Abstract: There is described a method for determining a play duration estimate of an adaptive bit rate (ABR) media presentation. The method comprises receiving at a network entity a media playlist manifest file of the media presentation, wherein the manifest file is transmitted from a content server to a client and comprises a plurality of entries, each entry linking to a respective different one of a plurality of media segments of the media presentation. The method further comprises determining a data size of the manifest file; and determining a play duration estimate of the media presentation based on the determined data size of the manifest file, a first value that represents a data size of each of the plurality of entries in the manifest file and a second value that represents a play duration of each media segment of the plurality of media segments of the media presentation.

Abstract: There is described an apparatus for a base station in a radio access network. The apparatus is configured to detect a change in a radio network congestion status associated with a cell or cell sector of the base station that is being used to serve a mobile device, the change being a change to a given one of a plurality of possible radio congestion levels. The apparatus starts a packet modification process to modify one or more packets in each of one or more uplink data flows from the mobile device to a core network of the radio access network, the one or more packets in each of the one or more uplink data flows being modified by the packet modification process to signal, to a server in the core network, the change in congestion status to the given one of the plurality of possible radio congestion levels.

Abstract: A method of data replication in a distributed storage system of a mobile communications network is disclosed. The distributed storage system comprises a plurality of geographically separated storage locations. The method comprises, at a first storage location: receiving a first request for data stored in the distributed storage system; determining, based on the first request, further, different, data to be stored at the first storage location; determining a second, different, storage location, of the plurality of storage locations, at which the determined further data is stored; sending, to the determined second storage location, a replication request for replicating the determined further data; receiving, in response to the replication request, the further data; and storing the further data such that the further data is replicated at the first storage location in advance of a further request for the further data being received at the first storage location. Apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is presented a method and apparatus for controlling secure communications in a communications network. An intermediate network element (INE) receives a request from a client to establish a secure connection between the client and a first server. The received request is analysed to determine a client identifier. The INE determines, based on the client identifier whether to attempt to establish a secure connection between the client and the INE. Responsive to a determination not to attempt to establish a connection, the received request is forwarded on to a second server. Responsive to a determination to attempt to establish a connection, a message comprising information for the client to use in establishing a secure connection with the INE is sent to the client.

Abstract: There is described a method for classifying a dataflow being downloaded to a client over a data network from at least a first server as being a live Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) stream. The method is implemented by an intermediate network entity between the client and the at least a first server in the data network. The method comprises monitoring a sequence of requests sent from the client and a corresponding sequence of responses sent to the client that pass through intermediate network entity in respect of the dataflow. The monitoring comprises measuring a data size of each response in the sequence of responses and determining, based on the monitoring, that the sequence of responses comprises a pattern of responses that is consistent with that expected of a live ABR stream. The dataflow is the classified in response to said determining, as being a live Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) stream.

Abstract: A network device transparently intercepts HTTP transmissions between a user device and a web server. The network device stores user preference information, which allows the intermediate network device to apply the user preference information to retrieved content that is directed to the user's mobile device.

Abstract: There is described a method for controlling bandwidth between a client and a content server in a data network. The method is implemented by an intermediate network entity that is between the client and the content server in the data network. A dataflow between the content server and the client is monitored and based on the monitoring, the dataflow is categorized as being an Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) streaming dataflow that comprises segments of media data of a particular quality variant of a plurality of quality variants potentially available at the content server. A different quality variant of the plurality of quality variants is selected as a target quality variant and a bandwidth value is determined to apply to the dataflow to try to cause the client to request segments of media data of the target quality variant for the dataflow. The determined bandwidth value is applied to the dataflow.

Abstract: There is disclosed methods, apparatus, and computer programs relating to a Software Defined Network (SDN) for use in a communication network. The SDN acts as an entity in a first service chain of entities through which a data flow is routable by another SDN in the communication network. The first service chain comprises one or more service applications each for performing a service on data from the data flow at a logical layer in the communication network associated with that service application. The SDN routes data from the data flow received at the SDN through a second service chain comprising one or more SDN service applications. An SDN service application of the second service chain is for performing a service on data from the data flow at a higher logical layer within the communication network than is a service application of the first service chain.

Abstract: There are provided apparatuses and methods for providing user information stored at an access network to a content provider, the access network for providing a user device with access to the internet, the user information relating to a user of an application module stored on the user device, the user device for requesting and receiving content from a said content provider. A request for an identifier for the user device to use when requesting content from a content provider is received at an access network, which generates and transmits an identifier to the user device. A request from the content provider for user information is received at the access network, the request comprising the generated identifier. The access network obtains user information based on the identifier and transmits, to the content provider, the obtained user information.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method of managing connections in a communication network. A first and second packet are received from a third entity intermediate to a first and second entity in the communication network. The first packet and the second packet are used to establish a third transport protocol socket and a fourth transport protocol socket at a fourth entity. Header field re-valuing information is established based at least in part on first header field value information obtained from the first packet and/or second header field value information obtained from the second packet. Header field values in a subsequent received packet are re-valued based on the header field re-valuing information, either prior to the subsequent packet being input to the third transport protocol socket or the fourth transport protocol socket or subsequent to the subsequent packet being output from the third transport protocol socket or the fourth transport protocol socket.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer programs are provided for determining header data for and based on a plurality of messages. Each message comprises header data having a plurality of fields each of which has a value. A first message is received and data indicative of at least some of the header data of the first message is stored. A second message is received and a value for at least one given field associated with header data for the second message is determined based at least on the stored data and the header data of the second message. The determined value is other than a value of the given field of the second message.

Abstract: A method for categorizing a downloading of a resource to a user device from a resource server in a data network is provided. Data of one or more Layer 7 protocol requests from the client device is received at an intermediate server in the data network. The intermediate server forwards the data of each of the one or more Layer 7 protocol requests to the resource server and receives data of one or more Layer 7 protocol responses from the resource server, each Layer 7 protocol response corresponding to a respective one of the Layer 7 protocol requests. The intermediate server categorizes the downloading of the resource to the client device as being one of one or more pre-defined download categories, based on a count of the one or more Layer 7 protocol responses and the determined sizes or estimated sizes of the one or more Layer 7 protocol responses.

Abstract: There is described a system for modifying messages having an archive format in a communications network, the communications network comprising a first network device, a second network device and a third network device. The system comprises receiving, at the first network device, a message, the message sent from the second network device for receipt by the third network device; selectively modifying, at the first network device, content of the received message that is in an archive format, based on a determination that the content can be optimized, sending the received message with the optimized content to the third network device.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program for congestion monitoring in a data network. The method comprises: determining, at a server in the data network, that a user device has initiated a data session with the data network; monitoring, at the server, a plurality of data flows associated with the data session to determine an average bandwidth of the plurality of data flows; and determining a congestion status of the data session based on the average bandwidth and one or more criteria.

Abstract: Methods, systems, devices and computer program products for modifying and processing host webpage data are described. The host webpage data intended for receipt by a browser which will interpret the host webpage data and generate a host webpage document therefrom. The host webpage data is modified using second and third webpage data before being sent to the browser. The second webpage data is arranged to cause a frame to be generated within the host webpage document, the generated frame comprising a second webpage document which is associated with a different domain to the host webpage document. Furthermore, the third webpage data is arranged to cause the browser to allow access to functionality of the host webpage document by the second webpage document which would otherwise be blocked.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer medium are provided for obtaining a required frame size for a first compressed data frame to be generated by compressing at least a first data frame of a media file, the first compressed data frame for use by a user equipment in a communications network. The method comprises, responsive to receiving a request for the media file from the user equipment, retrieving at least metadata of the media file. The required frame size for the first compressed data frame is determined based on a size of the at least a first data frame as indicated by the metadata, a compression parameter indicative of a requested compression factor for the at least a first data frame and a biasing factor that acts to reduce the effect of the requested compression factor.

Abstract: A database compression system includes and analyzer, a counting engine, and a mapping engine. The analyzer analyzes a schema of a database by maintaining a list of attributes and corresponding values. The analyzer also analyzes a selection of entries in the database. The counting engine determines a frequency of occurrence of each attribute/value pair in the selection of entries. The mapping engine assigns a condensed code to a character string determined on the basis of the attribute/value pair with a highest frequency of occurrence.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for maintaining a connection cache at an intermediate server, wherein the connection cache relating to resource requests from a plurality of devices to a plurality of servers remote therefrom. The method comprises monitoring resource requests addressed to a plurality of said remote servers during a first time period; generating statistics data on the basis of the monitored resource requests; establishing a plurality of connections from the intermediate server to a subset of the plurality of remote servers, said subset being determined on the basis of the generated statistics data; and storing data indicative of the plurality of established connections in a connection cache. Caching of connections in this manner ensures efficient use of proxy server resources by only caching connections to “popular” remote servers.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer medium are provided for encoding data of a media file for playback by a user equipment in a communications network. A request for a range of encoded data is received from the user equipment, the encoded data to be generated by encoding data from an original media file. The request for a range of encoded data is converted into a request for a range of original data from the original media file. The range of original data is retrieved and the range of original data is encoded to generate encoded data. The requested range of encoded data, from the generated encoded data, is provided to the user equipment.

Abstract: Mediation systems and methods for restricted access item distribution are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for facilitating payment from a user device for a restricted access item hosted by a host system is disclosed. In another embodiment, a system for facilitating payment from a user device to for a restricted access item hosted by a host system is disclosed. In another embodiment, a method for providing a mediated marketplace service is disclosed.