How Amazon Delivers Content Faster Using Local Servers

Amazon's 2016 patent describes a system for breaking down digital content into smaller pieces and storing them on servers located near users to speed up downloads and reduce network traffic.

What it covers

This patent explains how Amazon organizes its content distribution. First, they chop up digital content, like apps or videos, into smaller pieces called segments. They also set up a network of servers, dividing it into groups called subnetworks. Each subnetwork has its own servers, called content sources. Importantly, they register third-party devices as content providers and figure out which subnetwork they belong to. Then, they make sure all the content segments are available on servers within each subnetwork. When a user requests content, the system finds the closest subnetwork and tells the user where to get the specific content segments from servers in that local area, aiming to avoid sending data through too many network hops.

What it doesn't cover

• —Content distribution that does not break content into segments.
• —Systems that do not organize servers into subnetworks.
• —Content delivery where all content is stored on a single server or in a single location.
• —Methods that do not register third-party devices as content providers.
• —Distribution networks that do not consider the network locality of the client device when selecting a content source.

The clever bit

The innovation lies in intelligently segmenting content and strategically placing those segments across a distributed network of servers, organized into local subnetworks. This ensures that content is always available from a 'nearby' source, minimizing delays and network congestion by avoiding unnecessary data routing.

Why it matters

This patent is a core piece of the infrastructure that allows large online services like Amazon to deliver content quickly and efficiently to millions of users worldwide. It's fundamental to how cloud computing and content delivery networks (CDNs) operate, ensuring that when you download an app or stream a video, the data comes from a server nearby, not from across the globe.

Real-world examples

• 1.Amazon Web Services (AWS) content delivery
• 2.Amazon Prime Video streaming
• 3.Amazon Appstore downloads
• 4.Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) in general