Abstract: Providing media content includes receiving a request from a client for a portion of a selected media file in a streaming server at a streaming tier in a multi-tiered architecture for media content storage and streaming; streaming the requested portion of the selected media file to the client directly from the streaming server if the selected media file is stored on the streaming server; and streaming the requested portion of the selected media file to the client from the streaming server by reverse proxy to at least one server of a storage tier in the multi-tiered architecture if the media file is not stored on the streaming server.

Abstract: A method allowing for fast mapping between a content identifier (ID) for a media content file and the file path of said media content file includes: dividing a plurality of characters making up the contend ID into a plurality of ordered subsections separated by a separator character, correlating at least one of the subsections with a directory in an electronic file system, and correlating the last of the subsections with a name of the media content file, the media content file being located within a directory correlated with a preceding subsection.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for improved distribution of content on a communication network. The system and method are adapted to receive a video request message from a client, identify a location of the client, identify a location of one or more overlay nodes nearest to the client, identify a location of one or more network servers nearest to the client, generate network organization information, and publish the network organization information to at least the client.