Abstract: A cache server includes a media serving engine that is capable of distributing media content. A cache engine is coupled to the media serving engine and capable of caching media content. A set of cache policies is accessible by the cache engine to define the operation of the cache engine. The cache server can be configured to operate as either a cache server or an origin server. The cache server also includes a data communication interface coupled to the cache engine and the media serving engine to allow the cache engine to receive media content across a network and to allow the media serving engine to distribute media content across the network. The cache policies include policies for distributing media content from the media server, policies for handling cache misses, and policies for prefetching media content.

Abstract: Dynamic streaming media management is described. In one aspect, media content is managed by accessing the first playlist that has a non-canonical format. Multiple translators are provided to translate playlists from multiple different native data formats to a canonical data format. One of the translators is invoked to translate the first playlist into the canonical data format. This forms a second playlist that is based on the canonical data format.

Abstract: Systems and methods for combining streaming media content items for streaming to a client computer across a network are described. In one aspect, a server computer receives a request from a client computer for one or more content items. Responsive to receiving the request, the server computer identifies a data structure that refers to the one or more further content items. The server computer modifies the data structure to reference the requested content items. The server computer provides the content items referenced by the modified data structure to the requesting client computer for streaming media content to a user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for combining streaming media content items for streaming to a client computer across a network are described. In one aspect, a playlist is maintained on a server computer. The playlist includes at least one reference to a streaming media content item and at least one placeholder. A request for a requested streaming media content item is received at the server computer from a client computer over a network. The server computer modifies the playlist to create a modified playlist by replacing at least one placeholder with a reference to a streaming media content item. This is accomplished such that the modified playlist includes at least one reference to the requested streaming media content item and at least one reference to at least one further streaming media content item. The streaming media content items referenced by the modified playlist are provided to the client computer over the network.

Abstract: A first computer process serves remote procedure calls received from an instruction set that executes within a second computer process, and the second computer process executes concurrently and independently of the first computer process. The remote procedure calls are served by the first computer process which: receives a request for a data file from the instruction set where the request is according to a data file retrieval protocol; determines that the request for the data file specifies a function which is defined within the first computer process where the function includes computer instructions that perform a task which is unrelated to both generation and retrieval of any data file specified in the request; and executes the function to execute the computer instructions in response to receipt of the request.

Abstract: The following subject matter associates new or different media content with a particular playlist while maintaining the playlist's corresponding reference(s) to content such as streaming media content. A server component receives a request from a client for one or more content items. The server component identifies a data structure that refers to one or more further content items. Next, the server modifies the data structure to reference the content item or items requested by the client. The server provides the content items referenced by the modified data structure to the client.

Abstract: The described subject matter provides for managing and streaming media content. A server/client component accesses a first playlist that is in a native data format. A translator component translates the first playlist into a canonical data format, forming a second playlist in the canonical format. The content referenced by the second playlist is streamed.

Abstract: A cache server includes a media serving engine that is capable of distributing media content. A cache engine is coupled to the media serving engine and capable of caching media content. A set of cache policies is accessible by the cache engine to define the operation of the cache engine. The cache server can be configured to operate as either a cache server or an origin server. The cache server also includes a data communication interface coupled to the cache engine and the media serving engine to allow the cache engine to receive media content across a network and to allow the media serving engine to distribute media content across the network. The cache policies include policies for distributing media content from the media server, policies for handling cache misses, and policies for prefetching media content.

Abstract: An applet which executes in isolation within an applet viewer builds and sends remote procedure calls by encoding remote procedure calling (RPC) requests as requests for documents in a known, standard document request format, such as a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) universal resource locator (URL). A portion of the name space for documents which can be retrieved according to HTTP is reserved for RPC requests. The applet process encodes an RPC request as a request to receive a document in the portion of the name space reserved for RPC requests and sends the URL to an RPC process. The RPC process receives the URL and determines that the URL specifies a document in the name space portion reserved for RPC requests and parses the RPC request from the URL and services the RPC request. In addition, the RPC process places any results produced by servicing the RPC request into a document which is then sent to the applet.

Abstract: The following subject matter associates new or different media content with a particular playlist while maintaining the playlist's corresponding reference(s) to content such as streaming media content. A server component receives a request from a client for one or more content items. The server component identifies a data structure that refers to one or more further content items. Next, the server modifies the data structure to reference the content item or items requested by the client. The server provides the content items referenced by the modified data structure to the client.

Abstract: The described subject matter provides for managing and streaming media content. A server/client component accesses a first playlist that is in a native data format. A translator component translates the first playlist into a canonical data format, forming a second playlist in the canonical format. The content referenced by the second playlist is streamed.

Abstract: A cache server includes a media serving engine that is capable of distributing media content. A cache engine is coupled to the media serving engine and capable of caching media content. A set of cache policies is accessible by the cache engine to define the operation of the cache engine. The cache server can be configured to operate as either a cache server or an origin server. The cache server also includes a data communication interface coupled to the cache engine and the media serving engine to allow the cache engine to receive media content across a network and to allow the media serving engine to distribute media content across the network. The cache policies include policies for distributing media content from the media server, policies for handling cache misses, and policies for prefetching media content.

Abstract: Authorization methods, systems and computer program products ensure that user media streaming requests are implemented to access unmodified original content. Authorization and data collection follow a user streaming request to a media server, including comparison of user password with a remote password maintenance authority, followed by decryption and descrambling of content pursuant to password clearance. Streaming and media content recording are monitored to ensure compliance with bandwidth and stream number policies for all and specific clients. Users are provided with service levels at least at the level of predetermined status.

Abstract: Authentication methods, systems and computer program products ensure that user media streaming requests originate with web documents having an authorized URL. The user makes a streaming request to a media server with a URL including a URL prefix, a path, and the name of a media work to be performed, which URL the media server compares with earlier made URL entries in a pre-established database. If there is a URL correspondence between a URL in the pre-established database and the URL extracted from the HTML document received by the browser from a web server, then streaming of the particular work is authorized.