Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention: provide, from a first VOD server having a first cache, a first media presentation to a first group of user devices and a second media presentation to a second group of user devices; provide, from a second VOD server having a second cache, a third content to a third group of user devices; measure a first popularity corresponding to the first media presentation and a second popularity corresponding to the second media presentation; store a copy of the first media presentation on the second cache based on the first popularity and the second popularity; determine when the first VOD server fails to continue to provide the first media presentation; and provide, from the second VOD server, the first media presentation to the first group of user devices, wherein the first cache has the first media presentation stored therein, and wherein the second cache has the second media presentation stored therein.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention: provide, from a first VOD server having a first cache, a first media presentation to a first group of user devices and a second media presentation to a second group of user devices; provide, from a second VOD server having a second cache, a third content to a third group of user devices; measure a first popularity corresponding to the first media presentation and a second popularity corresponding to the second media presentation; store a copy of the first media presentation on the second cache based on the first popularity and the second popularity; determine when the first VOD server fails to continue to provide the first media presentation; and provide, from the second VOD server, the first media presentation to the first group of user devices, wherein the first cache has the first media presentation stored therein, and wherein the second cache has the second media presentation stored therein.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention: provide, from a first VOD server having a first cache, a first media presentation to a first group of user devices and a second media presentation to a second group of user devices; provide, from a second VOD server having a second cache, a third content to a third group of user devices; measure a first popularity corresponding to the first media presentation and a second popularity corresponding to the second media presentation; store a copy of the first media presentation on the second cache based on the first popularity and the second popularity; determine when the first VOD server fails to continue to provide the first media presentation; and provide, from the second VOD server, the first media presentation to the first group of user devices, wherein the first cache has the first media presentation stored therein, and wherein the second cache has the second media presentation stored therein.

Abstract: Via use of a shared data bus, a processor system offloads processing tasks. For example, a processor system communicates over a respective data bus with a data communication controller. After notifying the data communication controller of a particular block of data to retrieve, the processor system relinquishes control of the respective data bus so that the data communication controller can control the data bus and store a block of data in a specified memory location using direct memory access techniques. Upon receiving a notification of completion of storing the data block by the data communication controller, the processor system regains control of the respective data bus and notifies a data forwarding circuit to: i) partition the block of data into data packets, ii) apply respective headers to the data packets based on the header information received from the processor system, and iii) forward the data packets to the respective destination.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention: provide, from a first VOD server having a first cache, a first media presentation to a first group of user devices and a second media presentation to a second group of user devices; provide, from a second VOD server having a second cache, a third content to a third group of user devices; measure a first popularity corresponding to the first media presentation and a second popularity corresponding to the second media presentation; store a copy of the first media presentation on the second cache based on the first popularity and the second popularity; determine when the first VOD server fails to continue to provide the first media presentation; and provide, from the second VOD server, the first media presentation to the first group of user devices, wherein the first cache has the first media presentation stored therein, and wherein the second cache has the second media presentation stored therein.

Abstract: A method and on-demand computing system for hierarchical caching of content in an on-demand computing device. The method receives, at the on-demand computing device, a request to send media content to a playback device, where the media content is stored in a media library of a content server. The method retrieves the media content from a hierarchical cache for the on-demand computing device, and sends the media content to the playback device. The hierarchical cache includes a first cache, a second cache, and the content library, where the first cache has a length based on an age of the second cache.

Abstract: An on-demand server configured to dynamically control and optimize memory utilization while minimizing access to disk storage by monitoring content addressable memory (CAM) usage so as to remove the content from resident CAM memory and page the same adaptively and to eliminate creating separate files for trick playback of content streamed to a customer. The method and system dynamically uses the current concurrency count of the contents to optimize memory utilization so as to swap content in and out of memory as the concurrency values change in conjunction with an on-demand memory based server to provided advantages of optimizing the usage of server resources.

Abstract: A method and on-demand computing system for hierarchical caching of content in an on-demand computing device. The method receives, at the on-demand computing device, a request to send media content to a playback device, where the media content is stored in a media library of a content server. The method retrieves the media content from a hierarchical cache for the on-demand computing device, and sends the media content to the playback device. The hierarchical cache includes a first cache, a second cache, and the content library, where the first cache has a length based on an age of the second cache.

Abstract: Each set of pointers inserted into a received data stream eventually includes pointer values that point to other locations (e.g., other segments) within the data stream. Initially, pointer values can be set to null values because an address or respective index to other segments or other sets of pointers in the data stream may not be known until they are either received from the live feed or inserted into the data stream. As new segments of data are received from an original data stream such as a live feed, a processing function herein backfills the null pointer values in the set of pointers with appropriate values to the newly received segments or set of pointers. Backfilling of appropriate pointer values into the data stream enables a respective user viewing the data stream to initiate navigation amongst the data stream and potentially view a live feed with little or no delay.

Abstract: Network nodes (12, 14, 16, 18, and 20) that exchange time-dependent data in accordance with the Real-Time Transport Protocol subject the timestamps of incoming packets (FIG. 1) to tests that indicate whether the timestamps were likely generated correctly. Such a no de begins an RTP session by determining its output in accordance with the incoming packets' times of arrival. It thereafter bases its output's timing on the incoming packets' timestamps if previously received packets have passed a test (FIG. 5) that indicate their timestamps' reliability. While such a node operates in such a timestamp-based output-timing mode, it continues to test incoming timestamps and assumes operation according to the time-of-arrival mode if too many packets fail the timestamp-reliability test.

Abstract: A de-framer (72) in a communications gateway (22) translates videoconferencing information from a circuit-switched format to a packet-switched format. A demultiplexor (78) extracts a bitstream containing video information that includes error-correction-code fields disposed at predetermined locations with respect to synchronization bits spaced by a synchronization interval and forming a predetermined synchronization sequence. A frame checker (88) for checking the error-correction code finds codeword boundaries by comparing the predetermined synchronization sequence with sequences of synchronization-interval-spaced video-bitstream bits until it finds a match. To do so, the frame checker (88) takes a group of video-bitstream words offset from each other by the synchronization interval. It compares each word in the group with a respective synchronization word consisting of a word-width replication of a respective synchronization bit.

Abstract: In a multipoint control unit for conferencing audiovisual terminals, conference participants are greeted with audio and video welcome messages and then placed in an automated queue. The automated queue is a holding queue from which a conference operator can select the next available conference participant in the queue and conduct a subconference. Apparatus in the multipoint control unit includes a memory for storing video data and a processor coupled to the memory for controlling playback of the video data to a connected terminal during conference setup.

Abstract: In a multipoint control unit for conferencing audiovisual terminals, conference participants are greeted with audio and video welcome messages and then placed in an automated queue. The automated queue is a holding queue from which a conference operator can select the next available conference participant in the queue and conduct a subconference. Apparatus in the multipoint control unit includes a memory for storing video data and a processor coupled to the memory for controlling playback of the video data to a connected terminal during conference setup.