Crowd based content delivery

Abstract

Crowd based content delivery is disclosed. In some embodiments, managing content delivery includes receiving a specification from a resource provider of an availability of a content delivery service at the resource provider, selecting the resource provider to service requests for a content item, facilitating caching of the content item at the resource provider, and redirecting a request for the content item to the resource provider for servicing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method for managing content delivery, comprising:
 receiving at a resource manager from a resource consumer desiring content delivery services a specification of a plurality of contracted content delivery networks (CDNs) and contract terms associated with each of the plurality of CDNs;   receiving a request for a content item published by the resource consumer;   selecting a CDN from the plurality of contracted CDNs based on contract terms associated with the CDN and an availability of the requested content item at the CDN; and   redirecting the request for the content item to the selected CDN for servicing.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein selecting a CDN comprises interrogating the CDN using a HEAD request for the content item to determine availability of the content item at the CDN. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the selected CDN comprises a caching proxy CDN. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising facilitating pre-fetching of the requested content item at the selected CDN in the event that the requested content item is determined to not be available at the selected CDN. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the requested content item is cached at the selected CDN in response to receiving the redirected request. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising monitoring an ability of the selected CDN to service requests for the content item. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the selected CDN is selected from the plurality of contracted CDNs because the selected CDN is able to service the request for the content item at a least cost to the resource consumer. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A system for managing content delivery, comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 receive from a resource consumer desiring content delivery services a specification of a plurality of contracted content delivery networks (CDNs) and contract terms associated with each of the plurality of CDNs; 
 receive a request for a content item published by the resource consumer; 
 select a CDN from the plurality of contracted CDNs based on contract terms associated with the CDN and an availability of the requested content item at the CDN; and 
 redirect the request for the content item to the selected CDN for servicing; and 
   a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.   
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A computer program product for managing content delivery, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
 receiving from a resource consumer desiring content delivery services a specification of a plurality of contracted content delivery networks (CDNs) and CDN contract terms associated with each of the plurality of CDNs;   receiving a request for a content item published by the resource consumer;   selecting a CDN from the plurality of contracted CDNs based on contract terms associated with the CDN and an availability of the requested content item at the CDN; and   redirecting the request for the content item to the selected CDN for servicing.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein to select a CDN comprises to interrogate the CDN using a HEAD request for the content item to determine availability of the content item at the CDN. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the selected CDN comprises a caching proxy CDN. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate pre-fetching of the requested content item at the selected CDN in the event that the requested content item is determined to not be available at the selected CDN. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the requested content item is cached at the selected CDN in response to receiving the redirected request. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the processor is further configured to monitor an ability of the selected CDN to service requests for the content item. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the selected CDN is selected from the plurality of contracted CDNs because the selected CDN is able to service the request for the content item at a least cost to the resource consumer. 
     
     
         32 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein selecting a CDN comprises interrogating the CDN using a HEAD request for the content item to determine availability of the content item at the CDN. 
     
     
         33 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein the selected CDN comprises a caching proxy CDN. 
     
     
         34 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , further comprising computer instructions for facilitating pre-fetching of the requested content item at the selected CDN in the event that the requested content item is determined to not be available at the selected CDN. 
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein the requested content item is cached at the selected CDN in response to receiving the redirected request. 
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , further comprising computer instructions for monitoring an ability of the selected CDN to service requests for the content item. 
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein the selected CDN is selected from the plurality of contracted CDNs because the selected CDN is able to service the request for the content item at a least cost to the resource consumer.