Intelligent Peer-to-Peer Media Streaming

• US 20070280255A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Luan, Hao, Kwong, Kin-Wah, Tsang, Danny
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An efficient media streaming method utilizing a globally load balanced overlay network. This method makes use of capacity per out-degree values to construct and maintain an overlay network for media streaming in a Peer-to-Peer environment.

Claims

1. A method of distributing high-bandwidth content over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

when a peer joins the network, launching a walker procedure which explores the current network topology to find existing nodes which can provide the best connectivity to the peel; and

connecting the new peer to at least one tree within the network, in dependence on the results of said walker procedure, to thereby receive content streams.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said walker procedure uses transitions which are at least partly stochastic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions in dependence on available bandwidth per fallout.

4. The method of claim .1, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions to nodes with successively higher available bandwidth per fanout.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions in accordance with a. Metropolis-Hastings algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said connecting step is conditioned on distributed call admission.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said connecting step is not permitted if the new peer'"'"'s uploading bandwidth is smaller than the playout rate and the locally estimated downloading rate.

8. A method of distributing high-bandwidth content over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:

when a peer joins the network, launching a walker procedure which explores the current network topology to find existing nodes which can provide the best connectivity to the peer, for individual substreams which in combination provide a single high-bandwidth data. stream; and

connecting the new peer to at least one tree within the network, in dependence on the results of said walker procedure, to thereby receive content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said walker procedure uses transitions which are at least. partly stochastic.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said. walker procedure makes transitions in dependence on available bandwidth per fanaut.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions to nodes with successively higher available bandwidth per fanout.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions in accordance with a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said connecting step is conditioned on distributed call admission.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said connecting step is not permitted if the new peer'"'"'s uploading bandwidth is smaller than the playout rate and the locally estimated downloading rate.

15. A peer-to-peer network method for multi-media distribution, comprising the actions of:

monitoring the overall bandwidth resource availability;

dynamically adapting playout rate at the media source in dependence of said overall bandwidth; and

forming and maintaining an adaptive load-balancing topology such that the number of outgoing connections of ones of peers in the network′

. is automatically adapted in. dependence of its upload bandwidth. and said overall bandwidth.

16. The method of claim. 15, wherein said adaptive load-balancing topology uses stochastic exploration of the network when a new node joins.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the media source provides a playout of streaming video.

18-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A network architecture for peer-to-peer communications, comprising:

a media source which plays out media content into a peer-to-peer network, said network including peers which connect to other said peers for downloading said content; and

a walker procedure, locally executable by nodes of the network, which explores the current network topology to find existing nodes which can provide the best connectivity to a newly joined or rejoined peer.

34. The system of claim. 33, wherein said media content comprises streaming video.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein said walker procedure uses transitions which are at:

least partly stochastic.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions in dependence on available bandwidth per fanout.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions to nodes with successively higher available bandwidth per fanout.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein said walker procedure makes transitions in accordance with a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm.