Origin request with peer fulfillment

Abstract

A method of servicing content requests in a CDN may include receiving a request for content from a first client device, identifying content associated with the content request, identifying a second client device that stores the content, identifying a CDN storage location that also stores the content, determining whether the second client device is authorized to source the content to the first client device, and selecting a source for the content. The source for the content may be selected from the storage location associated with the CDN and the second client device. The source for the content may be selected based on one or more CDN policies. The method may also include initiating a transfer of the at least a portion of the content from the second client device to the first client device if the second client device is selected as the source for the content.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer implemented method of servicing content requests in a Content Delivery Network (CDN), the method comprising:
 receiving, at a server in the CDN, a request for content from a first client device;   identifying content associated with the content request;   identifying a second client device that is in communication with the CDN, wherein the second client device stores at least a part of the content;   identifying a storage location associated with the CDN that also stores the at least a portion of the content;   determining, at the server, whether the second client device is authorized to source the at least a portion of the content to the first client device;   selecting, at the server, a source for the content to be provided to the first client device in response to the request for content, wherein:
 the source for the content is selected from the group consisting of:
 the storage location associated with the CDN, wherein the storage location associated with the CDN comprises an edge server; and 
 the second client device, wherein the second client device is selected from among a plurality of client devices based on the one or more CDN policies; and 
 
 the source for the content is selected based on one or more CDN policies; 
   determining whether the first client device is authorized to receive the content based at least partly on the identity of the first client device and the one or more CDN policies;   initiating a transfer of the at least a portion of the content from the second client device to the first client device if the second client device is selected as the source for the content; and   initiating a transfer of the at least a portion of the content from the storage location associated with the CDN to the first client device if the storage location associated with the CDN is selected as the source for the content.