Automatic content replication

Abstract

Content can be replicated automatically to facilitate distribution of the content to one or more devices. Determinations can be made automatically regarding where to replicate data, how to replicate data, and when to replicate data based on a variety of collected data with respect to devices, content servers, content sources, and content. More particularly, one or more content servers can be identified as targets for content replication and a protocol can be determined to replicate content from at least one source to the one or more content servers identified. Subsequently, replication can be initiated to the one or more content servers with the corresponding protocol at a determined time. Further, similar mechanisms can be employed to enable automatic determination of how and when to distribute or replicate content from one or more content servers to one or more target devices.

1 . A method performed by a system comprising at least one processor coupled to memory storing machine-executable instructions, which, when executed, control the system to perform acts comprising:
 receiving identification of content and a set of target devices prior to distribution of the content to the set of target devices;   selecting one or more content servers to target automatically, from one or more available content servers, in response to the identification of the content and set of target devices, based on configuration of the one or more available content servers and network latency; and   initiating automatic replication to the one or more selected content servers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises selecting the one or more content servers based on the content. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprises selecting the one or more content servers based the set of target devices. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises selecting the one or more content servers based on one or more of distance between a content source and the one or more available content servers or distance between one or more available content servers and the set of target devices. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises selecting the one or more content servers based on a roaming pattern of at least one device in the set of target devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises selecting the one or more content servers based on one or more user specified constraints. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises automatically determining a protocol to replicate content from a source to the one or more content servers selected. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprises determining the protocol based on at least one of number of content servers selected, location of the content servers, or quality of a communication link between a content source and the one or more content servers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprises initiating replication of the content to the one or more content servers with the protocol determined for the one or more content servers automatically. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprises determining when to initiate replication of the content based one or more of a deadline, past performance, or content priority. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises automatically determining a protocol and time to distribute the content from the one or more content servers to the set of target devices. 
     
     
         12 . A system, comprising:
 a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that when executed perform acts comprising:   analyzing content distribution system resources including devices and content servers, and network latency; and   identifying one or more content servers to target automatically for duplicate content to enable efficient distribution of content to a set of target devices based on results of analysis of the content distribution system resources and network latency.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  further comprises identifying one or more protocols for content replication for the one or more content servers identified automatically based on at least one of number of the one or more content servers identified, location of the one or more content servers relative to each other, or quality of a communication link between a content source and the one or more content servers. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  further comprises initiating replication of content with the one or more protocols on the one or more content servers identified based on at least one of deadline, past performance, or roaming pattern of one or more target devices of the set of target devices. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprises assigning to available content servers at least one of an initial weight based on content server configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12  further comprises assigning to available content servers a specific weight based on the content to be distributed and the set of target devices. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that enable at least one processor to perform a content replication method upon execution of the instructions, the method comprising:
 receiving identification of content and a set of target devices, specified by a user, prior to distribution of the content to the set of target devices;   identifying one or more content servers to target for replicated content automatically, in response to identification of the content and the set of target devices, based on network latency between content sources and servers;   determining a protocol to replicate the content from one or more content sources to the one or more content servers; and   determining when to initiate content replication to the one or more content servers in accordance with the protocol; and   initiating content replication from the one or more content sources to the one or more the one or more content servers identified with the protocol determined at a time determined.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , the method further comprises identifying the one or more content servers to target automatically based on at least one of location of one or more available content servers, configuration of one or more available content servers, the content, or target devices. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , the method further comprises determining the protocol automatically based on at least one of number of the one or more content servers identified, location of the one or more content servers identified, or quality of a communication link between the content source and the one or more content servers. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , the method further comprises determining when to initiate content replication automatically based on at least one of a deadline, past performance, or content priority.