Management of edge dictionaries in a content delivery network

Abstract

Described herein are enhancements for operating cache nodes in a content delivery network to synchronize edge dictionary configurations. In at least one implementation, a cache node of a content delivery network receives a content request from an end user device. In response to the request, the cache node identifies a modification to a key-value pair of an edge dictionary, wherein the edge dictionary comprises a reference key-value function for a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) accelerator service. The method further provides generating a modified version of the edge dictionary based on the modification, and transferring a notification of the modification to at least one other cache node in the content delivery network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a content delivery network with a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
 in a first node, receiving a first content request from an end user device;   executing an HTTP accelerator file in response to receiving the first content request, wherein the HTTP accelerator file, when executed, calls an original edge dictionary to determine an action to take in response to the first content request;   updating the original edge dictionary to produce a modified edge dictionary;   in a second node, receiving a second content request from the end user device;   executing the HTTP accelerator file in response to receiving the second content request, wherein the HTTP accelerator file, when executed, calls the modified edge dictionary to determine an action to take in response to the second content request.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of updating the original edge dictionary occurs in the first node, and further comprising communicating, from the first node to the second node, the updates to the original edge dictionary used to produce the modified edge dictionary. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , the step of updating the original edge dictionary is at least in part based on the first content request. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the original edge dictionary comprises a plurality of key-value pairs, where at least a first key in the plurality of key-value pairs corresponds to a portion of the first content request, and the value corresponding to the first key indicates the action to take in response to the first content request. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the modified edge dictionary comprises a plurality of key-value pairs, where at least a first key in the plurality of key-value pairs corresponds to a portion of the first content request, and the value corresponding to the first key indicates the action to take in response to the first content request. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the original edge dictionary comprises a permissions table function with a plurality of device identifiers corresponding to a plurality of end user devices and values associated with content permissions for the plurality of end user devices. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein updating the original edge dictionary comprises:
 determining that the first node does not have content permissions data for the end user device;   requesting content permissions data for the end user device from an origin server; and   adding the device identifier corresponding to the end user device and the content permissions data corresponding to the end user device to the original edge dictionary.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein updating the original edge dictionary comprises:
 determining that the first node has content permissions data for the end user device;   determining that the content permissions data for the end user device should be changed; and   changing content permissions data corresponding to the end user device in the original edge dictionary.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein updating original edge dictionary comprises:
 receiving a first communication indicating that the original edge dictionary should be modified, the first communication comprising a first time stamp;   receiving a second communication indicating that the original edge dictionary should be modified, the second communication comprising a second time stamp;   determining that the first time stamp is later than the second time stamp; and   modifying the original edge dictionary according to the first communication.   
     
     
         10 . A network with a plurality of nodes, comprising:
 a first node configured to:
 receive a content request from an end user device; 
 execute an HTTP accelerator file in response to receiving the first content request, wherein the HTTP accelerator file, when executed, calls an original edge dictionary to determine an action to take in response to the first content request; 
 update the original edge dictionary to produce a modified edge dictionary; 
 communicate the updates to the original edge dictionary used to produce the modified edge dictionary to a second node, 
   the second node configured to:
 update a second node original edge dictionary to produce a second node modified dictionary; 
 receive a second content request from the end user device; 
 execute the HTTP accelerator file in response to receiving the second content request, wherein the HTTP accelerator file, when executed, calls the second node modified edge dictionary to determine an action to take in response to the second content request. 
   
     
     
         11 . The network of  claim 10 , wherein updating the original edge dictionary is at least in part based on the first content request. 
     
     
         12 . The network of  claim 10  wherein the original edge dictionary comprises a plurality of key-value pairs, where at least a first key in the plurality of key-value pairs corresponds to a portion of the first content request, and the value corresponding to the first key indicates the action to take in response to the first content request. 
     
     
         13 . The network of  claim 10  wherein the modified edge dictionary comprises a plurality of key-value pairs, where at least a first key in the plurality of key-value pairs corresponds to a portion of the first content request, and the value corresponding to the first key indicates the action to take in response to the first content request. 
     
     
         14 . The network of  claim 10  wherein the original edge dictionary comprises a permissions table function with a plurality of device identifiers corresponding to a plurality of end user devices and values associated with content permissions for the plurality of end user devices. 
     
     
         15 . The network of  claim 14 , wherein the first node is further configured to:
 determine that the first node does not have content permissions data for the end user device;   request content permissions data for the end user device from an origin server; and   add the device identifier corresponding to the end user device and the content permissions data corresponding to the end user device to the original edge dictionary.   
     
     
         16 . The network of  claim 14 , wherein the first node is further configured to:
 determine that the first node has content permissions data for the end user device;   determine that the content permissions data for the end user device should be changed; and   change content permissions data corresponding to the end user device in the original edge dictionary.   
     
     
         17 . The network of  claim 10 , wherein the first node is further configured to:
 receive a first communication indicating that the original edge dictionary should be modified, the first communication comprising a first time stamp;   receive a second communication indicating that the original edge dictionary should be modified, the second communication comprising a second time stamp;   determine that the first time stamp is later than the second time stamp; and   modify the original edge dictionary according to the first communication.   
     
     
         18 . A method of operating a content delivery network with a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
 receiving a first content request from an end user device, the content request for content from a first content provider;   executing an HTTP accelerator file in response to receiving the first content request, wherein the HTTP accelerator file, when executed, calls an original edge dictionary to determine an action to take in response to the first content request;   updating the original edge dictionary to produce a modified edge dictionary;   receiving a second content request from the end user device, the content request for content from a second content provider;   executing the HTTP accelerator file in response to receiving the second content request, wherein the HTTP accelerator file, when executed, calls a second provider original edge dictionary to determine an action to take in response to the second content request.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising wherein the original edge dictionary comprises a permissions table function for the first service provider, with a plurality of device identifiers corresponding to a plurality of end user devices and values associated with content permissions for the plurality of end user devices. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein updating the original edge dictionary comprises:
 determining that the first node does not have content permissions data for the end user device with respect to the first service provider;   requesting content permissions data for the end user device from an origin server corresponding to the first service provider; and   adding the device identifier corresponding to the end user device and the content permissions data corresponding to the end user device with respect to the first service provider to the original edge dictionary.