Managing shared applications at the edge of a content delivery network

Abstract

Disclosed herein are enhancements for deploying applications in an edge system of a communication network. In one implementation, a cache node in a content delivery network identifies a request for an application that is shared by a plurality of customers. In response to the request, the cache node determines whether the customer associated with the request is permitted to execute the application and, if permitted, initiates the application as an isolation instance. The cache node further, in response to completing the application, returns control to a source operation associated with the request.

1 - 20 . are (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computing apparatus comprising:
 a storage system comprising an application space;   a processing system operatively coupled to the storage system; and   program instructions stored on the storage system that, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:
 define the application space to comprise a runtime process, an application artifact, and a plurality of application nodes; 
 identify a request for execution of an application on an edge node of a network, wherein the application is shared amongst a plurality of customers; 
 initiate the runtime process, which is configured to:
 identify a first application node of the plurality of application nodes; 
 execute the application in the first application node according to the application artifact; and 
 in response to completing execution of the application, return operating control to a source operation. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The computing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the application artifact comprises native code for the application. 
     
     
         23 . The computing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the application artifact comprises configuration requirements for the application. 
     
     
         24 . The computing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the application artifact comprises global variables used by the application. 
     
     
         25 . The computing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the storage system comprises a data structure that defines that a subset of the plurality of customers is permitted access to the application. 
     
     
         26 . The computing apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the program instructions stored on the storage system, when executed by the processing system, further direct the processing system use the data structure to verify that a first customer, associated with the request, of the plurality of customers is one of the subset of the plurality of customers is permitted access to the application prior to initiating the runtime process. 
     
     
         27 . The computing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the application is configured to optimize data. 
     
     
         28 . The computing apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the application is configured to identify attributes associated with a user associated with the request. 
     
     
         29 . A method comprising:
 defining an application space to comprise a runtime process, an application artifact, and a plurality of application nodes;   identifying a request for execution of an application on an edge node of a network, wherein the application is shared amongst a plurality of customers;   initiating an isolation runtime process, which is configured to:
 identify a first application node of a plurality of application nodes; 
 execute the application in the first application node according to an application artifact; and 
 in response to completing execution of the application, return operating control to a source operation. 
   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the application artifact comprises native code for the application. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the application artifact comprises configuration requirements for the application. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the application artifact comprises global variables used by the application. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising consulting a data structure that defines that a subset of the plurality of customers is permitted access to the application. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising verifying that a first customer, associated with the request, of the plurality of customers is one of the subset of the plurality of customers is permitted access to the application prior to initiating the runtime process. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the application is configured to optimize data. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the application is configured to identify attributes associated with a user associated with the request.