An ISP's Edge in the CDN Game?

我们之前已经写过这个主题:允许互联网服务提供商(ISP)或有线电视运营商(MSO)——甚至是传统电信运营商——快速引入增值内容交付网络(CDN)服务的解决方案.

Previous 文章 have dealt with two different approaches. The first is the use of media servers such as Wowza的媒体服务器2, which provides protocol (wrapper) conversion from a generic H.264 stream, allowing playback of the same stream on multiple players. The second is covered by products such as VideoExchange (VDO-X) that is licensed by Jet Stream BV, 一家总部位于荷兰的公司向“任何拥有IP网络的人”提供服务，希望建立自己的CDN. 这两种解决方案都使用白盒或通用服务器，然后用适当的媒体服务器软件填充解决方案.

A third model is being added to the mix in a joint solution championed by MediaMelon公司., Edgeware AB.

Edgeware's video appliances sit-as the name implies-at the edge of the network. The company has been a known quantity in the industry for some time, but MediaMelon is somewhat new, 通过其两项产品/服务:MediaMelonDirect和MediaCloud，自称是“管理跨多个服务器和网络的媒体交付的基于云的服务提供商”. 前者的目标是希望将内容发送给各种cdn的媒体公司, while MediaCloud offers a hosted solution for 互联网服务提供商, 美索 and telecoms that want to start their own CDN.

两家公司宣布，他们的联合解决方案——Edgeware的网络电视服务器与MediaCloud的软件即服务(SaaS)解决方案的集成——将面向电信行业, 互联网服务提供商, mso和数据中心, I asked how the joint hosted service and specialized appliance model might work.

The first question centered on Edgeware's software technologies. 当被问及Edgeware的软件技术是否会被MediaMelon的技术所取代时, since both approach the core-edge scenario a bit differently, 两家公司都同意了, expanded a bit upon the answer.

对于这个联合解决方案, Edgeware disables its own asset propagation system which uses FTP or HTTP caching,Jon Haley说。, Edgeware's VP of business development for WebTV and over-the-top (OTT). “我们已经成功地用我们的第一代设备提供了围墙花园的UDP IPTV交付, then moved to TCP delivery for our second-generation WebTV product, 但我们认为MediaMelon的确定性算法是提高我们网络电视产品线渗透率的下一步."

"The MediaCloud service pushes and manages content at the appropriate Edgeware nodes,Kumar Subramanian补充道, founder and CEO of Media Melon, "and then tracks performance for each of those nodes for every view of the content. 然后，这些“浏览者体验”数据用于优化来自同一地区或ISP的后续内容请求的交付."

其次, 请记住之前的文章，其中指出，一个通用的白盒与适当的媒体服务器软件的概念是互联网服务提供商的好消息, 美索, telecoms looking to move into CDN offerings, 我向两家公司询问了传统cdn，甚至更专业的在线视频平台(ovp)的预期反应。.

"Ad-funded OTT services don't make money (YouTube being an example),埃奇韦尔的哈利说, "and consumers are not prepared to pay premium rates for subscription OTT services."

"The issue, as we see it, is unreliable quality," he added. “为了让cdn在互联网上提供一致的DVD/蓝光和广播质量的视频, they have to collaborate with the other middle- and last-mile delivery networks, 比如电信, 美索, 和互联网服务提供商, so the CDN optimizes up to the peering point with these networks, 减少传输和跳数，但本地运营商必须处理饱和问题."

联邦方法
“我们认为MediaMelon/Edgeware联合解决方案将允许MSO/ISP内容交付解决方案与现有的cdn在适当的情况下联合起来," said MediaMelon's Subramanian. "美索 和互联网服务提供商 are in a unique position to deliver a better user experience, but the face the opposite problem of a CDN, in that they are limited by their network footprint."

这种联合方法, according to both companies, is key to integrating robust, 高质量的最后一英里配送与边缘的“非网络”配送相结合.

"The tension between the access lines and the core network,哈利补充道。, 这意味着cdn需要说服本地运营商让他们把缓存服务器放在这些核心网络的边缘，或者他们需要与运营商自己的服务器联合, 当地CDN. We think the latter is the next generation model."

MediaMelon的首席执行官简要概述了交付模式，包括联合挑战.

“我们的多源交付和‘用户体验’路由从最合适的服务器管理内容, in this case an Edgeware server,萨勃拉曼尼亚说, "based on actual performance from each user. 我们收集客户端信息，并将其与各种交付源交叉引用，以选择如何在媒体交付的时间内路由内容. 这意味着视频的第一部分可以从一个网络上的一个缓存盒中播放, 而同一视频文件的后一部分将从完全不同的缓存盒或网络中播放. Unlike older CDN models that serve an entire file from a single location, 我们利用这种实时性能利用来自不同位置的数据流块."

"One of the bigger challenges, 虽然, is brought about by original CDN approach,萨勃拉曼尼亚继续说道, 在这种情况下，容量池被过度配置，试图在全球范围内提供媒体内容, rather than use a federated approach. We think scalability will come from a federated model, giving service providers the opportunity to instantly broader their reach."

“想想英国电信(BT)如何被视为或努力成为英国最好的CDN," Subramanian said when asked for a theoretical example. "With all their capacity within the UK, they have limited footprint outside of the UK. 为了从总部位于英国的媒体公司那里获取收入——这些媒体公司自己也在努力接触到英国以外的全球受众——英国电信需要向服务于全球受众的英国公司提供出版平台，同时还能降低英国电信自己的交付成本.

"So how to do this without setting up their own CDN in all the targeted countries?他接着说. “一种模式可能是BGP, but that only looks at the closest user, while the MediaMelon approach-with its ability to deliver chunks from multiple locations, 是否可以测量来自不同节点的性能，并使用多个Edgeware设备从多个位置提供视频流, regardless of which network they reside on."

最后, 我问，拟议的联合解决方案是否有可能阻碍电信公司或mso在过去几年中作为其内部重点的交付解决方案的内部开发. 

"While an off-the shelf solution can dramatically reduce time to market and R&D投资,埃奇韦尔的海耶斯说, “联合解决方案还实现了高度差异化的CDN产品，这是标准服务器和基于DNS的会话路由所无法实现的. 在过去的十年里, 运营商已经转向现成的解决方案来交付他们自己的IPTV电视和视频服务——比如Edgeware提供的UDP解决方案——因此，这种网络电视的联合方法将扩展到视频CDN服务以交付其他OTT服务，这是合乎逻辑的."

“能够更快、更灵活地部署视频CDN服务是电信行业的关键, 美索 和互联网服务提供商 choosing our joint solution,萨勃拉曼尼亚说. "With the MediaCloud Overlay, a provider could add delivery nodes, such as those from Edgeware, to existing internal developments, offering larger capabilities at for a much lower capital outlay. MediaCloud offers the capability for telcos/美索 to create/manage the delivery network, 随着时间的推移在内部添加交付源，也可以通过MediaCloud提供的联合模型将CDN网络扩展到电信或MSO的区域足迹之外."