information of its downstream CDN, or the upstream CDN has obtained the capability information of its downstream CDN in steps S502-S504, then steps S508-S510 may not be required. .

Step S512: The upstream CDN learns that the content requires QoS guarantee or that the user is a QoS guaranteed user of the CSP, and selects an appropriate Access CDN as the downstream CDN according to the service scope and QoS capability of the downstream CDN.

Step S514: The upstream CDN notifies the end user to redirect the content request to the access CDN.

Step S516: the end user sends a content request to the access CDN.

Step S518: After receiving the request, the access CDN sends a Metadata information request to the upstream CDN, requesting the metadata information of the content.

Step S520: After the upstream CDN receives it, it returns a Metadata information response message to the access CDN. The response message carries the application layer QoS parameters of the content requested by the user, such as minimum guaranteed bandwidth and minimum rate. Wherein, the above-mentioned application layer QoS parameter may be a newly added parameter in the metadata interface, and the parameter information is generated by the CSP, and the upstream CDN obtains it from the CSP or its upstream CDN.

Step S522: The access CDN notifies the PCRF of the application layer QoS information after receiving it.

Step S524: The PCRF generates a PCC policy according to the above application layer QoS information, instructs the P-GW to establish a bearer, and the PCRF notifies the access CDN after the wireless side bearer is established.

Step S526: Accessing the CDN pushes the content requested by the user to the end user after obtaining the establishment of the bearer on the wireless side.

This embodiment adopts the above method, which can enable the operator to implement more refined QoS control when accessing the CDN, and then meet the content push of streaming media and other application layer QoS requirements, further guarantee the quality of service, improve user experience, and solve the problem of The problem that fine QoS policy control cannot be performed by using CDN in the prior art is solved.

From the above description, it can be seen that the present invention solves the problem that the CDN cannot perform refined QoS control in related technologies, and enables operators to implement more refined QoS control when using access to the CDN, thereby satisfying traffic Push content such as media with application-layer QoS requirements to further guarantee service quality and improve user experience.

Obviously, those skilled in the art should understand that each module or each step of the above-mentioned present invention can be realized by a general-purpose computing device, and they can be concentrated on a single computing device, or distributed in a network formed by multiple computing devices Alternatively, they may be implemented in program code executable by a computing device so that they may be stored in a storage device to be executed by a computing device, and in some cases in an order different from that shown here The steps shown or described are carried out, or they are separately fabricated into individual integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps among them are fabricated into a single integrated circuit module for implementation. As such, the present invention is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and changes. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. one kind is inserted content distributing network CDN processing method, it is characterized in that, comprising:

Insert CDN upstream CDN report the service quality QoS ability parameter of described access CDN, wherein, described QoS ability parameter is used for described upstream CDN and is chosen as the user according to described QoS ability parameter and provides the access CDN of the content service that QoS ensures as downstream CDN;

Described downstream CDN carries out QoS control according to the QoS information of the described content requests correspondence of obtaining from described upstream CDN after the content requests that receives from end subscriber.

2. method according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described downstream CDN carries out QoS control according to the QoS information of the described content requests correspondence of obtaining from described upstream CDN and comprises:

Described downstream CDN sends described QoS information to strategy and billing function entity PCRF;

Described PCRF carries out QoS control according to described QoS information.

3. method according to claim 2 is characterized in that, described downstream CDN sends described QoS information and comprises to PCRF:

Described downstream CDN sends described QoS information to PCRF by Rx interface.

4. method according to claim 3 is characterized in that, described downstream CDN sends described QoS information by Rx interface and comprises to PCRF:

Described downstream CDN is carried on described QoS information in the Diameter message, sends to PCRF by described Rx interface.

5. method according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described downstream CDN carries out according to the QoS information of the described content requests correspondence of obtaining from described upstream CDN also comprising before the QoS control:

Described downstream CDN receives the metadata information that described upstream CDN sends, and carries the QoS information of described content requests correspondence in the described metadata information, and wherein, the QoS information of described content requests correspondence is the application layer qos parameter of described content.

6. method according to claim 5 is characterized in that, described downstream CDN receive that described upstream CDN sends with described metadata information request metadata corresponding information response before, also comprise:

The CDN that described upstream CDN swims from it or the CSP of content service provider obtain the described QoS information of described content requests correspondence.

7. method according to claim 1 is characterized in that, access CDN upstream CDN reports the service quality QoS ability parameter of described access CDN to comprise:

Described access CDN reports the QoS ability parameter of described access CDN to described upstream CDN by the RRI interface.

8. method according to claim 1 is characterized in that, access CDN upstream CDN reports before the service quality QoS ability parameter of described access CDN, also comprises:

Described access CDN receives the request message for the QoS ability parameter that obtains described access CDN from described upstream CDN.

9. according to each described method in the claim 1 to 8, it is characterized in that described QoS ability parameter comprises: the QoS control ability that described access CDN possesses.

10. one kind is inserted content distributing network CDN processing unit, is arranged in and inserts CDN, it is characterized in that, comprising:

Reporting module, be used for the service quality QoS ability parameter that CDN upstream reports described access CDN, wherein, described QoS ability parameter is used for described upstream CDN and is chosen as the user according to described QoS ability parameter and provides the access CDN of the content service that QoS ensures as downstream CDN;

Receiver module is used for receiving the content requests from end subscriber;

Control module is used for carrying out QoS control according to the QoS information of the described content requests correspondence of obtaining from described upstream CDN.

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