Clean-Slate Information-Centric Publish Subscribe Networks

The Internet architecture of today does not seem suited to the current Internet usage, as the application layer is more and more content-centric, while the network layer is ossified around the IP concept. In this chapter, the authors explore a redefinition of the whole Internet architecture where nothing is taken for granted, especially IP addresses. The review focuses on the forwarding and topology components of the EU FP7 PSIRP architecture and on a few of the problematic issues and the ongoing discussions around a pioneering clean-slate design of the way to organize networks.

Adaptive P2P Streaming

Widespread adoption of broadband Internet and the introduction of multimedia-capable mobile devices enable the proliferation of many streaming video services. However, best-effort networks are not natively designed to such a purpose. They do not provide any guarantees for delivering the content on time or offer constant service quality. Furthermore, video streaming presents a heavy load for servers. This is especially the case for special events that bring an enormous amount of users causing so called “flash crowds,” which overload unsuitable systems. Peer-to-peer (P2P) techniques can be successfully exploited to build scalable streaming systems using the distributed resources of users themselves. In this chapter, the authors explore the different techniques proposed in the context of adaptive streaming, both live and on demand. Each covered approach addresses the video streaming problem from a different perspective, and so, brings specific advantages and disadvantages in its solution.

Peer-to-Peer Overlay for the IP Multimedia Subsystem

The growth of the Internet and its popular services are forcing telecom operators to provide advanced services to their subscribers, as traditional voice services are no longer enough to attract more customers. To enable more innovative and value-added IP services and take advantage of the services that the Internet provides, the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is introduced. The IMS provides a complete access-agnostic architecture and framework that facilitates the convergence of the mobile network, removing the gap between the two most successful communication networks: cellular and Internet network. The harmonized All-IP platform has the potential to provide all Internet services with a more cost-effective and more efficient architecture than the circuit-switched networks do. However, by merging two of the most successful networks, the integration of two network models with different concerns and motivations is not without its problems, among which, the scalability issue is the most essential when supporting content delivery services. The purpose of this chapter is to study and design a new content delivery network infrastructure, PeerMob, merging the Peer-to-Peer technology with the IMS framework, which benefits IMS with scalability, reliability, and efficiency features coming with decentralized P2P architecture. The chapter also puts this P2P IMS paradigm under realistic network conditions and strenuous simulation to evaluate the performance of the P2P IMS system.

Optimal Route Selection Algorithm for Multi-Homed Mobile Network

This chapter develops the concept of route optimization in a multi-homed mobile network. In a future wireless network a user may have multiple mobile devices, each having multiple network interfaces and needing interconnection with each other as well as with other networks to form a mobile network. Such mobile networks may be multi-homed i.e. having multiple points of attachment to the Internet. It forwards packets of mobile network nodes inside it to Internet using suitable routes. But there may be multiple routes in a mobile network for forwarding packets of mobile network node. Moreover, the mobile network nodes inside a mobile network may have packets of different service types. So the optimal route selection inside a mobile network depending upon the service type of mobile network node is an important research issue. Two different route optimization schemes to create point to point network among mobile network nodes are elaborated in this chapter. This chapter is aimed at the researchers and the policy makers making them aware of the different means of efficient route selection in a multi-homed mobile network as well as understanding the problem areas that need further vigorous research.

An Open Service Platform Based on an IP Metropolitan Mesh Network

This chapter proposes an open-service platform based on an IP metropolitan mesh network suitable for multimedia services in an all-IP network environment. To guarantee mobile applications in the metropolitan mesh network simulated, the authors evaluated the five most prominent mobile ad hoc network (MANET) routing algorithms: Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector (AODV), Dynamic Source Routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks (DSR), Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR), Temporally-Ordered Routing Algorithm (TORA), and Geographic Routing Protocol (GRP). The metropolitan mesh network architecture is based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 Standard that supports the IP protocol and the interaction with MANET protocols. The MANET routing protocols are evaluated in terms of delivery ratio, MANET delay, routing overhead, overhead, WiMAX delay, WiMAX load, and WiMAX throughput. Results show that proactive routing algorithms are more efficient than the reactive routing algorithms for the IP metropolitan-mesh network simulated.

P2P Streaming over MANET and VANET

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) and Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) as mobile wireless networks are challenging environments as there is no centralized packet routing mechanism. Packet delivery is normally multi-hop and may encounter out-of-range intermediate network nodes on the routing path. There may be problems of energy consumption in MANETs and of constrained routing paths in VANETs. Consequently, introducing real-time video streaming into these environments is problematic. Peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming from multiple sources is a way of strengthening video streaming in these circumstances. In this chapter, P2P streaming is combined with various video error resilience mechanisms that mostly take advantage of the multiple paths available in such networks. As video streams are sensitive to errors the impact of wireless channel errors should be assessed and, for VANETs, realistic mobility models should be modeled, especially in urban settings. The chapter looks in detail at how video source coding can assist in the protection of video streams, in that respect comparing various forms of multiple description coding.

P2P Video Streaming over MANET

Video streaming in Mobile Ad hoc NETwork (MANET) is a real challenge due to frequent changes in network topology, and sensitiveness of radio links. Recent approaches make use of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technologies to combat these challenges because the technologies have been already found to be effective for content delivery on the Internet. However, as the Internet and MANET operate differently, the P2P technologies used in Internet need modifications before employing to MANET. In this chapter, the authors discuss the recent P2P approaches, the adaptations to be made, and the major challenges to be faced while using P2P approaches in MANETs.

Recent Advances in Peer-to-Peer Video Streaming by Using Scalable Video Coding

Scalable Video Coding provides important functionalities, such as the spatial, temporal, and SNR (quality) scalability, thereby significantly improving coding efficiency over prior standards such as the H.264/AVC and enabling the power adaptation. In turn, these functionalities lead to the enhancement of the video streaming over Peer-to-Peer networks, thereby providing a powerful platform for a variety of multimedia streaming applications, such as video-on-demand, video conferencing, live broadcasting, and many others. P2P systems are considered to be extremely cost-effective, since they utilize resources of the peer machines (e.g., CPU resources, memory resources, and bandwidth). However, since bandwidth is usually not constant and also since Peer-to-Peer networks suffer from the packet loss, there is no guarantee for the end-user video presentation quality. In addition, due to different server and end-user hardware configurations, it will be useful to specify the quality of the media (e.g., the bit-rate, spatial/temporal resolution, and the like). As a result, the Scalable Video Coding approach is an excellent choice, since the media streaming can be adjusted to a suitable stream to fit a particular Peer-to-Peer network and particular end-user requirements.

Quality of Experience in Mobile Peer-to-Peer Streaming Systems

This chapter considers the various parameters that affect the user’s Quality-of-Experience (QoE) in mobile peer-to-peer streaming systems, which are a form of content delivery network. Network and content providers do not necessarily focus on users’ QoE when designing the content delivery strategies and business models. The outcome of this is quite often the over-provisioning of network resources and also a lack of knowledge in respect to the user’s satisfaction. The focus is the methodology for quantifying the user’s perception of service quality for mobile video services and user contexts. The statistical technique of discriminant analysis is employed in defining prediction models to map Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters onto estimates of the user’s QoE ratings. The chapter considers the relative contribution of the QoS parameters to predicting user responses. The chapter also demonstrates the value of the prediction models in developing QoE management strategies in order to optimize network resource utilization. To investigate the versatility of the framework, a feasibility study was applied to a P2P TV system. P2P systems continue to develop and as such, not a lot is known about their QoE characteristics, which situation this chapter seeks to remedy.

Reliable Multicast Streaming

Video streaming is becoming one of the most important services deployed over telecommunication networks such as the Internet and triple-play operators’ networks. This service differs from the rest in being loss sensitive and highly delay sensitive and requiring a considerable amount of bandwidth in order to offer a smooth transmission of packets through the network. While upgrading network elements with quality of service and multicast transmission capabilities becomes prohibitive for most network operators, peer-to-peer (P2P) architectures appear to be smart and efficient solutions to the previous issues. Many different P2P systems have been proposed and deployed to offer reliable video streaming services. These approaches address issues such as multicast transmission, quality of service enablement, mobility robustness, and video distribution according to network and user device capabilities. This chapter gives an overview of the different issues related to performance and reliability in multicast streaming over wireless networks and presents several alternatives facing them, including amendments to the already existing multicast mechanism of data distribution, video scalability and how peer-to-peer networking can provide a cost-effective solution to such problems.