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Google Global Cache (GGC) Operations for

YouTube (Part 2. LG U+)
April 18, 2012 | By Chris (tech@netmanias.com) | Netmanias Tech-Blog | www.netmanias.com

As noted in our previous post, we will present you workflow that shows how a YouTube video is
downloaded to an LG U+ subscriber device via Google Global Caches installed in the LG U+ Internet. First,
we will discuss the case when LG U+ Google servers have a video that has been requested by a subscriber
(Cache Hit). Then, we will discuss the case when none of the servers have it (Cache Miss).

YouTube Downloads over the LG U+ IP Network

(1) If an LG U+ Google Global Cache has a video requested (Cache Hit)
Except the fact the LG U+ network has Google Global Caches installed in its Internet Data Center (IDC),
the network is configured the same as in KT's case.
1 DNS Query
www.youtube.com

2 DNS Response
74.125.71.136

4 HTTP GET

3 Click Avatar
in YouTube page

Request Video = Avatar

6 HTTP Response
Download Server Hostname = o-o.preferred.lgupluswireline-gmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com

5 Check User IP address:

7 DNS Query

If (User IP addr is LG U+ range)

Assign LG U+ Google Cache
else
Assign Google Cache in USA

10 Check User IP address:

o-o.preferred.lgupluswireline-gmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com

8 DNS Response

If (User IP address is LG U+ range)

go to step 11 (Check Cache Hit)
else
HTTP 302 Redirect to Google Server in USA

9 HTTP GET

11 Check Cache Hit:

Request Video = Avatar

!
Hit If (User request Video is stored in Cache)
Download Video to User
che
a
C
else
HTTP 302 Redirect to Google Server in USA
www.youtube.com

61.36.166.12

12 Video (Avatar) Download

RTT < 10ms

...

LG U+ DNS

o-o.preferred.lgupluswireline-gmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com

PC LG U+ Subscriber

Google Global Cache

Google Server (USA)

Transit

LG U+ Network (Korea)

1. The LG U+ subscriber enters www.youtube.com into his browser to access a YouTube server. The
subscriber device sends a DNS query to an LG U+ DNS server (the DNS server doesn't have to be
an LG U+ DNS server) to obtain the IP address of the YouTube server.
2. The LG U+ DNS gives the subscriber device the IP address of the YouTube server (i.e.
74.125.71.136).
1

Netmanias Tech-Blog Google Global Cache (GGC) Operations for YouTube (Part 2. LG U+)

3. The subscriber accesses the YouTube server and clicks "Avatar" on YouTube.
4. The subscriber device sends a HTTP GET message to the YouTube server to request an Avatar
video.
5. This is an important step in the process. The YouTube server checks the IP address of the
subscriber device when it receives the HTTP GET message. In this example, the IP address of the
subscriber device is within the IP address blocks allocated for LG U+, who again has installed
Google Global Caches in its IDC. So, the YouTube server selects a Google Global Cache located in
LG U+.
6. The YouTube server gives the hostname of the Google Global Cache (i.e. oo.preferred.lgupluswireline-gmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com) to the subscriber device.
7. The subscriber device performs a DNS query about the hostname (again, the DNS server doesn't
have to an LG U+ DNS server).
8. As a result of the query, the subscriber device receives an IP address of 61.36.166.12, which is
the IP address of the Google Global Cache in LG U+.
9. Now, the subscriber device sends a request for an Avatar video to the LG U+ Google Global Cache.
10. This is another important step in the process. The LG U+ Google Global Cache checks again the
IP address of the device that sent the HTTP GET. If the IP address is not within the IP address
blocks allocated for LG U+, the cache will send a HTTP 302 Found message to the device to
redirect to another Google Global Cache in US (HTTP Redirect). This way, the cache makes it clear
that only LG U+ subscribers are welcome. In this example, since the subscriber is an LG U+
subscriber, the process will move on to the step 11.
11. The LG U+ Google Global Cache checks whether it has the video requested (e.g. Avatar here) in
its storage and finds it (Cache Hit).
12. So, the LG U+ Google Global Cache sends the video to the device. Since RTT is lower than 10 ms,
the subscriber will be able to watch it shortly.

(2) If an LG U+ Google Global Cache does not have a video requested (Cache Miss)
In the figure below, the DNS flow is excluded for more simplified illustration.
1. The LG U+ subscriber clicks "Avatar" on YouTube.
2. The subscriber device sends a HTTP GET message to the YouTube server to request an Avatar
video.
3. The YouTube server checks the IP address of the device and recognizes it as an LG U+ subscriber.
4. The YouTube server gives the hostname of an LG U+ Google Global Cache (i.e. oo.preferred.lgupluswireline-gmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com) to the subscriber device.

Netmanias Tech-Blog Google Global Cache (GGC) Operations for YouTube (Part 2. LG U+)

2 HTTP GET

1 Click Avatar
in YouTube page

Request Video = Avatar

4 HTTP Response
Download Server Hostname = o-o.preferred.lgupluswireline-gmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com

3 Check User IP address:

6 Check User IP address:

If (User IP addr is LG U+ range)

Assign LG U+ Google Cache
else
Assign Google Cache in USA

If (User IP address is LG U+ range)

go to step 11 (Check Cache Hit)
else
HTTP 302 Redirect to Google Server in USA

5 HTTP GET

7 Check Cache Hit:

Request Video = Avatar

8 HTTP 302 Found

If (User request Video is stored in Cache)

! Download Video to User
ss else
i
eM
h
HTTP 302 Redirect to Google Server in USA
c
a

Location = v9.nonxt5.c.youtube.com

9 HTTP GET
Request Video = Avatar

10 HTTP 302 Found

Location = redirector.c.youtube.com

11 HTTP GET
Request Video = Avatar

12 HTTP 302 Found

Location = o-o.preferred.lax04t01.v1.lscache6.c.youtube.com

13 HTTP GET
Request Video = Avatar

14 Video (Avatar) Download

RTT = 200ms

...

www.youtube.com
v9.nonxt5.c.youtube.com
redirector.c.youtube.com

ic
Log
Fill
e
ach

LG U+ DNS

o-o.preferred.lgupluswireline-gmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com

o-o.preferred.lax04t01.v1.lscache6.c.youtube.com

PC LG U+ Subscriber

Google Global Cache

Google Cache

Google Server (USA)

???

Transit

LG U+ Network (Korea)

5. The device sends a request for an Avatar video to the LG U+ Google Global Cache.
6. The LG U+ Google Global Cache checks the IP address of the device and confirms that it belongs
to an LG U+ subscriber.
7. The cache then checks to see if it has any Avatar video previously cached, and finds none (Cache
Miss).
8. Based on our actual test findings, we can presume the following: probably, the LG U+ Google
Global Cache has no idea which Google Global Cache in US has the Avatar video, so it will redirect
the message to a pre-configured parent Google Global Cache server (HTTP Redirection). In our
test, we noticed a certain mapping rule has been applied in the number values of the hostnames
as follows:

The parent server of the LG U+ Google Global Cache "o-o.preferred.lgupluswirelinegmp1.v9.lscache5.c.youtube.com" was "v9.nonxt5.c.youtube.com" in US

The parent server of the LG U+ Google Global Cache "o-o.preferred.lgupluswirelinegmp1.v12.lscache6.c.youtube.com" was "v12.nonxt6.c.youtube.com" in US

9. The subscriber device sends a request message for an Avatar video to v9.nonxt5.c.youtube.com
as instructed by the LG U+ Google Global Cache.

Netmanias Tech-Blog Google Global Cache (GGC) Operations for YouTube (Part 2. LG U+)

10. If this server does not have the video either, it redirects the message again to
redirector.c.youtube.com (HTTP Redirection). We assume redirector.c.youtube.com is the toplevel server which manages the locations of all video files (i.e. which cache has what videos).
11. The subscriber device sends a request for an Avatar video to redirector.c.youtube.com.
12. Finally, the subscriber device receives the hostname of a Google Global Cache that has the Avatar
video (i.e. o-o.preferred.lax04t01.v1.lscache6.c.youtube.com).
13. Now, the subscriber device sends a request for the Avatar video to the hostname.
14. Then, the subscriber device downloads the video from the Google Global Cache in US.
At this point, you may wonder "Then, when does the LG U+ Google Global Cache perform Cache Fill?" In
our test, when we requested the same video again after a Cache Miss, the video was downloaded again
from a Google Global Cache in US. Given that, it can be assumed that Google has certain policies set
regarding cache filling, for instance, "Cache Fill is performed for a content requested more than a
specified number of times".

Closing
As seen above, the YouTube servers in US and the LG U+ Google Global Caches check the IP address of a
device that sent a HTTP GET message. Then based on the findings, they decide through which Google
Global Cache (i.e. one in US or one in Korea) to download the video requested by the device. KT
subscribers use IP addresses that are within the IP address blocks allocated for KT, and thus they cannot
access the LG U+ Google Global Caches simply by switching their DNS server to an LG U+ DNS server (If KT
subscribers switch the IP addresses of their device into ones within the IP address blocks allocated for LG
U+, then routing will fail, providing no Internet connection at all). This means, an LG U+ subscriber will be
able to download videos through the LG U+ Google Global Caches with no problem even when the
subscriber uses a KT DNS server.
One last thing to note...
Netmanias is currently using LG U+ Enterprise Internet service. Our measurement confirmed that, for
those who use LG U+ Enterprise Internet service, videos are not downloaded from the LG U+ Google
Global Caches in Korea, but from the Google Global Caches in Hong Kong (e.g. oo.preferred.hkg05s01.v20.lscache7.c.youtube.com), which have a relatively shorter RTT (about 100 ms).
In conclusion, the YouTube server in US redirects a subscriber to:
1) a LG U+ Google Global Cache if the IP address of a subscriber device is within the IP address
blocks allocated for LG U+ Home subscribers
2) a Google Global Cache in Hong Kong if the IP address is within the IP address blocks allocated
for LG U+ Enterprise subscribers
3) Google Global Cache in US if the IP address is not within one of the two IP address blocks
above (e.g. ones within the IP address blocks allocated for KT)
4

Netmanias Tech-Blog Google Global Cache (GGC) Operations for YouTube (Part 2. LG U+)

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NMC Consulting Group is an advanced and professional network consulting company, specializing in IP network areas (e.g., FTTH, Metro Ethernet and IP/MPLS), service
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