Patents Assigned to Level 3 Communication, LLC
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Publication number: 20210224244Abstract: A data system is provided for analyzing and maintaining data obtained from one or more data sources on which the data system depends. The system includes a primary database including current values used by the system and a collection of executable algorithms used to generate the data maintained in the primary database. In response to receiving a notification regarding a change in one of the data sources, a dependency database is used to establish an execution order for algorithms of the algorithm collection that are directly or indirectly dependent on the changed data. The algorithms identified in the execution order are then executed in accordance with the execution order and the corresponding result is stored in the primary database. The system may include data harvesters adapted to recognize changes in the data sources and to generate and transmit corresponding change notifications when such changes occur.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: William Gray, Binchao Chen, Steven D. Meyer
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Publication number: 20210224283Abstract: In an embodiment, a method monitors a plurality of data streams passing through a router in the connectivity service provider environment, and for each of the data streams, periodically samples packets at the router. The method further generates a stream signature based at least on the payload of the sampled packets. The method further includes, for each generated stream signature, attaching information to the stream signature. Such information may, for example, include time-stamp information for the stream signature, or an identification of the router. The method may further comprise storing the stream signatures corresponding to the data streams in a database. The stored stream signatures may be compared to determine matching stream signatures. Matching signatures may identify data streams that carry identical or similar content.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Sergey Yermakov, Travis Ewert
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Publication number: 20210226704Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for an optical domain controller for managing and maintaining a record of network component configuration and interconnections. The optical domain controller detects changes in a configuration of optical network elements in response to a requested service from the network, coordinates additional changes in configurations to optical network elements that may be affected by the detected change, communicates with the optical network elements to incorporate the changes to the configurations of the network element, and stores the configurations and states of the network elements. The use of the optical domain controller may thus replace or supplement a database storing network configuration information by automatically managing changes to the network as new services are instantiated directly on the optical network elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: William Feight, Tara Joseph-Labrie, James M. Adkins, III, Clyde David Cooper, III
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Patent number: 11070460Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems for providing multiple egress routes from a telecommunications network for a client of the network. In general, the system provides for a client of the network to receive intended packets of information through multiple connections to the network such that load balancing and failover services for traffic to the customer are provided. The process and system allows for telecommunications network to utilize a common next-hop value of announced border gateway protocol (BGP) routes to advertise multiple routes to reach a destination customer network or address. By utilizing a common next-hop value in the announced BGP information, the devices of the network may load balance communication packets to the destination customer or address among the multiple egress locations from the network, as well as providing fast failover to alternate routes when a failure at the network or customer occurs.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Francis Ferguson, Eric Osborne, Clyde David Cooper, III, Brent W. Smith
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Patent number: 11070896Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for a configurable optical peering fabric to dynamically create a connection between participant sites without any physical site limitations or necessity of specialized client and network provider equipment being located within such a facility. Client sites to a network may connect to a configurable switching element to be interconnected to other client sites in response to a request to connect the first client site with a second site, also connected to network, via the switching element. A request may trigger verification of the requested and, upon validation, transmission of an instruction to the switching element to enable the cross connect within the switching element. The first site and the second site may thus be interconnected via the switching element in response to the request, without the need to co-locate equipment or to manually install a jumper between client equipment.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Laurel Clark, Clyde David Cooper, III, Andrew Dugan
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Patent number: 11063875Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include a content delivery network (CDN) for delivering content associated with a plurality of different types of applications/devices. Using a CDN flow application, a plurality of network flow parameters are generated for content delivery unique to different types of applications or devices. The network flow parameters include customized data transmission rates. The network flow parameters include predetermined settings for transmission control protocol (TCP) connections between the CDN and devices using a TCP flow control mechanism. Upon receiving a content request, the CDN fulfills the content request based upon first network flow parameters. The network flow parameters may be adjusted for each of the plurality of different types of applications/devices. The network flow parameters may be generated based upon requests or based upon the performance of each of the plurality of applications/devices.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2019Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Joseph C. Lawrence, William R. Power
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Publication number: 20210211496Abstract: Examples described herein relate to systems and methods for storing content items. The methods may be implemented by a computer comprising a processor, primary storage device, secondary storage, device and network interface. The primary storage device may receive, via the network interface, a plurality of content items responsive to respective requests from clients. The plurality of content items may be distributed, via the network interface, from the primary storage device to clients responsive to the respective requests from the clients. The processor may generate a dynamic priority list for the content items based on the respective requests from the clients over time, and may write, based on the dynamic priority list, only a subset of the content items to the secondary storage device.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2020Publication date: July 8, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventor: William CROWDER
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Patent number: 11057452Abstract: A content delivery network with at least one first content server bound to a first domain associated with a first characteristic (e.g., popular) associated with content servable from the content delivery network. The content delivery network includes at least one second content server bound to a second domain associated with a second characteristic (e.g., unpopular) associated with content servable from the content delivery network. At least one processing device including computer executable instructions for receiving a request to provide an embedded resource including either a first host name associated with the first domain or a second host name associated with the second domain.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2018Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Christopher Newton, William R. Power
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Publication number: 20210203630Abstract: A DNS resolution request for a hostname of a CDN is received. An edge server of the CDN may be identified, which may be associated with a subnet. The subnet is used to generate a response IP address, where the remaining bits of the response IP address may be used to store requestor information (e.g., a requestor IP address). When a client computing device uses the response IP address to access the edge server, requestor information is extracted and associated with client computing device information (e.g., an IP address and/or location, etc.) in an association record. Association records may be used to determine predicted characteristics for devices served by a requestor. When the authoritative DNS server resolves a request from the requestor, such predicted characteristics may be used rather than relying solely on information about a requestor. Thus, an edge server proximate to the predicted location may be returned instead.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2020Publication date: July 1, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventor: Kevin Johns
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Publication number: 20210194812Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for controlling a congestion window (CWND) value of a communication session of a CDN. In particular, a content server may analyze a request to determine or receive an indication of the type of content being requested. The content server may then set the initial CWND based on the type of content being requested. For example, the content server may set a relatively high CWND value for requested content that is not particularly large, such as image files or text, so that the data of the content is received at the client device quickly. For larger files or files that a have a determined smaller urgency, the initial CWND may be set at a lower value to ensure that providing the data of the content does not congest the link between the devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2021Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventor: Joelle T. Maslak
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Publication number: 20210194981Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for providing failover and load clustering features to one or more proxy servers of a content delivery network (CDN). In one embodiment, one or more proxy servers may announce a virtual host internet protocol (IP) and, to provide a failover feature, two or more of the proxy servers may also announce a more generic virtual network IP address that includes a broader range of IP addresses associated with the virtual network IP address. In another embodiment, each of the proxy servers in communication with the router may announce a generic IP network address to the router. In response to receiving a request for content from an end user of the CDN, the router may select a proxy server and load balance the received requests among the proxy servers.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2021Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: William R. Power, Paul K. McDonnell
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Publication number: 20210194813Abstract: A quality of service management system includes a rules engine that receives information associated with a communication path having an assigned quality of service (QoS) to be provided for a customer communication device, and identifies one or more network elements assigned to provide the communication path. Each network element having a plurality of queues configured to provide varying QoS levels relative to one another. For each of the network elements, the rules engine determines at least one queue that is configured to provide the communication path at the assigned quality of service, and transmits queue information associated with the determined queue to its respective network element, the network element conveying the communication path through the determined queue.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2021Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Marcus Hadavi, James Ryan
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Patent number: 11044172Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems and methods for a service activation system in a telecommunications network that utilizes one or more generic container files for building the configuration file to instantiate the service on the network. A request for service from a network may be received from an order entry system that includes specific information about the requested service. A collection of generic configuration files may be selected based on the information included in the service order and arranged to build a configuration file to be executed on the network. The service activation system may also include a component or group of components to verify a received service order and alter the service order with default information or data where applicable. The configuration file may also be executed on the network through one or more drivers communicating with the affected devices to configure the one or more network devices.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2020Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: James C. Dwyer, Michael L. Nyhus
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Publication number: 20210184956Abstract: Embodiments generally disclosed herein include a computer-implemented method for monitoring and correlating network traffic data associated with a primary network that is in communication with a plurality of secondary networks. The method generates a network traffic data set by monitoring network traffic between the primary network and the plurality of secondary networks. The method also determines a mapping of network connectivity by monitoring inter-network routing information between the primary network and the plurality of secondary networks. In addition, the method generates a traffic measurement data set by monitoring network utilization statistics between the primary network and the plurality of secondary networks. With the collected data sets, the method then calculates a relational network mapping between the primary network and the plurality of secondary networks by correlating the network traffic data set, the mapping of network connectivity, and the traffic measurement data set.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2021Publication date: June 17, 2021Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: John Kane, Joseph Lawrence, Maria Farnon, Rick Nooner, Raoul Alcala, Mark Taylor
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Patent number: 11038906Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying threats within a network include collecting network traffic data and providing the network traffic data to a classifier configured to identify patterns within the network traffic data consistent with malicious computing devices. The computing devices identified by the classifier are then validated to confirm whether they are, in fact, malicious. In one implementation, such validation is accomplished by interrogating suspected malicious computing devices with messages according to a particular communication protocol and determining whether corresponding responses received form the malicious computing devices are similarly in accordance with the communication protocol. In certain implementations, after identification and validation of a malicious computing device, an emulated computing device is used to continue communication with the malicious computing device and to log characteristics of such communications to further train the classifier.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2018Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Skyler J. Bingham, Thomas B. Boatwright, Jeffrey Bickford
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Patent number: 11039180Abstract: Systems and methods for providing multichannel video programming or content through a terrestrial fiber network of a telecommunications network. One or more high-quality content feeds may be provided to one or more replicator devices of the telecommunications network over a communication line. The replicator devices of the network then deliver one or more replicated content streams generated from the content feeds to any number of customers or receivers of the content also connected to the network. The replicators may be configured to, among other things, provide content streams according to a specific schedule, provide alternative content streams for particular customers or in response to particular events, or operate in conjunction with data analyzers for assessing the quality of the content stream or the reliability of the telecommunications network.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2018Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Jonathan Alexander, Ryan T. Korte
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Patent number: 11038780Abstract: A route viewing system includes a computing system that receives information associated with one or more routes through a network, and identifies the routes that are associated with at least one illicit user computer used by an illicit user. The computing system then obtains a source location of a source address of the routes and a destination location of a destination address of the routes, and displays the routes on a geographical display at the source location of the source address and the destination location of the destination address of each of the routes.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Michael Benjamin, Skyler J. Bingham, John S. Reynolds
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Patent number: 11038773Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve provisioning customers of an aggregator, such as a reseller, of a content delivery network (CDN). In one aspect, content requests to the CDN are processed in accordance with the virtual IP (VIP) address at which the request was received, according to a property template bound to the VIP where the template is selected by the customer and only involves discrete parameters for the reseller. In another aspect, cache fills of the network are processed without direct knowledge of the customer origin through a combination of some request attribute, e.g., alias host of the customer, and an attribute of the reseller to make a DNS request to a name server outside the CDN. Another aspect involves receiving a property template selection, an origin and an alias from a customer of the reseller, and providing appropriate DNS entries to validate the customer and provide origin information to the CDN.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventor: Christopher Newton
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Patent number: 11032138Abstract: Embodiments are provided for managing routes of data traffic within a network. The management may be performed via a graphical user interface that interacts with a Web server to update a configuration file. The configuration file can be converted to router management commands by a network management device (e.g., a BGP speaker). The commands can then be sent to a border routers for controlling network traffic. Embodiments are also provided for capturing and logging routing updates made in a network.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2015Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventor: Robert Smith
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Patent number: 11032387Abstract: A content delivery network has at least a first tier of servers. A content delivery method includes at a first server in the first tier of servers, obtaining a request from a client for a resource. If the resource is available at the first server or at a peer of the first server, then the resource is served to the client from the first server. Otherwise, it is determined whether the resource is popular, and if the resource is determined to be popular, then the first server obtains the resource and the first server serves the resource to the client. If the resource is determined not to be popular, the server contacts a second server to obtain the resource, not in the first tier of servers, and the second server provides the resource to the first server. The first server is instructed not to cache the unpopular content.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Christopher Newton, Kevin Johns, William R. Power